As spring football practice approaches the midway point, Hawaii still has five slotbacks vying for two starting positions. Slotback races wide open
By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comGerald Welch, Nate Ilaoa, Chad Owens, Britton Komine and Clifton Herbert are still in the hunt.
"They're all pretty close," receivers coach Ron Lee said. "It's going to be a tough race on the inside. Any one of those guys could start. The next eight or nine practices are crucial for those guys."
The competition between Welch and Ilaoa at the "Y" position Craig Stutzmann held for three seasons is especially close. Both have taken repetitions with the first team.
Coach June Jones and Lee wouldn't say if either is ahead.
"They're getting the same reps," Jones said. "Two and rotate."
Going into his third season, Welch has seen little action other than one game in 2000 when he replaced Stutzmann, who was injured, in the starting lineup.
"It's a matter of working hard every day," the junior from St. Louis School said. "Everybody's hungry to play."
Ilaoa, a redshirt freshman, might get a chance to prove he was the gem of the recruiting class of two years ago. He was one of the best high school players in the Washington, D.C., area in the fall of 2000.
"I feel pretty good, I think I've finally got the offense down," he said. "I'm able to do some things, be more at ease instead of thinking about (the plays) all the time. Now I just run, go out and react. I'm working on getting faster and better on the cuts."
Ilaoa said he will go on a Mormon mission after this season.
Owens, Komine and Herbert are competing at the "H" slot, which Channon Harris started the past three seasons.
On the outside, Neal Gossett and returning starter Justin Colbert are well ahead of the pack, Lee said.
"If we can get some guys to step up and be the Nos. 2 at "X" and "Y" it will be a productive spring," he said.
Best against the best: The Warriors got as close to a full-contact scrimmage as they have this spring yesterday, with 11-on-11, including some first-team offense against first-team defense.
Although the players were in shells (helmets and shoulder pads) and most were wearing shorts, the hitting was spirited.
Hence, a dilemma for unproven athletes trying to win playing time: Go all out (instead of the prescribed no-tackling rule), or risk looking silly by not making the stop.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Omega Hogan said it's a fine line.
"It's pretty crazy. Everyone wants a job. The coaches tell us not to tackle, but in the meeting the guys will get on you if you don't wrap up," he said. "Everybody just wants to show what they can do, but you have to use a lot of judgment."
Jones said everyone, especially the younger players, will get an opportunity.
"In the spring we will look at a lot of guys before we're done. We'll give a lot of guys chances to show what they can do in scrimmages," he said. "We kind of already know what the guys who played last year can do."
Jones liked the intensity level yesterday, but also said players wanting to make an impression on the coaches won't do it by playing over the speed limit.
"It was pretty good. It's keeps our sharpness," he said. "But if they can't maintain discipline, they can't play (in games). If you can't make smart plays in practice you'll make stupid plays in the game."
Political football: Jones said he didn't plan on going to the state legislature today, where a bill relating to Aloha Stadium was to be heard. Senate Bill 3014 calls for the stadium authority to study changing the artificial surface to something less dangerous for the players.
BYU coach Gary Crowton said the Cougars won't play at the stadium again until the turf is changed.
"I don't know what the study would be about. Just look around the country at what's happening," Jones said. "It's been a problem for the last 15 years.
"(Stadium manager) Eddie (Hayashi) and those guys have been great to us," said Jones, who advocates UH taking control of the stadium. "I don't think it's in their hands either. Somebody's just got to step up and do what's right for the kids of Hawaii. That's really what it's about."
Short yardage: The Warriors are off next week, which is spring break for UH.
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