Thursday, August 5, 1999
Winning has
turned ’Heads
'Football is fun again'
By Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinPhysically, he could have felt a lot better, but Calvin Mims sat by his locker at the Blaisdell Arena and couldn't stop smiling.
He was in an upbeat, talkative mood as he and wide receiver Zach Odom signed their names on the T-shirts of youngsters who filed in to get a closer look at familiar faces they used to watch on TV broadcasts from Aloha Stadium.
Mims had reason to feel good, even though his Hawaii Hammerheads (10-6) had just fallen short, 32-30, against the 1998 Indoor Professional Football League champion Louisiana Bayou Beast (6-10) in the regular-season finale.
"Football is fun again," said Mims. Playing for the 0-12 Rainbows last season made him "begin to hate" the game.
"I just wanted something positive to take out of Hawaii and now I have it," he said.
The Hammerheads don't have anything close to the following of the university program, even at its worst, and couldn't fit that many fans into the Blaisdell anyway.
A crowd of 2,946 - roughly a third of whom paid admission - rocked the arena, which barely accommodates the dimensions of the field, last night.
But this low-profile, financially challenged little football franchise is energized by 18 former Rainbow players and two coaches. They've put the Hammerheads in a position to do something the university hasn't done since 1992: win a championship.
"This is basically the same crew we had at UH and we have something to prove," said Mims.On Aug. 14, the second-place Hammerheads will host the Mississippi Firedogs (8-7) in a game that will determine who gets to play the Texas Terminators (11-4) in Austin for the IPFL crown.
Mims said the body wear, the travel and the low pay ($200 a game) that come with playing in the IPFL are "tolerable when you're winning."
"It gives you the mental push to get through," said Mims, who had knee surgery last year and is playing in pain on a damaged ankle.
"A lot of the players from UH are dedicating themselves to this," said ex-Rainbow Niko Vitale, who scored three touchdowns, caused a fumble and recovered a fumble in a two-way performance last night. "We're all like brothers now. This is like a second chance for us. I just want to forget it (the Rainbows' season)."
According to Vitale, who now has 21 touchdowns and is the IPFL's second leading scorer, "This is more fun than playing college ball."
Defensive back Chris Shinnick, who was named the IPFL's defensive player of the week for his role (two interceptions and six tackles) in helping Hawaii clinch home field in the playoffs against Louisiana on Sunday, said the Hammerheads' locker room atmosphere beats the mood he experienced in the Rainbows locker room.
"There's a confidence in this locker room I hadn't experienced," said Shinnick. "We had a good defensive unit at UH but we couldn't finish people off. We'd fold when the going got tough, but now we come back. We feel we can win every game we play."
The injury-riddled Hammerheads fell behind, 32-14, after three quarters but rallied with two Vitale touchdowns and conversions in the last 11 minutes.
Former Rainbow running back Brendyn Agbayani, who along with former two-time All-WAC star Eddie Klaneski, sat out last night's loss due to injury, said it's hard to explain how good it feels to win again.
"It was hard coming from a winning program (St. Louis School) and then going to UH," said the younger brother of New York Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani.
"The key thing for me with the Hammerheads is being able to win on the road. To come home on a long ride, all banged up, and be able to say to yourself, 'Hey, we won.' "
Former Rainbows lineman Jerry Leaeno said the years of losing in the green and white made his soul ache.
"First experience of winning -- I feel good, man," said Leaeno, lowering his head and shaking it. "I mean this is just so great."
In a chippy game that saw six ejections, Hawaii's injury list grew.
Roy Ma'afala, older brother of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and regarded as one of the IPFL's best offensive linemen, limped off the field with ligament damage in the second half.
"I don't know if we'll get him back for the playoffs," said Hammerheads head coach Guy Benjamin. "In a league like this, you don't have a lot of reserves. You play with only 23 guys suited up and only 30 can be on the retaining roster. We've got about 25 healthy right now."
Backup quarterback and receiver Mike Tillis (Marine Corps) suffered a foot injury, and all-important tight end Gary Ellison (yet another ex-Rainbow) is questionable for the playoffs.
