[ WARRIOR FOOTBALL ]
RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
UH's Vantz Singletary, Brandon Eaton, Michael Brewster, Omega Hogan, Ernest Powell and Tyson Helton have ties to Houston.
Warriors know
where Houston is
coming fromHawaii has built its success
by taking recruits from
Houston’s backyard
How does a university located on an island become linked to one of the national hotbeds of college football recruiting thousands of miles away?
The Houston-to-Hawaii pipeline should be of little surprise after a look at the Warriors' football roster. One-fifth of the Hawaii coaching staff considers Houston its hometown. They are the reason Texas talent is traveling to Manoa.
Defensive line coach Vantz Singletary, special teams coach Tyson Helton, graduate assistant and former UH linebacker Rinda Brooks, running back Michael Brewster, offensive lineman Brandon Eaton, and defensive backs Omega Hogan and Ernest Powell hail from Houston.
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Who: Hawaii Warriors (8-5) vs. Houston Cougars (7-5)When: Thursday, 3 p.m., Hawaii time
Where: Aloha Stadium
TV: Live, ESPN
Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM
Warriors head coach June Jones shares a bit of the bond as well, having spent time as an assistant coach with the NFL's Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) and the Houston Gamblers of the USFL.
"It just worked out that way. We've recruited a couple of kids there," Jones said. "They have a lot of talent in those states. But mainly they got more people. They have more people in the city of Houston than the whole state of Hawaii."
Pride and some other spoils of victory are on the line for the Houston natives playing the hometown team on Christmas Day in the Hawaii Bowl.
"The worst thing with me is going back to Houston and having to hear that we lost to them," Hogan said.
"A lot of those guys know each other. It's sort of like bragging rights," Singletary said. "They don't think we can play football (here in Hawaii). We're here to let them know we can play with the best of them. We've proven that."
The game has special meaning for Helton, who was a Cougar quarterback from 1995 to 1999 while playing for his father Kim, now an offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins.
"It's great to get to play a school that I played for and a school out here in Hawaii that I'm loyal to and love. It's a great matchup.
"We would like to win this one so when we go into Houston, we don't get a hard time from all the coaches."
Especially the ones he used to play with. Helton will see many familiar faces on Christmas, including Terry McDaniel, a former teammate who is a special teams coach with Houston.
HELTON ISN'T the only one seeing an old friend. Eaton's high school teammate will be on the other side of Aloha Stadium too. The Cougars' Shang Moore and Eaton played together at Worthing High School, where Eaton blocked for Moore, a wide receiver/backup quarterback/running back for Houston. Eaton said he doesn't have any bets going with Moore, but he'd hate to lose to a former teammate, especially since drawing Houston in the Hawaii Bowl was like an early Christmas present.
"I'm very excited. When I found out, I was on the phone talking to my mom," Eaton said. "I was saying 'I sure wish we played the University of Houston'. And she's looking at TV just as I said that, and she said, 'Baby, y'all playing the University of Houston.'
"It was great when I found out."
Hawaii coaches were ecstatic when the 6-foot-3 offensive lineman chose the Warriors over several elite programs, including Oklahoma, Kansas State and Texas A&M.
The Warriors got a late start in recruiting Eaton, and it was January by the time Singletary had made his way back to Houston. (The recruiting period starts Dec. 1.)
But the defensive line coach had a common bond with Eaton, having attended the same high school over two decades ago. Singletary's former position coach was also Eaton's current coach at the time.
The coaching staff won Eaton over, but Hawaii itself sealed the deal.
"What better place to play football than the islands?" Eaton said. "It's never hot. It's never cold here. I like wearing shorts year-round."
Singletary was sold on Eaton after seeing him play a different sport at their high school alma mater.
"I was in the gymnasium watching him play some full-court basketball. I was like, 'Wow.' He's the real deal. There was no question," Singletary said. "I didn't even want to watch film. When I saw him running up and down the court, moving. He was aggressive.
"If he has any feet and any athleticism, that really says a lot about what you have to coach. I knew (offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh) could insert him in our program and he would be one of the best with his athleticism."
Eaton, a starter in eight games this season, has been a big part of the reason the O-line hasn't allowed a sack in the last three games.
BREWSTER was another gifted athlete Hawaii was glad to get. The 5-6, 176-pound running back took a circuitous route, walking on at Tennessee before transferring to Hawaii. His talent, toughness and work ethic have the coaches raving.
"He's unbelievable. His vision is incredible. He has not only great vision but a presence," Helton said. "He has a feel for where people are. He could be running downfield and feel a back-side pursuit and make a cut and make that guy who was trailing him miss.
"That's just God-given talent. He has excellent speed, great toughness. For a small back, he blocks like a big back. ... He's just a guy you wish everybody was like in the program."
Singletary often warns his D-line to be careful everyday in practice because of Brewster's reputation of going hard and not taking it easy on anyone. Brewster's blue-collar mentality isn't just on the field.
"Mike may have a bed in the weight room," Singletary said. "You always find him there."
If Brewster had his wish, he would be more involved in every aspect of Warrior football.
"(My favorite thing is) to get the ball," said Brewster, who is averaging 8.1 yards per carry and 10.8 yards receiving. "I'd probably be a quarterback or a center or something cause I just love the ball."
Helton would love to see Brewster have a larger role on special teams, but he knows the running back is off-limits.
"I'm not allowed to touch Brewster," Helton said. "Early on, he did some punt returns for us and he was pretty good at it. We've got some pretty good punt returners.
"When West Keli'ikipi got hurt, Brews kind of became the all-around player. He can not only run it, but he can handle the protection. We try to limit what he does special teams-wise, so he won't play the returner position unless something dramatic happens."
HOGAN makes the Warriors a faster team and Singletary has been impressed with his ability to get downfield quickly on special-teams coverage.
"The greatest thing about him, he can flat out run," Singletary said. "He has great speed. He's one of the first guys down the field to tackle the guys.
"He's starting to do a lot of little things that we thought he'd do. His best football lies ahead. He has something that you can't coach -- he's blessed with fast-twitch muscles."
POWELL, a freshman redshirt, is still feeling his way through Division I.
"It's hard because in high school you're a big star and then you come here and you don't get to play in the games," he said.
"I decided to try something new. It's cool, I've learned a lot."
His learning has been helped by the Houston contingent. Eaton, Hogan and Brewster also played a part in his decision to pick the Warriors over Colorado State, Baylor and Southwest Texas.
Powell's potential was obvious to Helton, who sees the defensive back's role increasing the more time he spends in Hawaii.
"Ernest is an extremely talented defensive back. He's a good athlete," Helton said. "He's not a big, tall guy, but he brings it. He comes up and hits you. He's just got football in him. He's just an all-around football player.
"You look for those kind of guys. Somewhere down the line he's going to help you. He may not be the blue-chip guy coming out of high school, but eventually he's going to be a big part of your football team."
NOT HAVING to deal with ribbing is one incentive for winning on Thursday. But a "W" also wouldn't hurt the recruiting process in Houston, where national coaches flock in search of blue-chip prospects.
Singletary roams and mines much of his old stomping grounds often. The D-line coach knows wins and national exposure help in the recruiting process, but being from a player's hometown can be bigger.
"We all love to see more players. We're a little biased being from Houston," Singletary said. "It's a great place, but more importantly ... you can relate. You've been there, done that. You have a lot in common."
Added Helton: "When you're from a place, you always talk about your hometown. I'm proud of where I come from and the type of people that are there. We try to represent the city of Houston.
"I was born in Florida, moved to Houston, moved to L.A. and then back to Houston for high school. I'm not from Houston, but I got there as fast as I could."
Hawaii's location and distance from the mainland is often cited as an inconvenience, but its remoteness can work in its favor during recruiting. Prospects are usually impressed when the Warrior coaches come calling and most players in Houston have been receptive.
"When (Helton) came to my school I was shocked. I asked him what he was doing all the way out here," Powell said. "I found out he went to school down the street from me and knew my coach."
