Warrior Beat

Weather was nice. People were pleasant. Everyone got along today. Here are the highlights from today’s practice: > Ikaika Woolsey got the majority of reps with the first-team offense this morning. Don’t take anything from that. UH remains faithful to a schedule that will extend the quarterback competition through this summer. But Woolsey made some nice throws, in the pocket and on the run, and also benefitted from solid line play. Left tackle Elijah Tupai and right tackle John Wa‘a are raw […]

With the exception of libel or promoting the overthrow of government, a columnist can write whatever he wishes. Every newspaper in the country has a columnist. Whether you love the column he wrote or use it as a Charmin,  he has a right to express his opinion. His opinions are his opinions. With the exception of slander or promoting the overthrow of government, a head coach can close practices, not participate in post-practice interviews, and ban players and assistants from […]

The Rainbow Warriors’ spring training opens today on the Manoa campus. The 14 practices and something called the “spring fling” are open to the public. Here are the dates/times: Today — 7:15 a.m. Thursday — 7:15 a.m. Saturday — 1020 a.m.m Monday, April 7 — 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, April 8 — 7:15 a.m. Thursday, April 10 — 7:15 a.m. Saturday, April 12 — 10:20 a.m. Monday, April 14 — 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, April 15 — 7:15 a.m. Thursday, April 17 […]

Of the 85 players on the spring active roster, only 15 played under Greg McMackin. Three others redshirted in 2011, McMackin’s final season as UH head coach. Four were grayshirts in 2011 and joined the Rainbow Warriors in January 2012. Players: > Running backs — Samson Anguay, Joey Iosefa > Slotbacks — Scott Harding, Donnie King > Wideout — Bubba Poueu-Luna > Offensive line — Kody Afusia, Dave Lefotu, Frank Loyd Jr., Sean Shigematsu > Defensive line — Marcus Malepeai, […]

It’s spring cleaning, which means putting away the football charts that have been collecting on a dining table no longer used for dining. Among the notes: > The Rainbow Warriors were in formations involving three or more receivers on 71.1 percent of their offensive plays in 2013. > They were in five-receiver sets six times. > They played at a relatively fast pace, averaging a play every 20.3 seconds. > They are ranked 38th nationally in explosive drives at 15.8 […]

One of the tricks of controlled publicity is to announce transactions on Friday afternoon because that evening’s newscasts and the next day’s newspaper editions are the least watched and read, respectively. That’s why yesterday’s timing is curious, because Wayne Moses’ hiring as running back coach is good news that UH should have celebrated widely. With a small window — Chris Wiesehan resigned a little more than two weeks ago to coach Temple’s offensive lineman — UH was able to fill […]

Wayne Moses, who has coached at five Pac-12 schools, has been named the Rainbow Warriors’ new assistant coach in charge of running backs. Moses most recently was with Army. But he also was on the same staff with Norm Chow at UCLA and USC. He is expected to join the team in time for Tuesday’s opening of spring training. * * * * * When Scott Harding — UH’s punter, punt returner, slotback and backup holder — has extended free […]

Not even a state holiday could interrupt safety Damien Packer’s workout schedule. “I’m focused,” said Packer, who is completing his second year at UH. “I’m going to make this happen.” Spring training opens on Tuesday, and Packer hopes to earn an expanded role on defense and special teams. His ultimate wish? “Hopefully, I can get a scholarship after this spring,” Packer said. Packer, who was raised on the Big Island,  relies on financial aid, student loans and his mother’s generosity […]