Sports Notebook
Star-Bulletin staff
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WARRIOR FOOTBALL
Kalilimoku moves back inside
Brad Kalilimoku made his second position change of the week yesterday when defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville moved the junior to inside linebacker.
With sophomore Solomon Elimimian's status for next Saturday's home opener against UNLV in question due to a knee injury suffered in last week's loss to Alabama, Kalilimoku gives the Warriors an experienced performer at Buck linebacker.
Kalilimoku started all 12 games last season at inside linebacker, playing alongside Elimimian for the last nine games, and finished third on the team in tackles with 71. He moved to strong safety in the spring, but a hamstring injury hampered his progress in fall camp and Jacob Patek earned the starting job.
Kalilimoku was shifted to outside linebacker earlier this week to bolster that position.
"I know Brad can play excellent inside linebacker so I made that move," Glanville said. "He's the starting inside linebacker right now."
Adam Leonard remains the starter at the other inside linebacker spot coming off an 11-tackle performance at Alabama, with C.J. Allen-Jones and Tyson Kafentzis at outside linebacker.
Elimimian, UH's second-leading tackler last year, hasn't practiced this week and had an MRI on his injured knee on Wednesday.
"He's such a great kid and works so hard and he's so smart I just hope we don't get in trouble there," Glanville said.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii reserve quarterback William Brogan threw a pass during yesterday's practice.
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If the Warriors hadn't had a bye this week, Glanville said Elimimian and safety
Leonard Peters (ribs) probably wouldn't have been played.
Freshman Blaze Soares had been practicing with the first team in Elimimian's place this week and could work into the rotation as well.
"I think he's going to be an excellent football player," Glanville said. "Blaze has the ability to play a lot of places."
Hometown connection: Joshua Rice, a redshirt freshman linebacker, delivered a few big hits during yesterday's Scout Bowl scrimmage and has ties to the Warriors' next opponent.
"I know two guys on the team coming, so it'll be fun to see those guys," said Rice, a graduate of Coronado High School in Las Vegas. "In high school I followed (the Rebels), and I had coaches who played for UNLV."
Next week's game starts a series of five meetings between the Warriors and Rebels over a six-year span. UH is scheduled to play in Las Vegas next year and in 2009 and 2011, with UNLV returning here in 2010.
Down time: The Warriors resume practice Monday morning in preparation for the UNLV game -- the start of a stretch of 12 straight weeks of games. The players can work out on their own today and will take the weekend off before returning to the field.