Warrior Beat

Offensive lineman Ramsey Aviu’s project graduation was this: Lift weights. Aviu, whose Aiea High graduation ceremony was a week ago, resumed training shortly after that as he prepared to join the Warriors this summer as a preferred walk-on. Aviu, who is 6 feet 2 and 295 pounds, is capable of bench pressing 225 pounds 24 times. At the Blue-Grey All-America regional combine in 2015, Aviu had the top weightlifting performance, benching 185 pounds 41 times. That mark surpassed efforts by […]

In a game of word association, if you say, “Don Robbs,” the response usually is “Rainbow baseball.” But for several years, Robbs was involved in UH football broadcasts. As host of the pre-game show, he would do features that set the scene for the upcoming game and also nostalgia pieces that brought perspective. But while recognized for his deep, rich voice — dating to the daytime “Don Robbs Show” — his work on football broadcasts was largely away from the […]

The Warriors are traveling non-stop by charter for the game against Michigan on Sept. 3 in Ann Arbor. Fans may purchase seats on the charter. Each seat purchase includes a game ticket (in the UH section). The charter departs Wednesday, Aug 31, from Honolulu. It returns Sept. 3. That means fans can attend attend the game, travel with the Warriors, and arrive back home that Saturday evening. There is a discount for Na Koa and H-Club members. For details: > […]

Things are looking up for the University of Hawaii football team — in the class room. The Rainbow Warriors reported an overall 2.82 grade-point average for the recently completed spring semester, a jump from the past fall’s 2.56 GPA. Forty-one of the 83 players on the spring roster had a GPA of 3.0 or better the past semester. Six non-roster players who were on scholarship also had a GPA of at least 3.0. The players rebounded from what head coach […]

We’re giving away two YOUTH-sized T-shirts — a medium and a large. To enter the drawing, please post: I want a Pride Rock shirt for my kid! Avis will pick the winners. The shirts are part of Na Koa’s new sponsorship endeavor. They are seeking donors whose company logos will be imprinted on T-shirts similar to the ones pictured above. For details, call (808) 956-5828.

When Nick Rolovich was hired as head coach, he emptied the files, giving each Warrior a fresh start. Rolovich recently hit the refresh button, moving defensive end Ka‘aumoana Gifford from suspension to a version of probation. Gifford, who had been suspended from team-related activities since an arrest on April 12, will be allowed to participate in the offseason conditioning program that begins next Tuesday. UH officials determined Gifford showed remorse, in words and deeds, to merit reinstatement. Rolovich said Gifford […]

Former UH football player Keith Ah Yuen is a Renaissance Man who has added a new talent: Visionary. Ah Yuen is predicting that his nephew, Punahou linebacker La‘akea Look, will develop into a top contributor to the Warriors’ special teams. “He’s not the fastest or the biggest, but he has an uncanny ability to make plays,” Ah Yuen said. Look, who is 6 feet and 225 pounds, said he has received acceptance to UH and will join the Warriors as […]

Well, that was quick. Ten days after the spring semester’s last final exam, UH is back in session. That means the Warriors’ spring-roster players are back on campus today for the first of two summer sessions. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen will begin attending classes next month. They are enrolled in the so-called bridge program — two three-credit courses that begin June 27. Summer scholarships — which are funded by Na Koa largely through a perpetual annual donation from the Alexander […]