Tyson Kafentzis recalls attending Apple Cup games at Washington State's Martin Stadium cheering for the crimson and gray against rival Washington.

“;Definitely I was a Cougar fan for sure. I'm east side all the way,”; said Kafentzis, who grew up in Richland, Wash., about a 2-hour drive away from Pullman, which sits near the state's eastern border.

After pulling for Washington State on those November afternoons, Kafentzis followed his family's ties to Hawaii in college and will find himself opposite the Cougars tomorrow at Aloha Stadium.

“;I'm real familiar with the area and I just can't wait to play those guys,”; he said.

Kafentzis, a backup outside linebacker and special teams player, is among a handful of Warriors who hail from Washington and isn't alone in having ties to the Cougars.

Kafentzis plays behind Seattle product Adam Leonard, who is friends with Brandon Gibson, Washington State's leading receiver. UH cornerback Jameel Dowling (Tacoma) was recruited by the Cougars coming out of junior college and has a cousin, receiver Michael Willis, on the WSU roster. Running back Leon Wright-Jackson (Pasco) and scout team offensive lineman Daniel Johnson (Issaquah) are also from the state.

While Hawaii is fighting for a bowl berth, Washington State closes out a rough season tomorrow coming off a rousing double-overtime win over Washington in this year's Apple Cup.

“;It's definitely a big-time rivalry game,”; Leonard said. “;I know it was a great game this past week and they'll be ready to play.”;

Kafentzis—whose father, Mark, and older brother, Landon, also played for UH—spent his early childhood in Hawaii, attending Kahala and Wailupe elementary schools, before his family moved to the Northwest.

He followed Washington State when Saint Louis graduate Jason Gesser was running the Cougars offense.

“;I used to go to the Apple Cup games when they were in Pullman, it was huge,”; Kafentzis said. “;We used to go to Pullman every year for track events and I just love the campus, how it's off in the middle of nowhere. It's just a great place to play football.”;

Still, there were regular reminders of the family's storied history with the Hawaii program and he enrolled at UH in 2004 to join Landon in Manoa.

“;Whenever I went to my grandma Kafentzis' house they've got this whole wall that's just all trophies, plaques, helmets, game balls,”; said Kafentzis, the latest in a series of eight family members to wear the UH uniform. “;It definitely inspired all of us young kids growing up.

“;The reason I came here was my brother was transferring form Arizona. I said I'd get a couple of years with my brother and had a blast.”;

Kafentzis started eight games at linebacker in 2006, and is a key member of the kickoff and punt teams while backing up Leonard as a senior.

He had two tackles in UH's win last week over Idaho, and is hoping to be part of a second win over a school from his home state in as many years. UH scored a dramatic win over Washington to cap an undefeated regular season and a BCS berth last year.

Holiday festivities

The Warriors filled their Thanksgiving morning with a spirited practice in their final full workout prior to tomorrow's game.

The practice ended with a pile of defensive players after Keao Monteilh came up with an interception in the team period.

“;It was a fun practice. We went hard and understand what we have to do,”; Dowling said.

Cougars arrive

Washington State also had a busy holiday. The team spent Wednesday night in Seattle and caught an early flight to Honolulu yesterday, arriving at about noon. After a practice at Aloha Stadium, the Cougars had a team dinner planned.

Washington State coach Paul Wulff said earlier this week the Cougars would have some free time today, but the staff will try to keep the itinerary close to their normal game-week schedule.

“;We'll designate it to them right up front and the rest is all business,”; Wulff said.