Hawaii football team practices at Saint Louis School

“I just woke up like this,” said pass-game coordinator Craig Stutzmann, who was dressed in his high school alma mater’s apparel. “I don’t know what happened. I had a Saint Louis shirt and a Saint Louis hat right out of bed.”

It was a fitting attire for Stutzmann, whose football worlds met when the Rainbow Warriors practiced on the Saint Louis campus today. The Rainbow Warriors had to move practice sites in anticipation of inclement weather. The Warriors’ only available on-campus area is a grass field. Saint Louis has field with an artificial surface.

“It’s special,” Stutzmann said following the 90-minute workout. “Not only did I go to school here, but I also coached here. And also playing at the University of Hawaii and coaching at the University of Hawaii, it’s special to be able to come out here and coach UH on Saint Louis soil.”

The @HawaiiFootball team’s Men of Kalaepohaku sing the @StLouisHawaii alma mater #HawaiiFB #StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/yJNnOIayCb

— Stephen Tsai (@StephenTsai) August 2, 2019

Offensive lineman Eliki Tanuvasa, a Saint Louis graduate who recently transferred from Eastern Illinois, said he never imagined practicing on this field again.

“It’s a true blessing to be back here,” Tanuvasa said. “We did the same O-line drills in the same corner. It brought back flashbacks.”

Tanuvasa said Saint Louis has a special “vibe.”

“I saw (wideout) Jared Smart do a backflip when he came on the field,” Tanuvasa said. “That’s the kind of energy we have here. It brought back a lot of memories, a lot of good memories, a lot of hard-working memories.”

Head coach Nick Rolovich said the practice was used to introduce some new concepts and plays. He said a more physical practice will be held Saturday.

After practice, Rolovich ordered the players and coaches with Saint Louis ties to perform the Crusaders’ alma mater. Referee George Gusman joined in.