Tuesday, July 6, 1999

Hammerheads’
future in the air

Hawaii's franchise in the
Indoor Football League is winning
games but are also wondering
where are the fans

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

The Hawaii Hammerheads, who don't even know if they'll be a franchise next year, did what they had to do Saturday evening at the Blaisdell Arena.

Upsetting the Indoor Professional Football league's first-place team, the Texas Terminators, 55-44, before more than 2,000 fans, they branded themselves a winner in this town.

They've won six of their last seven games, including their last three, to post an 8-4 record behind Texas' 9-3.

The question is, will this town which loves winners and traditionally abandons teams that don't win, finally embrace the Hammerheads and help them survive?

Hawaii goes on the road the next two weeks and there could be no worse timing for a team trying to gain a solid fan base.

Based upon their stunning performance last weekend on the 50-yard IPFL field, the Hammerheads might have been expected to draw better next weekend among fans of the 100-yard game dying for a football fix.

Further complicating matters is the fact that the Hammerheads will have to play their final two regular-season home games on work nights -- a Sunday (Aug. 1) and a Wednesday (Aug. 4).

They'll be facing the same team, the Louisiana Bayou Beast, on those nights.

The Hammerheads will probably have wrapped up a playoff berth and might even be in first place by that time.

Ironically, about half of the current Hammerheads played for the Rainbows in recent years, and saw their fan base diminish with their win-loss record. The Hammerheads' head coach, Guy Benjamin, was the Rainbows' offensive coordinator.

"I knew there was something different when I came into the arena Saturday night," said Benjamin. "Everybody was just so focused, I had never seen them like that. I started trying to lighten them up by saying, 'Damn, you guys are making me scared just looking at you.' "

He was particularly impressed with the Hammerheads' defensive play, which was under the direction of Darren Hernandez.

"I have never seen a defense attack like that," said Benjamin.

"The defensive line played its best game of the year with three sacks --- the most in any game this year. We played man-to-man coverage on their speedy wideouts even though we are a zone team. We tried to work on our pass rush. We just forced their quarterback, James Brown (who leads the IPFL with 39 touchdown passes), to literally throw the ball up for grabs once in a while."

Former Rainbows star Eddie Klaneski electrified the crowd in the second quarter. He returned interceptions 35 and 47 yards for touchdowns and returned a kickoff 48 yards for another score.

Klaneski was named IPFL defensive player of the week.

Hawaii's three-time IPFL defensive player of the week, Chris Paogofie, equaled his best performance of the year with 13 tackles, five of them unassisted.

Displaying badger-like intensity, Paogofie fought off three blocks to assist on one sack.

Brendyn Agbayani has also stepped up to the plate, scoring eight touchdowns in three games, catching and running the ball.

"We pull our linemen on the toss," said Benjamin.

"Roy Ma'afala and Jerry Leaeno are out there blocking for the ball carrier 20 yards down the field. It's great for a lot of the local linemen here because they're so athletic and have good balance.

"I didn't know it was going to evolve into this," he added. "I just put the toss in because I thought it would slow the pass rush."

The Hammerheads will play the Louisiana Bayou Beast (4-7) in Baton Rougue, La., on Saturday and travel to Biloxi, Miss., the following weekend to play the Mississippi Fire Dogs (6-6).

"Louisiana is the team that won the IPFL last year but is last this year," said Benjamin.

"I do know that it's dangerous after you win a big game to go to the last-place team's home 5,000 miles away. The biggest thing is to make sure we stay up for it."

Klaneski player of the week Eddie Klaneski of the Hawaii Hammerheads, who scored three second-quarter touchdowns on interception and kick returns in a 55-44 victory over first-place Texas last Saturday, was named the Indoor Professional Football League's Defensive Player of the Week yesterday. Klaneski, a former UH defensive back, scored the Hammerheads' first touchdown on 48-yard kickoff return. He then returned pass interceptions 35 and 47 yards for scores.