[ WARRIOR FOOTBALL ]
Hawaii could be
without 3 All-WAC
players in bowlLaBoy, Sopoaga and Owens
might have to sit out the
Christmas Day game against Houston
Hawaii coach June Jones left the door slightly ajar yesterday for senior defensive end Travis LaBoy to return to the team, suit up and possibly play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Thursday. But Jones and the Warriors (8-5) assume they will take the field against Houston (7-5) without their most valuable player and the Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the year after he missed two weekend practices without contacting anyone.
Two other All-WAC performers could miss the game because of illness, Jones said. Defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga and receiver Chad Owens have been stricken with flu symptoms and did not practice. Both missed several practices last week due to injury, illness and working on wrapping up semester coursework.
"We're gonna count on not going with both of them," Jones said of Sopoaga and Owens.
But yesterday afternoon defensive line coach Vantz Singletary said Sopoaga is feeling better and would likely practice today.
"He's ready to rock and roll. He'll be at meetings tonight and practice tomorrow. He's getting over his illness, getting some Samoan treatments. He was throwing back up what our trainers gave him," Singletary said. "He had to take two exams (last week) with a 103-degree temperature, but I think he came through."
As for LaBoy, even Singletary -- an eternal optimist and one of LaBoy's staunchest supporters -- said it's time for the team to move on.
"I don't think so," Singletary said when asked if he thought LaBoy might return. "I've got to get the other guys ready. Even if he comes, he's not going to be full tilt. If you've got guys who've been watching tape on you and preparing for you while you haven't been practicing, that makes it hard to be productive.
"We can get what we need from Mel Purcell, Kevin Jackson, Tony Akpan and Ikaika Alama-Francis," Singletary continued. "I'm building my new Travis LaBoy, those guys by committee. And I know Houston Ala will be there on the other side for 60 minutes. They've had an outstanding week of practice."
Jones said there's no way LaBoy would start if he returned, but he would consider putting him in uniform and letting him play.
"As of right now, I'm not counting on him," Jones said after yesterday's practice at Saint Louis School. "On the 23rd we'll find out for sure. He'll dress out (if he qualifies academically and practices) and he might play, but he won't start."
Tomorrow is the day players' grades will be officially posted, and it will be known then if LaBoy is academically eligible.
Either way, Jones said he has not spoken with LaBoy since Friday and that makes him believe LaBoy is not interested in playing Thursday.
LaBoy did not return phone calls from the Star-Bulletin.
Singletary, whom LaBoy has said he considers "a second father," has also had no contact.
"We're all still trying to figure it out. He's got my numbers and he knows my e-mail. I check those every day. No answer. I'm not going to run him down. Too many other guys need attention and help. I haven't lost any sleep because I'm really excited about the guys who really want to be here," Singletary said. "Even if he came back it wouldn't be fair to start him in that position knowing he didn't work hard, show up for meetings, in the weight room. All the little things."
Punter Kurt Milne and special teams player Justin Faimeialelei also have the flu, Jones said.
Finals week ended Friday, and Jones had allowed players, including LaBoy, to miss practice to try to make up schoolwork and become eligible for Thursday's game.
Also, junior running back West Keli'ikipi is out, as he reinjured his left knee last week after being cleared to practice after arthroscopic surgery last month.
Sophomore long-snapper T.J. Moe has a broken bone in his right hand, but said he will play Thursday.
Several Hawaii players said the Warriors can win without LaBoy and any other sidelined Warriors.
"It's just one of those things where we've just got to leave it behind and don't even dwell on it," senior safety and defensive captain Hyrum Peters said. "It's sad and kind of bad for us as a team and a defense, if we lose two of our best D-linemen. But we've still got guys who can play good. They've played well in the past. They played well whenever they played in the past."
Jones said at his first Hawaii Bowl press conference Saturday that "one or two" players would likely be ineligible due to the WAC's six-credit rule. Yesterday it was announced that Boise State lost six players for tomorrow's Fort Worth Bowl against Texas Christian.
Houston coach Art Briles said yesterday that Conference USA has a similar rule and the Cougars also lost players for the game, although he could not be specific about who they are or how many there are. He said he thinks it is a good rule.
"The players are all here to get a degree. It's kind of like the speed limit. They tell you what the law is and you abide by it," Briles said this morning before his team's Aloha Stadium practice. "That's the way we've always approached it. We'll suffer some consequences, too, like everybody else."