UH practices heating up as opener nears

Defenders hope to open some eyes while competing for Hawaii's coveted starting spots

The 7-on-7 summertime passing sessions at the University of Hawaii are usually pretty friendly and relaxed.

But yesterday, cornerback candidate JoPierre Davis reminded his fellow Warriors that the fun and games come to an abrupt end tomorrow when they report to fall camp.

Davis, who will battle for a starting spot, got physical on one play with senior receiver Chad Mock, knocking him off his route. There might have been too much bump and not enough run, but Davis wasn't afraid to give Mock an earful about it, anyway.

The quarterback in Colt Brennan didn't like the incomplete pass, but the football player in him liked Davis' fire.

"We got a couple of new defenders out there. I think today you saw the intensity. The guys out here aren't just going through the motions. They're showing how good they are and how good they're capable of being. It's a completely different attitude than last year," Brennan said.

"It's frustrating out here (when they break up passes), but when you look at it from the point of view that he'll be doing that to our opponents, hey, it's refreshing, it's good to know that our defense has some attitude, has some swagger to them. Because that's what they're going to need to really do some good things this year and make us a better football team."

Davis, a 6-foot, 202-pound second-year freshman, has found his way back onto the 105-player fall-camp roster after pulling himself out of academic peril this summer. Now he's looking for a starting spot.

"I had to get my appeal done, get my grades back up. (Coach June) Jones and the counselor said I should be good for camp," Davis said. "Competition's nothing. I haven't played football in two years, since high school, so it's going to be real ugly when I get out to camp. I'll play any side. Wherever they want someone to come in and dominate, that's what side I'll go on."

A.J. Martinez and C.J. Hawthorne came out of spring practice as the top cornerbacks on the depth chart. But it's wide open, and Davis and several other newcomers and returnees will push them.

Junior college transfer Myron Newberry was also among those participating in the unsupervised workout yesterday afternoon.

"I'm a little rusty, but I'm getting back in my groove," the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Newberry said. "Playing in the secondary is about covering somebody, and I can do that. I'll be all right."

Another JC transfer, Jacob Patek, is expected to push Brad Kalilimoku at strong safety.

"I've always been a competitor. But the way I see it, if it's not me, that's fine, hopefully I can get on the field in the nickel, something like that, playing time on special teams. Any way I can help the team out," Patek said.

The 6-foot, 205-pound Patek said he ran a 4.43 (hand-held) 40-yard dash in June. Newberry said he has been timed under 4.4.

"We're that one-tenth of a second away from being a really good defensive team," Patek said. "Hopefully we bring a little speed, we've got a lot of fast corners, hopefully we'll bring that to this side of the ball. We're all hoping to make an impact out here."

Another receiver:

Eric Shaffer, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound receiver from Fayeteville, Ark., observed practice yesterday. He won't be in fall camp, but will enroll at UH and eventually join the team.

"I like the offense, the fact that they throw the ball 70 times a game," Shaffer said.

Shaffer comes to Hawaii on the recommendation of Bobby Joe Edmonds, who also watched yesterday's workout.

Edmonds is the former Arkansas great who led the NFL in punt returns while with the Seahawks in 1986. He also played under Jones with the Detroit Lions.

More RBs:

Freshmen Gabe Weisbarth (Burlingame, Calif.) and Josh Berry (Spanish Springs, Nev.) will be in camp as walk-on candidates at running back.

Weisbarth was listed at 5-feet-10 and 200 pounds last year, and Berry at 6-0, 205. Both received all-league honors, Berry as a linebacker.

Tickets:

Football season tickets are still available.

Football tickets for individual games go on sale Aug. 28.

Student season tickets for football and volleyball are available beginning Aug. 21, and volleyball individual-match tickets are on sale starting Aug. 14.

Season tickets can be bought, sold and transferred at the HawaiiAthletics.com Web site. Individual tickets can be ordered online and printed at home and office computers.