Tuesday, September 4, 2001
Tui Ala is top Most assumed that Thero Mitchell or Mike Bass would be listed first at the lone running back position on Hawaii's first football depth chart of the season, which was released yesterday.
running back
on depth chart
The former scout team member
The chart
outlasts Mitchell and BassBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comCoaches had described Mitchell (5 feet 10 inches, 215 pounds, junior) as the Warriors' most complete back. And they have been impressed by the speed of Bass (5-6, 158, freshman).
But the answer, at least for now, is "neither of the above."
Mitchell and Bass are both listed -- in that order -- behind Tui Ala, a 5-8, 194-pound senior from Waianae.
"That's how we'd line up right now," coach June Jones said yesterday, six days before Hawaii's season-opener against Montana on Maui. "He has a good understanding of our protection scheme. He's tough."
The choice of Ala fits precedence. Since Jones' arrival in 1999, UH has set blocking from the running back spot a priority, especially since the run-and-shoot offense has no tight end.
Ala, a 1997 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, transferred to Hawaii from Menlo College (Atherton, Calif.).
Last fall, Ala was a member of the Warriors' scout team. He began climbing the depth chart last spring, and has quietly moved into the picture this fall amid all the talk of Mitchell or Bass.
Ala's father, of the same name and also a running back, lettered for UH in 1973 and 1974 after a legendary career at Waianae High School. Houston Ala, son and brother of the Tui Alas, is a starting sophomore defensive end for Hawaii.
There are no other major surprises on the chart.
But in one battle that went through most of camp, Pisa Tinoisamoa has held off Keani Alapa and Bronson Liana at outside linebacker. Tinoisamoa (6-0, 217, junior) has slimmed down considerably, giving him a better chance to be the impact defender he was thought to be coming out of high school in San Diego over two years ago.
"He's had a good camp," Jones said. "He came in lighter, in shape."
Tinoisamoa started five games at middle linebacker last year and played in all 12. He was inconsistent, but led UH in tackles-for-loss with 10 for 42 yards. Tinoisamoa was named Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week after a three-sack performance against Southern Methodist on Oct. 14.
WR (X) 18 Justin Colbert (5-7, 160, Jr.) 6 Tafiti Uso (6-0, 191, Sr.) WR (H) 85 Channon Harris (5-8, 151, Sr.) 84 Britton Komine (5-9, 184, Fr.) or 82 Chad Owens (5-8, 175, Fr.) LT 53 Lui Fuata (6-2, 313, Jr.) 67 Phil Kauffman (6-1, 269, Fr.) LG 76 Manly Kanoa (6-4, 320, Sr.) 73 Sione Tafuna (6-0, 303, Sr.) C 66 Brian Smith (6-2, 284, Sr.) 60 Lyle Castro (5-10, 274, So.) RG 65 Vince Manuwai (6-2, 285, Jr.) 77 Shayne Kajioka (6-3, 323, Jr.) RT 69 Uriah Moenoa (6-4, 331, Fr.) 76 Kanoa or 65 Manuwai WR (Y) 2 Craig Stutzmann (5-11, 194, Sr.) 38 Gerald Welch (5-7, 201, So.) WR (Z) 8 Ashley Lelie (6-3, 187, Jr.) 88 Neal Gossett (5-10, 172, So.) QB 14 Tim Chang (6-1, 195, So.) 12 Nick Rolovich (6-2, 200, Sr.) RB 26 Tui Ala (5-8, 194, Sr.) 24 Thero Mitchell (5-10, 215, Jr.) 1 Mike Bass (5-6, 158, Fr.)
Specialists
P 49 Mat McBriar (6-1, 202, So.) 27 Greg Kleidon (6-0, 182, Jr.) PK 47 Justin Ayat (5-11, 203, Fr.) 25 Aaron Barret (5-10, 154, Fr.) LS 66 Smith 53 Fuata PR 21 Clifton Herbert (5-7, 162, So.) 81 Omar Bennett (5-11, 178, Jr.) KR 18 Colbert 21 Herbert
LE 58 Laanui Correa (6-4, 267, Jr.) 95 Colin Wills (6-1, 251, So.) LT 70 Mike Iosua (6-3, 272, Sr.) 92 Lance Samuseva (5-11, 285, So.) RT 90 Wayne Hunter (6-6, 278, So.) 57 Brett Clowers (6-3, 247, Sr.) RE 93 Houston Ala (6-1, 251, So.) 11 Kevin Jackson (6-5, 244, So.) OLB 6 Joe Correia (6-3, 240, Sr.) 46 Keani Alapa (6-0, 222, So.) MLB 54 Chris Brown (6-2, 258, Jr.) 55 Watson Hoohuli (5-11, 218, Fr.) OLB 10 Pisa Tinoisamoa (6-0, 217, Jr.) 9 Bronson Liana (6-1, 231, Sr.) LCB 17 Kelvin Millhouse (6-1, 198, So.) 25 Josiah Cravalho (5-9, 186, Fr.) SS 3 Jacob Espiau (5-10, 196, Sr.) 2 Robert Grant (6-1, 191, Sr.) FS 12 Nate Jackson (5-10, 163, Sr.) 35 David Gilmore (6-0, 188, So.) or 23 Sean Butts (6-3, 193, Jr.) RCB 33 Hyrum Peters (5-8, 190, So.) 37 Abraham Elimimian (5-10, 180, Fr.)
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