Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Francisco returns to Aaron Francisco knows he faces being booed in his home state, in the stadium where he became a star. But it doesn't bother him.
old stomping grounds
The BYU freshman -- and
former Kahuku star -- comes
back to Aloha StadiumBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comThe Kahuku High School graduate and Brigham Young freshman safety is looking forward to his homecoming at Aloha Stadium on Saturday, even though most of the 50,000 won't be there to hug him, tell him how great he is and bake him his favorite cookies.
Local boys who go away to become Cougars get the sour serenade upon their return to paradise -- the bigger the prospect, the louder the chorus. And Francisco was a big one who got away, like Micah Matsuzaki and Mark Atuaia before him.
"He was one of the best players in the state last year," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "We felt like he'd really do well with us, but we lost him to BYU."
Francisco has no regrets about choosing Brigham Young over UH (8-3). Why should he? The Liberty Bowl-bound Cougars (12-0) are one of two unbeaten teams remaining in Division I-A. Sure, there's no BCS for BYU; like his teammates, Francisco is disappointed but not discouraged.
"I'm definitely happy to be coming home. We practiced in the snow today, and that's only fun the first time. But I'm also very happy here," Francisco said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I like the school, the team, and I've gotten a chance to play."
Most true freshmen truly belong on the sideline.
But Francisco was ready when free safety Levi Madarieta was out with an injury for BYU's season-opening game against Tulane in August.
Less than three months after graduation from Kahuku, there was Francisco -- starting for the Cougars in his first college game, in front of 49,008 fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
He was a long way from home, but on familiar ground once the action started.
"As a coach you usually have to worry about going with a freshman in his first game," BYU coach Gary Crowton said. "But we had no worries or concerns about Aaron's ability. He stepped in and played like a veteran."
Francisco said he was excited, but not nervous, in the spotlight. He adjusted quickly and was in on six tackles as the Cougars won 70-35, beginning what they hope to be an unbeaten season.
"The whole game is faster. Everyone's better," Francisco said. "It's not like high school."
Francisco helped the Red Raiders to their first state football championship last year. Last week, he got the news quickly about the second one.
Late Friday -- or actually, early Saturday -- Francisco's friends called him in Mississippi, where the Cougars were on the road, to count down the final seconds of Kahuku's 21-14 victory over St. Louis.
In three days, Francisco will be on that same Aloha Stadium turf of his high school heroics, playing in the nickel and dime packages against Hawaii's run-and-shoot, covering punts and kickoffs.
He said he hasn't followed the Warriors this season.
"I haven't seen them play much, only a little bit of the Fresno game," he said. "Their offense is definitely a challenge for any secondary. They pass about 80 percent of the time and they have a great player in Ashley Lelie."
Francisco, listed at 6 feet 2 and 195 pounds, has been in on 22 tackles in 11 games and intercepted a pass against New Mexico.
"He's big and strong and physical and has a great future ahead of him," Crowton said.
BCS blues: Crowton said the fact that whatever BYU does against Hawaii doesn't matter in the BCS standings points out inequities in the system.
"The thing about the BCS is that every once in awhile you are going to have a great team (that is) not in the BCS. Whether it be us right now or it be Tulane when they went 12-0, or Marshall was undefeated one year," Crowton said.
He also empathized with UH's situation of not being in a bowl game.
"They've beaten their top-ranked (opponent). They give Hawaii no credit for that victory. If we go in there and win that game, they don't give you any credit for victories. I feel bad for Hawaii. They should be in a bowl game. They're 8-3 and don't have a bowl opportunity at this point. As I look at what's right in college football, there are a lot of great things in college football. But there are some things that we need to do to make it better and we can. That's how I feel about the BCS."
UH Athletics
