U.H. FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Owen makes
unexpected return

Dustin Owen trotted onto the practice field yesterday afternoon, barely noticed by any of the coaches or players.

The big center for Hawaii had just returned from tests to see if his heart could take a licking and keep on ticking. The results were so good, Owen was cleared to practice in full pads for the first time in nine days.

"He arrived kind of late, and I didn't see him until he was snapping the football," UH head coach June Jones said after yesterday's practice. "It was good to have him back in there.

"Anytime you have problems with your heart, it's kind of scary. But the doctors said he passed the tests. And that's good news for him and us."

Owen has been held out of contact since experiencing a rapid heartbeat while lifting weights. Team physician Andrew Nichols said Owen's heart rate was near 160 times a minute.

"We may never know what caused it, but it corrected itself and that's good," Nichols said. "Dustin doesn't have any problems with his heart. This was probably just an isolated incident."

Owen fell behind while sidelined but expects to be the top center during Sunday's controlled scrimmage at Cooke Field.

"It was important for me to get out here for the last week of practice," Owen said. "I felt fine. I always felt my body was ready to play football. So, it was frustrating standing around the past week with that red jersey on. I'm glad to get it off and be back out here with my teammates."

Florida prospect wavering

Plantation (Fla.) High School quarterback Ryan Schneider has yet to commit to anyone.

UH coaches can't comment on the Florida recruit, who visited UH over the weekend. His parents want him to come here, but it's likely he'll stay close to home and attend Central Florida.

"One of the problems we're always going to have in recruiting mainland players is the distance from home," Jones said. "It takes a special person to leave family and friends behind to play football."

Scrimmage still on

Hawaii will hold a controlled scrimmage as part of its final practice on Sunday at 6 p.m. Jones said it will be similar to the one held nearly two weeks ago.

"It's not going to be like a regular spring game because we don't have enough healthy bodies," Jones said. "We're making some good progress, but we still have a long way to go."

Kennedy back in school

Former Hawaii receiver Brannon Kennedy returned to school this year to complete his degree.

Kennedy's first two years out of college were spent with the Washington Redskins. He left the team due to an injury. Kennedy's eligibility at UH ended in 1995.

"We're always happy to see guys return to school," Jones said.

Tickets on sale

Season tickets for the coming football season remain on sale. Those interested in buying sideline seats will pay $140 for the nine-game schedule. End zone seats are $122.

The box office at the Stan Sheriff Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fans can also order by phone at 944-2697.

Yoshida makes SI

There's a short in this week's Sports Illustrated in the Scorecard section on UH's woes in booking big-name talent.

Notre Dame and Virginia asking off Hawaii's schedule are highlighted in the article, which talks about potential Bowl Championship Series teams no longer being able to schedule weaker opponents.

UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida is quoted in the article, saying it's tough for top-rated teams to risk losing $12 million for playing schools farther down in the BCS ratings.

---

By Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin