[ ARENA FOOTBALL ]
Outdoor practices tough
for IslandersThe team has difficulty simulating
the indoor game in practice
The great outdoors aren't all that great for an indoor football team.
Aside from the occasional shower blowing through Halawa, Aloha Stadium is a fine place to practice for the Hawaiian Islanders. But the outdoor accommodations don't give the arenafootball2 team a chance to work with some of the distinctive features of the indoor game, most notably the rebound nets in the end zones.
"We relish the idea that we have a place to practice, we're not at Kapiolani Park," Islanders head coach Cal Lee said. "But I think it wouldn't hurt if we had a facility to practice all the skills involved in arena football."
Islanders at San Diego Riptide
When: Today, 4 p.m. HSTWhere: San Diego Sports Arena
TV: None
Radio: Live, KUMU2 1500-AM
Internet: hawaiianislanders.com
With Blaisdell Arena booked solid with other events, the Islanders have practiced outdoors for much of their three-year existence. Last season, they spent their evenings toiling under portable floodlights at Saint Louis School. This year, Aloha Stadium serves as their practice ground.
The Islanders don't have any practices scheduled for Blaisdell Arena for the remainder of the regular season, and won't have a chance to work with the nets and goalposts except on game days.
Although the team can work on offense and defense at Aloha Stadium, not having the nets in place hampers their work on special teams.
"It makes it hard," Islanders assistant coach Doug Semones said. "The only way you get better at those things is to practice and there's no way to simulate the net and balls bouncing off of it."
The nets are 30 feet wide and 32 feet high, hang 8 feet off the ground in the back of the end zones and are separated by the 9-foot wide crossbar. All kicks and passes off the net are live balls.
Without goalposts to aim for, Islanders kicker Kimo Naehu is left to work on his form and visualize the ball going through the uprights while taking the elements into account as well.
"There's wind, the turf is different, but you just have to improvise," Naehu said. "I'll kick it the same as I would in the arena. It's just in the arena I can see the outcome, so I can tell if I'm missing or not. ... Basically all I have to do out here is make sure I get my steps and make sure I get good contact, that's the best I can do."
The Islanders took advantage of their opportunities to practice at Blaisdell earlier this season by devoting large chunks of their workouts on special teams.
The practice contributed to a string of big games for kick returner Anthony Arceneaux, who returned five kickoffs for touchdowns in a three-game span.
"You get that game speed of actually catching it off the net and having to turn around and make your decisions quicker," Arceneaux said. "Out here you don't have the luxury of getting that good look.
"(Practicing indoors) would help, but the way things work out we just don't have the facility all the time and that's just the way it goes. We're just going to have to deal with it."
Arceneaux began the streak by tying an af2 record on May 28 with three returns for scores in a 91-77 loss to the San Diego Riptide (5-6), who the Islanders (6-5) face today in a key West Division battle at the San Diego Sports Arena.
After being torched by Arceneaux, the Riptide adjusted their coverage scheme and limited him to 52 return yards in their last meeting, a 64-59 win in Honolulu on June 19.
The Islanders are second in the West Division will try to salvage a split of their four-game season series with San Diego today. The road team has won all three meetings this season.
"It's just about making plays," Semones said. "In the last game there were about five plays that turned the game and we have to get those five plays to come our way."
Fresh faces: Although the Riptide have faced the Islanders three times already, they probably won't be familiar with several of the names on the roster for today's game.
Quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen is slated to make his first career start in place of Darnell Arceneaux, who spent the week coaching a clinic in American Samoa.
The Islanders also activated offensive specialist Gabe Amey, who hasn't played since injuring his knee against Louisville on April 10 in the second game of the season. With his return, Anthony Arceneaux moves to receiver/cornerback.
They also activated receiver/linebacker Johnny Wayfer and lineman Macquade Afaese. Wayfer and Afaese have practiced with the team the entire season, but will get their first shot at playing time today.
Lineman Morrie Roe and Fabian Manumaleuna have returned from injured reserve, while Evile Puna and Keiki Misipeka went on IR this week.