[ UH FOOTBALL ]
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Chad Kalilimoku, top, and Kilinahe Noa, below, showed off new 'dos at practice yesterday afternoon.
Battle to replace
McBriar under way
Pressure is a fundamental part of a punter's existence, and whoever handles it best during fall camp will earn the opportunity to perform on game nights for the Hawaii football team.
Redshirt freshman Kurt Milne and sophomore transfer Tim Wright are competing to replace Mat McBriar as the Warriors' punter this season.
UH coach June Jones held off on declaring a favorite yesterday, choosing to wait until they've kicked under the pressure of a full rush from the defense.
"We haven't really rushed the punter, and who's the best under the gun is what you're always looking for," Jones said.
Whoever wins the job will be charged with filling the shoes of McBriar, who averaged 44.8 yards per kick as a senior and was a valuable weapon in the field-position battle
"I feel Mat was an impact player and he's going to be tough to replace," Jones said.
Milne redshirted last season, while Wright, who stands 6-foot-5, averaged 43.5 yards per punt for Southwest Mississippi College as a freshman.
Milne said having two punters on the roster will help both candidates elevate their performance in camp.
"That'll definitely make us better," Milne said. "Competition always pushes people."
While length and hang time are the primary measures of a punter's performance, the Warriors' kickers are focused more on shortening the time between receiving the snap and getting the kick away.
McBriar had two punts blocked last season and one the previous year.
"The whole thing is speed," Milne said. "A lot of times people want to worry about the punt, but right now the coaches don't even watch the punt. They just want to make sure you're up in the pocket and you can get the ball off."
Wright, who has already fallen in love with surfing since arriving in late July, said he and Milne are getting along fine despite the competition for the starting spot.
"We're still cool, he's a good guy," he said.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lenny Boatner hauled in a pass.
First contact: The Warriors donned shoulder pads and engaged in light contact drills for the first time in fall camp yesterday.
Jones has traditionally limited the amount of contact the players absorb during camp and is planning on having two or three full contact workouts before the season opener against Appalachian State on Aug. 30.
But for the players, the temptation to deliver a big hit can be overwhelming.
"It happens sometimes. You see a guy coming full speed in the hole, you're going to try to take him down," linebacker Keani Alapa said. "Just as a football player that's the instinct you have."
Fresh faces: Among the visitors at yesterday's practice was the Pac-Five football team, led by new coach Joe Onosai.
Onosai, a former UH offensive lineman, said the Wolfpack had just finished their camp and used a day off to check out the Warriors' workout.
"I'm hoping they gain some motivation by seeing the speed and intensity of practice here," Onosai said. "And they get to see some of their idols, guys they look up to, up close."
Fashion statement: Those attending practice will notice several linebackers sporting new hair styles this fall.
Senior Chad Kalilimoku credited receiver Blake Harano for the spider-web pattern dyed into his hair, which started a trend among the linebackers.
Alapa didn't have a new look yet yesterday, but was planning on having his done this weekend.
"It was something to do together as a linebacker corps, something different," he said.
Return of Stennis: Second-year freshman receiver Sean Stennis is back after considering transferring.
Stennis was suspended from the team for an incident involving a stolen laptop computer. Stennis was not involved in stealing the computer, but said a "bad decision" led to him possessing it.
"Everything was pretty much cleared a couple weeks after it happened," Stennis said. "When you make a bad decision, you have to pay the consequences."
Stennis was suspended from spring practice, but rejoined the team during summer workouts.
"He's worked hard and done what he needed to do to be re-instated," Jones said.
Ticket sales: Individual tickets for Hawaii football go on sale Monday, as well as new "WAC PACKS" for all four Western Athletic Conference home games.
Also, UH students can get free tickets for the season-opening game Aug. 30 against Appalachian State. The free student tickets are available only at the Stan Sheriff Center ticket office.
The other tickets are available at Aloha Stadium, UH Campus Center and Windward Community College's OCET office. Tickets can also be purchased via the Internet at etickethawaii.com or by calling 944-2697.
Short yardage: An ESPN special examining FieldTurf has been rescheduled and will air tomorrow at 4:30 a.m. It will be repeated at 7:30 a.m. on ESPN2. ... The Warriors have the first of their 13 two-a-day workouts today.
Star-Bulletin reporter Dave Reardon contributed to this report.
