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Sidelines
Kalani Simpson
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Oregon State takes the fight to the streets
IT'S been so cold these past few days. Feels like February. That's only appropriate.
This was the battle for National Signing Day.
How many signatures was this worth?
That's what this was about, wasn't it? That's why Oregon State wanted this trip.
"This is the greatest trip in the world for us to get in," Beavers coach Mike Riley would say, "but it was a great team (to play against)."
That's why Hawaii put this date on the schedule and started licking its chops.
This game, this night, shows that "you don't have to go away to play big-time football," UH assistant and eager recruiter Jeff Reinebold would say.
Yes, this game was more than blocking and tackling and passes and sacks. This was head to head. Mano a mano, as they say.
This was a recruiting battle come to life on a green, 100-yard field.
And a win? How much is that worth?
"Kids are going to make their decisions based on how they feel about a school," former UH icon turned Oregon State villain Mike Cavanaugh said between hugs. "So I don't think it had anything to do with it."
No, of course not.
Gotta love him. Same old Cav.
But there was the story of Jeremy Perry supposedly flip-flopping over with which school he was going to sign, only to end up at Oregon State. There was Perry last night, sprinting 10 yards ahead of the rest of his team, as the Beavers took the field. Running full speed all the way to the OSU fans and then he and they all went nuts.
"We had to keep him under wraps," Riley said. "He's a very excitable guy."
There was Perry and fellow Kahuku alumnus Leonard Peters going at it on the field like they were settling something from third grade. There was Peters pushing an OSU player, Perry pushing Peters. The umpire shoving Perry to break this thing up.
There was Perry being carried off the field, at the end. The injured hero. Sitting on the bench, his guys coming over for congratulatory hugs. He'd done it. He'd come home and won.
No one has recruited the state of Hawaii more hungrily than Oregon State has, these past few years.
"You'd be crazy not to," Reinebold said. There's talent here.
So this was a statement game. For each school. For both schools.
Wasn't it?
This was a risk for Oregon State. If you're going to sell student-athletes on leaving home you'd better not lose to the home team. Not on signing day come to life.
Reinebold said UH's statement was made by 46,683 fans. "A great game like it was, it's gotta help you," he said.
But the Beavers have been up at Turtle Bay all week, making no secret of their intentions. Now, this game. To the winner goes the spoils?
"I don't think so," Reinebold said. It went down to the last minutes. It was a close game, a great game. Everybody realizes that. That's what the 17-year-old guys on the sidelines will remember.
But head to head. Does Riley think this helped?
"I hope so," he said. "But I'm just glad they (recruits) got to see us."