Before focusing on the task directly ahead, the Hawaii football team gave those who will shape the future of the program a chance to impress.

Among those who made the biggest plays in the Warriors' second Scout Bowl of the season yesterday were a group of receivers who are serving on the scout team this season with an eye on joining the regular rotation next year.

Redshirt freshman Joe Avery went high to snare a throw from Shane Austin for the scrimmage-winning touchdown for the team captained by seniors Adam Leonard and Keala Watson, avenging a loss in UH's first bye week of the season.

Also, playing key roles were juniors Dustin Blount, Mike Tinoco, Ryan Henry and Matt Kiel, all receivers who are redshirting this season.

“;It's very good for me,”; Henry said of preserving a year of eligibility. “;It gives me a chance to pick up on the offense, then I have another spring ball and another fall camp. I get a head start in school and can graduate after my senior year.

“;I didn't want to waste a year and the seniors we have are good. It just worked out.”;

Though slated to compete at slotback next year, Henry and Blount played some running back yesterday, with Blount turning in one of the highlight plays of the morning. He took a swing pass from Austin, was cut off, reversed his field and outran the defense to pick up a first down.

“;I did that in my JC so I figured I'd show them something out here,”; said Blount, who scored the first touchdown of the morning.

Blount was among the newcomers the coaches were looking at activating earlier this season, but they decided to give him a year to familiarize himself with school and the system.

“;If you can redshirt these guys, it's better for the program,”; offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. “;They have three years instead of just two, it makes a big difference.

“;You can see already from the first scout bowl to this one how much better the guys have gotten. ... I saw tremendous improvement. Offensive line, receivers, they're different already.”;

Where the first scrimmage back in September produced just one touchdown, there were five in the hour-long session yesterday as the Warriors closed their bye week workouts.

The Leonard-Watson team trailed after quarterback Steele Jantz, who also caught a pass as a receiver, hit Tinoco for a touchdown.

Austin then hooked up with Kiel, a promising transfer from Cabrillo College, for a 34-yard gain to set up a quarterback sneak.

After a defensive stop, Austin and the 6-foot-4 Avery connected on a fade route in the end zone for the winning score.

“;I finally got one,”; said Austin, who had been on the losing side in his earlier Scout Bowls. “;I don't know if it'll be my last one but I just wanted to get a win under my belt.

“;We've got a year of bragging rights. It's all good fun.”;

The win was especially sweet for the team coaches. Leonard and Watson lost to the team led by Solomon Elimimian and John Estes in the first scrimmage this fall.

“;This is a one-week rule,”; Leonard said, alluding to head coach Greg McMackin's 48-hour rule following a game. “;I'm going to keep reminding (Elimimian) about it as much as I can for the whole week.

“;It was fun to see the guys go out there and get excited about it and just play well. The past Scout Bowls have been kind of sloppy, but today they really showed a lot of skill out there.”;

Although the scouts had fun with the scrimmage, the goal for most is to work their way off the scout team and into the regular rotation.

“;It gives you an opportunity to show what you've got and play the best you can,”; Avery said.