CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Tim Grasso's strong performance at last week's scrimmage at Aloha Stadium has him back in contention to be Hawaii's starting punter in next week's opener.

Punting job too close to call

He thought of the white-sand beaches. He imagined plunging into the crystal-clear blue waters of Waikiki Beach. It seemed like the perfect vacation.

Tim Grasso, who grew up in Kaysville, Utah, had a different idea of what his first trip to Hawaii would be like.

"It has been strictly football," Grasso said. "It wasn't what I thought it would be the first time I'd come to Hawaii for. I thought I'd vacation here first."

It has been anything but a vacation for Grasso. He has been locked in a battle with sophomore Briton Forester for the starting punting job since he arrived at the end of July.

"I've had really good days and not so great days," Grasso said. "It's just like any other position. You can't be golden every day."

Forester had the early edge, according to special teams coordinator Dennis McKnight. But Grasso put forth a strong showing at last Saturday's scrimmage at Aloha Stadium.

"It's too close to call in my opinion because Briton is real consistent and I like his short, compact stroke," Mc-Knight said. "If (Grasso's) consistency holds up to what he's been doing recently then yeah, he might be the guy."

Forester is also the backup to kicker Dan Kelly. The walk-on sophomore kicked extra points for the Warriors in four of the final five games last season.

"I'm just trying to stay consistent and do what the coaches want me to do," Forester said. "For a week before the first game I think I'm hitting the ball real well."

Grasso is having a hard time getting used to the high winds from the recent storms. The weather in Hawaii is much different from what he was used to at Dixie State Junior College in Utah and Saddleback Community College (Calif.). Grasso was an all-conference selection at Saddleback and ranked fourth in the NJCAA at Dixie State with a 42.7-yard average.

He devoted his summer to prepare for the opportunity to start at Hawaii. He spent two months in Florida and Alabama training with kickers from many SEC and ACC schools.

It has been a long summer, but with the first game just eight days away, Grasso hopes all the hard work pays off.

"Obviously, it's one thing to be practicing every day, but I've always been more of a gamer," the former wide receiver said. "When it comes time for the games I just want the ball."