Warrior Beat

For an hour each week, the Rainbow Warriors are tumbling and rolling and jumping and sprinting and, let’s face it, gasping. Mat drills were popularized at cold-weather schools as a supplement to offseason conditioning programs. In such places as Ohio State, the drills are held indoors and on mats. Because this is Hawaii and there is no indoor-training facility — nor mats, for that budgetary matter — the Warriors tumble, roll, jump, sprint and gasp on Ching field. Early signs […]

Kamehameha alumni of a certain age will remember two of the school’s best football players and wrestlers — Spencer Mello and Richard “Moose” Mello. Both brothers were All-State football players; both were champion wrestlers. Spencer Mello’s son, Seth Mello, has made a name for himself at New Mexico’s Valley High as an All-State center in football and champion wrestler. Seth Mello, who is 6-1 and 240 pounds, also can play defensive end. Seth Mello has applied for admission to UH […]

It should be no surprise players seeking to transfer from four-year schools are considering Hawai as a destination. Since Norm Chow was hired as UH coach in December 2011, these players became Warriors: > Kaeo Alo, defensive lineman, Utah > Duke Bukoski, receiver, Idaho State > Jeremy Castro, linebacker, UCLA > Nick Childs, defensive lineman, Avila > Josh Gist, defensive back, Greensboro > Taylor Graham, quarterback, Ohio State > Ryan Hall, tight end, Duke > Keahi Hogan, safety, Arizona > […]

Kurt Gouveia’s hiring as outside linebacker coach is proving to be a wise choice. There were four finalists for the job, with each receiving face-to-face interviews with coach Norm Chow. It eventually came down to Gouveia, who was raised in Waianae and won two Super Bowl rings during a 13-year NFL career, and Joey Porter, a former All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. UH chose Gouveia, who brings football experience, enthusiasm and  a Westside-to-riches story that could be inspirational to […]

In the figurative sense, Ikaika Woolsey has set the bar high in the hope of winning the Rainbow Warriors’ quarterback competition. In the literal sense, Woolsey has set the bar heavier. Woolsey has been lifting weights with the linemen during offseason conditioning drills. UH coach Norm Chow and quarterbacks coach Jordan Wynn have opened the competition at quarterback. Woolsey was credited with two starts last year. (Against San Jose State, Woolsey opened at quarterback while quarterback Sean Schroeder was aligned […]

The Rainbow Warriors yesterday hired Kurt Gouveia to coach outside linebackers and promoted Jordan Wynn from graduate assistant to quarterbacks coach with play-calling responsibilities. Wynn’s duties will be similar to the ones he performed when, in essence, he filled the spot vacated when Aaron Price was fired as offensive coordinator two days before the start of training camp. Despite his youth — he is he same age as former UH quarterback Sean Schroeder — Wynn  is a quarterback savant who […]

George Bailey, without UH football … > No football ticket revenue > No $2.3 million from local TV rights deal > No tailgating > Fewer band members on scholarship. > No marching band > No Joey Iosefa, Ikaika Woolsey, Beau Yap, Kennedy Tulimasealii, Jerrol Garcia-Williams … > No use for Aloha Stadium > Still no budget increases for softball, baseball, volleyball, sailing … > Still no raises for faculty and staff > No Na Koa > No additional women’s sports […]

The Rainbow Warriors have enough flexibility to add another player or two to this year’s recruiting class. What’s more, by the end of this spring semester there should be enough room to award a scholarship to a player — or two — who has been a walk-on for at least two years. Among the deserving candidates are Josh Donovan, Jason Muraoka, Damien Packer, Mike Martin, Hunter Thomson and Brenden Urban. I’m not sure if Niko Uti and Nick Childs have […]