Thursday, August 16, 2001
[ UH FOOTBALL ]
Warriors back IT WILL BE an emotional moment, one normally reserved for tearing down the goal posts at the completion of a championship season.
together again
Players primed for head
coach's return to
practice tonightBy Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.comThere will be tears and cheers the instant University of Hawaii head coach June Jones calls the first huddle for tonight's opening practice of fall camp.
"I can't wait to step in there," Jones said. "I've been thinking about it since I was in the hospital. To be able to walk out on that football field again after all that has happened will be special."
Not just for Jones. But for sophomore quarterback Tim Chang, who missed having Jones by his side during the spring. And for wideout Ashley Lelie, who is like a member of the family, and for slotman Craig Stutzmann, who believes Jones is like a father for the Warriors' football team.
"I think it's going to be very emotional out there," UH associate head coach George Lumpkin said. "The players set aside their emotions in the spring to concentrate on getting better.
"I told them if they wanted to do one thing for Coach Jones, that was leave spring a better football player than when you started it. I believe most of our players followed that and it will show the next few weeks of fall camp."
Where it needs to show the most is on the defensive side of the football. Last year, the Warriors continued to have difficulty stopping the run, yielding a forgettable 211 yards a game.
The pass rush was almost nonexistent, producing only 20 quarterback sacks. The secondary spent more time tackling downfield than covering anyone. Safeties Jacob Espiau and Nate Jackson were first and second for the Warriors in tackles, combining for 228.
"And that's way too many in our scheme," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "Ideally, we want our linebackers getting those kinds of numbers. Hopefully, that will happen this season."
UH is not exactly off to a flying start. The Warriors open in Maui against Montana without top tackle Lui Fuga, who is still recovering from a pair of off-season shoulder surgeries.
Junior college standout Isaac Sopoaga won't join the team until midterm, further depleting the defensive front. It forced Lempa to move Wayne Hunter from end to tackle -- at least until Fuga gets back -- and means undersized (6-foot-1, 218 pounds) Houston Ala will be forced to start at end, a spot vacated by Chris Brown and Joe Correia in the spring.
Those two will begin the season at linebacker -- Brown in the middle and Correia on the outside over the tight end -- but whether they stay there depends on how they adjust to the new positions.
There are a couple of openings in the secondary, as well. Both could be filled by walk-ons Hyrum Peters and Gary Wright, but look for Abraham Elimimian and Kelvin Millhouse to get good looks this fall camp.
"There are a lot of spots still open," Jones said. "We'll be looking for a new running back and somebody to help solidify the X position (left wideout). Pretty much our offense returns intact. I think you'll see us move the ball more consistently than last year."
The primary reason for that is the return of Chang at quarterback. True, he threw as many interceptions as touchdowns (19), but a year in the Division I system should pay huge dividends this season.
Chang suffered somewhat from not having Jones with him in the spring. This is when they were supposed to solidify their relationship and give Chang the kind of confidence needed to field a winner.
"But I think Timmy will be just fine," Jones said. "He's a lot bigger and stronger, and we already know what kind of poise and leadership the kid has. It's just a matter of getting out there and doing it each week."
Hawaii begins two-a-days tomorrow morning at 9:30. There will be an afternoon workout as well that starts around 3:45 p.m.
"I've been waiting all summer to get back on the field," Chang said. "I think all of us can't wait to take that first snap under the lights."
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
