Warrior Beat

Expanded coverage of UH football, including practice notes, game analysis, recruiting info and observations on the Mountain West Conference.

About the blog host

Stephen Tsai covers University of Hawaii football for the Star-Advertiser. Follow him on Twitter @StephenTsai and sign up for the Hawaii football newsletter here: http://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/email-signup/

Latest news

Funaki, Alexander to share QB job

By Stephen Tsai on October 26, 2008

Greg McMackin said the Warriors will have a quarterback-platoon system with Inoke Funaki and Greg Alexander. Last week, Alexander was the No. 3 quarterback, taking “mental reps” in practice while Funaki and Tyler Graunke split time with the No. 1 offense. This week, Funaki and Alexander will split reps with the No. 1 team. McMackin praised Alexander’s development, noting that he has improved his ability to read defenses and go through his progressions of offensive options. Offensive coordinator Ron Lee […]

Game day: Nevada

By Stephen Tsai on October 25, 2008

UH made the official announcement: Ryan Mouton starts at right slotback, replacing Aaron Bain. As a result, Jameel Dowling starts at corner in Mouton’s spot. Keao Monteilh becomes the nickelback. * * * A 3-star prospect from the Mainland also is visiting this weekend. He played last night, hopped on a plane this morning, and will attend tonight’s game. This is the first year in the past decade that the Warriors have brought in Mainland high school prospects during the […]

New game: Post No. 675 gets the tickets

By Stephen Tsai on October 24, 2008

Maverick won the tickets … then deferred.  Then Wafan, but also deferred. So, post No. 675 gets tickets to tomorrow’s game (Mauka brown section). * * * One of American Samoa’s top prospects is visiting UH this weekend. * * * Did I mention that Bronson Tiwanak, a 6-foot-2, 305-pound guard/center, is enrolled at UH and joining the Warriors as a walk-on in January? Tiwanak is a 2006 Damien grad who played at Fresno City College in 2006 and 2007.

Malloe discharged from hospital

By Stephen Tsai on October 23, 2008

Special teams coordinator Ikaika Malloe today was discharged from the hospital after undergoing an appendectomy Wednesday night. “I feel good,” said Malloe, who was admitted after complaining of a piercing pain on his right side. After several medical procedures, he underwent the one-hour appendectomy Wednesday night. He said he wanted to attend this morning’s practice, but “the doctor looked at me kind of weird.” He said he hopes to rejoin the team tomorrow. * * * Work has started on […]

Free tickets, posters; A-House's birthday

By Stephen Tsai on October 22, 2008

Hey, it’s Wednesday, which means … heck, I don’t know what it means. But we do have some stuff to give away. Here are the prizes and corresponding winning post numbers: • Autographed Rainbow Dancer poster (donated by Ultimate Hawaii Gear Enterprises) — post No. 150. • Two tickets (Lower Level, Section C, Row 6) to Rainbow Wahine volleyball match against Fresno State Oct. 26 (donated by Mark Platte) — post No. 250. • Autographed Rainbow Dancer poster (donated by […]

Ailing receiver withdraws from UH

By Stephen Tsai on October 21, 2008

Wideout/kick returner Jovonte Taylor has withdrawn from UH after suffering serious symptoms from a viral infection. Taylor lost more than 20 pounds. He has withdrawn from his UH classes, and returned to his home in Los Angeles. He is expected to return in January. Taylor, a junior, already has used a redshirt season. He might seek a special exemption to make up for missing most of this season. * * * Keith AhSoon is one medical clearance away from returning […]

Pilares out 3 weeks; closed practices this week

By Stephen Tsai on October 20, 2008

Kealoha Pilares, regarded by the coaches as the Hawai‘i football team’s best all-around offensive threat, has been told he will miss at least three weeks of playing time because of a sprained right foot. “They said three weeks, but I’m kind of pushing it,” said Pilares, a running back/slotback who hopes to compete in the Nov. 1 road game against Utah State. Pilares said he suffered the injury to the top part of his right foot in the first quarter […]

Sunday ramblings

By Stephen Tsai on October 19, 2008

• Ever come home late, and you’re really hungry, and you open the fridge and — voila! — there’s an uneaten, I dunno, teri chicken plate  in there? And as you reach for it, somebody yells: “Hey, don’t touch that. It’s not for you.” Well, that new $30-million-plus addition to Bronco Stadium, where every booth is  a Ritz-Carlton suite, that’s Boise State’s proverbial plate lunch. It’s hard to imagine the Broncos spent all of that money on the WAC. No,the […]