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Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Thursday, March 16, 2000

UH football breaks
up silent spring

IT'S March Madness, Hawaiian style. We're talking about spring football, what else?

With the University of Hawaii men's basketball team not involved in the college world's real March Madness and the Wahine only in the NWIT, thank goodness for head coach June Jones and spring football.

Otherwise, it's a rather silent spring, unless the Rainbow baseball team can continue its winning ways.

So most UH fans will be following the doings of the Rainbow football team, which began spring practice this morning at Cooke Field.

The 15 two-hour sessions will be spaced out over the next month with a week off (March 26-April 1) for spring break.

Naturally, most of the attention will be focused at quarterback. It's the pivotal position in Jones' pass-oriented offense.

It figures to be the most contested one as well because Jones has stockpiled quarterbacks in the hopes of finding a hurry-up replacement for Dan Robinson, the triggerman who threw for 3,853 yards and 28 touchdowns in last year's unforgettable 9-4 season.

YOU have to wonder how many "reps" (repetitions) any quarterback can get. Mike Harrison, Kevin Gilbride and incoming JC transfers Nick Rolovich and Jared Flint are all hunkering down to get their share of snaps.

That's not counting Shawn Withy-Allen, who's still listed as a QB even though he has yet to throw a pass for the Rainbows after two years on the sidelines.

If you think the QB position isn't crowded enough, wait until several freshmen guns, including much-heralded St. Louis star Timmy Chang, join the crowd at fall camp.

Nobody wins a starting job in spring football, according to Jones. But after spring ball, he figures someone at least will be No. 1 at the start of fall camp.

"It's still premature who will be the starting quarterback," Jones said. "It's difficult, I'm sure, for a freshman. But we got some gifted freshmen coming in."

So, spring football isn't really about securing a starting job. It's about getting down to basics and getting the offensive and defensive systems in place.

"And getting the players caught up mentally," Jones added.

"We know we have some starters and know what they can do. I feel comfortable with the nucleus we have returning. So the new players can see what we want done properly."

THAT, if anything, will be the biggest difference between Day 1 of last year's first spring for Jones and today's Day 1 in his second spring.

Another real plus is having the same staff back. The only change has been at defensive coordinator, where Kevin Lempa replaced Greg McMackin.

"Last year, we started so late," Jones said. "And spring football is a good time for the players to get to know Kevin Lempa."

Jones realizes that it'll be difficult to match his first season, which included the Oahu Bowl victory over Oregon State.

Especially now that his Rainbows won't be sneaking up on anybody. They've been forewarned. Just ask Texas.

Speaking of which, Jones is glad to see that the UH administration has softened its stance about scheduling some of the WAC defectors.

"I wasn't here when the whole thing happened," he said.

But he sees UNLV as a natural rival. Likewise BYU, which Jones hopes will also find its way onto UH's schedule.

Also San Diego State. "We recruit there and it's an easy trip to the West Coast."

And Utah?Not yet, according to Jones. "One reason is that they recruit here," he said.