Sports Notebook
Star-Bulletin staff
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WARRIOR FOOTBALL
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kenny Estes of the Black team, had the only interception of yesterday's game, on a pass intended for Greg Salas, left.
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Estes pumped by Dizon’s day
Jordon Dizon wasn't the only former Waimea High School football player to have a good day yesterday.
Hours after Dizon was drafted 45th overall by the Detroit Lions, his one-time teammate, sophomore safety Kenny Estes, picked off Tyler Graunke in the Warrior Bowl for the only interception of the game.
Estes helped limit Cal Lee's Green team to only seven points at halftime as Ron Lee's Black squad jumped out to a 10-0 lead, and eventually prevailed 24-20.
He had excellent position on Graunke's ball on a deep route up the middle in the first quarter and leapt over the intended target to snatch it.
"I don't know what to say," Estes said with a laugh. "I think I read the ball, but I was in the right place at the right time, too. All I know is I got a lot of work to do in the offseason."
The pick set up a Dan Kelly field goal.
Estes, who tried to emulate Dizon in high school, missed the second round of the NFL Draft but heard of his teammate's selection shortly after.
"My brother called me. I was pretty stoked he made it in the second round," Estes said.
"Yeah, I did (think he would go that fast). Ever since high school I envisioned him going quick."
Equal opportunities for Kelly
Kelly has no intention of quitting his day job.
In serving quadruple duty as the punter and kicker for both teams, the senior converted five of six extra-point attempts and made good on his only field-goal try to wrap up a smooth outing at his normal tasks.
But two of his three punts -- the usual job of Tim Grasso, who isn't enrolled at UH this semester -- didn't quite match his expectations.
"My punting, on a scale of 1 to 10, was probably a 4," Kelly said with a sheepish grin. Grasso, who lurked nearby after observing the game, butted in with a "2!"
Kelly's only kicking miss came on the PAT of the last touchdown of the day, a 13-yard TD catch by lineman Aaron Kia from Bryce Kalauokaaea.
"We're going to go 'no comment' on that one," Kelly said. "Tonight was just kind of fun, get the kicking involved, because it will be a big part of the team this year."
He added that his performance made Grasso look "more amazing than he already is."
Up and down for Lane
Right wideout
Malcolm Lane boosted the Black squad early with a 27-yard touchdown from
Inoke Funaki on the game's opening drive. But he couldn't connect with Funaki again on a deep ball while he was wide open, dropping the pass at about the 10-yard line as the Aloha Stadium crowd groaned.
Funaki made up the slack with an eventual 6-yard TD to Daniel Lofton on the same drive.
"I don't want to talk about just myself. I'm more happy about the team," Lane said. "There were a lot of questions coming in about our team, how we were going to be. I think we really stepped up to the plate and we showed what we have. And we showed that we're ready to go down to Florida, and we're ready to play, ready to compete."
Lauduski makes good
After being newly inserted in the game, freshman receiver
Troy Lauduski hauled in a 55-yard bomb on the run from Kalauokaaea in the final quarter.
It was easily the Carlsbad, Calif., native's most impressive play of spring practice, and allowed the Green team to make the score more respectable late.
"Every ball that's thrown to you, you gotta catch," Lauduski said. "Hopefully (after that) they give me a good look. I still got a lot of eligibility, so maybe end up redshirting this year. A lot of time here."