The University of Hawaii football team donned full gear for the first time in fall camp yesterday and competition heated up at several positions where there is no clear starter. Wright, Millhouse
wage friendly warBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comOne of those spots is cornerback, where sophomore Gary Wright and junior Kelvin Millhouse are dueling.
"They're pretty close. Gary has the experience," defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "But Kelvin's shown something. They've both made some great plays. It's tight, really tight."
Wright and Millhouse spent much of yesterday's afternoon session on the field together, as the incumbent starter on the other corner, Hyrum Peters, went down in the morning practice with a hamstring injury. Peters is day-to-day.
"That's why we need to have depth," Lempa said. "Things like that can happen. Hopefully he'll be out just a couple days."
Assuming Peters comes back soon and Wright and Millhouse resume their battle, it will continue to be a civil war, according to both players.
"It's real competitive out there. He's making plays, I'm making plays," Wright said. "But whenever I see him make a mistake or he sees me make a mistake we're there to encourage each other, tell each other not to keep our heads down. Whenever we see each other make plays we're, 'Good job, good job.' That's the kind of relationship we have. No animosity."
Millhouse echoed that.
"We definitely encourage each other," Millhouse said. "We're both teammates, even though we both want to start."
Nothing fancy: The offense went through its paces with uneven results early in the day, but improved late in the morning practice and in the afternoon.
Quarterback Tim Chang was not sharp in the morning, but improved in the afternoon.
"We're adding more plays every day, so it's a little challenging," Chang said. "But we're getting there."
Head coach June Jones said it didn't make a difference that the Warriors were in full pads for the first time.
"We practice the same way, it doesn't matter if we're in full gear or not," Jones said. "We don't do a lot of hitting right now, especially with the big guys, we want them to stay up. There's contact, but we're not really tackling and doing all that.
"We're trying to get our whole offense in while we're in training camp. The things we did today we did last year, just reviewing them and getting the new guys into it."
Joltin' Joe: Outside linebacker Joe Correia follows the Little League World Series with more than passing interest. Correia played for the Pearl City team that won the U.S. championship and lost to Taiwan in the overall title game at Williamsport in 1988.
He's impressed by Danny Almonte, the sensational pitcher from The Bronx.
"I saw that guy, the new Randy Johnson. Pretty cool," said Correia, who pitched two years in the Twins' organization before enrolling at UH. "I don't know if I could hit him, but I could strike him out."
Correia, who was moved from defensive end last spring, appears to be healthy despite several injuries to his left foot. He said the fact that the NCAA granted him an extra year of eligibility helps motivate him.
"It's important that I'm out there setting an example, especially since I'm a senior." he said. "It shows if you can push through it and give heart. I'm just thankful to be out here every day."
Injury report: Peters' injury was the only one sustained yesterday. But offensive lineman Ryan Santos and defensive lineman Travis Laboy continue to nurse hamstring injuries. Linebacker Viliami Taufa is still out with a tweaked knee. Defensive lineman Lui Fuga is out at least a month after shoulder surgery.
Short yardage: Several former UH players visited practice yesterday, including Rinda Brooks, Davey deLaura, Grant Sim, and Larry Khan-Smith. Khan-Smith is on vacation from San Jose, Calif., where the Campbell High School graduate works for the federal government in law enforcement. Former Warriors Ricky Lumford and Anthony Smith are both studio technicians at KHNL. ... The Warriors spent a good portion of the 11/2-hour afternoon session working on special teams coverage. ... The receiving corps looks deep. Clifton Herbert made a nice diving catch and Tafiti Uso outran the secondary for a touchdown on a fly pattern.