Prep center picks UH; T.J. Kua is today's chat guest

Center Kody Afusia of Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, Calif., told the Warrior Beat he has accepted a football scholaship from the Warriors.

“It feels like home,” Afusia said of his recently completed recruiting trip to Hawaii. During the trip, he said, he met a relative who also is being recuited by the Warriors.

Afusia said he is 6 feet 2 1/2 and 295 pounds.

He is capable of bench pressing 360 pounds.

He said he is qualifier. He has a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. He will enroll in UH’s second summer session in July.

* * * * *

Special thanks to UH golfer T.J. Kua for serving as our guest on today’s Warrior Beat Show.

* * * * *

The Warriors had their first team meeting of 2010. They will begin weight-training officially on Thursday.

Defensive tackle Kaniela Tuipulotu, who underweight shoulder surgery the past fall, shows that he has regained complete range of motion. He was on his way to the weight room this morning.

p-shoulder

* * * * *


The running game remains intact. Chizzy Dimude and Alex Green are back for their second UH seasons.

p-rbs

* * * * *

For a second I thought  I had to SMU cornerback Jeramy Bryant. Then he explained that “Colts” is the  nickname of his high school.

p-jb

* * * * *

Happy birthday to our very own Kalani Takase.

kalani


No, this link is not of Kalani:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpfbbfanOJs

COMMENTS

  1. Slugger January 19, 2010 6:42 am

    Morning!


  2. Slugger January 19, 2010 6:43 am

    …should have said, “Morning, Stephen!”


  3. LizKauai [iMac] m/ January 19, 2010 6:46 am

    Go TJ! Kauai is proud of you!

    Aloha Kakahiaka!


  4. whitey January 19, 2010 6:47 am

    Good morning Tsaikos


  5. whitey January 19, 2010 6:47 am

    Good morning ST, Slugger, and LizzyK


  6. Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς January 19, 2010 7:23 am

    Morning ST, Liz, Whitely, Slugger etc.

    Good morning Hawaii and all the ships at sea!

    All I want is two tall, fast, strong commits for the OL!


  7. Slugger January 19, 2010 7:24 am

    Good morning, whitey, LizKauai & Tsaiko-world!

    Don’t think I’ll be able to watch/listen to the TJ Kua show. But, Good Luck to TJ in his future matches!


  8. Kekoa (iPhone) January 19, 2010 7:33 am

    Good morning Tsaiko villagers!

    Whitey ~ What’s the recruiting news from Maui? Any potential Warriors coming out of any of the schools?

    Bhf2 ~ Same questions to you big guy.
    Btw…a little birdee told me you could do more pushups than Vili. I have a visual of the two of you engaged in such a challenge in the South EZ. For the sake of the children in the stands watching, I
    beg you to reconsider!


  9. jm2375 January 19, 2010 7:36 am

    Morning Tsai-kos!

    Top 10?


  10. jm2375 January 19, 2010 7:42 am

    I see that on Feb 6, there’s a bb doubleheader. If one attends (and pays for a tix to) the Wahine game, does that get them into the men’s game?


  11. Capitol -ist/WassupDoc January 19, 2010 7:50 am

    jm2375 – the answer is YES in both directions. We have tickets to both and will be giving one pair away. Anyone want them??

    From late last night: – Great Wahine basketball game tonight. They hustled and bustled – Na Wahine clearly took to heart Saturday’s loss but didn’t let it get to them.

    In our section, there were at least 500 people including about 50 or so who were there to cheer a Utah State player from Hawai`i – Pualani Furtado. Across the way, there were maybe about 400 fans with about 200 or so at both ends combined. Biggest crowd I’ve seen in years for women’s basketball.

    Is anyone here going to attend the Grand Slam fundraiser for men’s baseball on February 15 – another three-day weekend. Is there any interest in putting together a table?

    Off to work – another very, very long day with meetings and briefings and more meetings.


  12. Mauimon January 19, 2010 7:55 am

    Only recruit this year for Maui, is Elvis Matagi-Kamana. Elvis has already verb to Utah St. He is 6’1 260 D-Lineman. Next year there are 2 prospect in Tavita Malafu a 6’2 linebacker who was an MVP at a camp in Kahuku last summer. Tavita already has an offer from Wyoming. CeeJay Santos is getting feelers from schools in the mainland for his kicking, he is also a very good outfielder on the Baldwin baseball team. The kid everyone is looking at is Pasoni Tasini a 6’4 DE for Baldwin, he went to camp in Kahuku last year and coaches from BYU, Utah and Oregon St. were surprised that he was only a sophomore, they are already on this kid.


  13. SteveM January 19, 2010 8:40 am

    Good morning everyone!

    …back at work today. 😐


  14. blikeke January 19, 2010 8:42 am

    Kaleinani Kabalis after a successful 2 years of playing volleyball at Western Nebraska Community College is now at Washington State according to RichKern.com


  15. jojo ® January 19, 2010 8:53 am

    Good morning!

    Sony Open! and then no more pro events till later this year, freakin pro bowl!!!


  16. Kazz January 19, 2010 8:59 am

    *From last night’s blog*

    Ralph:
    January 18th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
    Kazz UH announced 1700+ in the house tonight, what you say, close?

    Not really. I mean it was a good crowd for an early game on a holiday. If anything, the crowd at Saturday night’s game against Nevada would have been closer to the announced 1,700 figure, but as A-House reminded me last night, it was the “tickets issued” figure of 1,700.
    I’d say more like 750-800 last night for the turnstile amount. It’s even hard to guess sitting in there because the BULK of the crowd likes to sit on the “non-camera” side and on the camera side, they crowd the seats behind and above the Wahine bench giving a “funny and unbalanced” look to the arena.


  17. Bulla January 19, 2010 9:02 am

    ST

    call me on my cel when you get a chance, had a question for you….mahalo 🙂


  18. Bulla January 19, 2010 9:03 am

    Mauimon,

    looks like there are some sleeping giants over there in No Ka Oi land……that is great news…..


  19. Kazz January 19, 2010 9:04 am

    ***Random off-topic comment for today***

    “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon. = good song! 😎


  20. Bulla January 19, 2010 9:05 am

    QUESTION FOR TJ

    How many hours do you either practice or play in an ordinary day?

    Have you ever been coached by some of the well known golf gurus like Harmon, Leadbetter or others?

    What do you think is the biggest challenge for aspiring local golfers to making it to the ‘next level’?


  21. al January 19, 2010 9:07 am

    could there be two beasts in the house?

    noticed that tuu lolohea’s video indicated his name followed by “beast”. of course we all know the beast.


  22. Bulla January 19, 2010 9:10 am

    good morning al,

    could it be the ‘beasties’? haha, well, they all have to earn their stripes….one step at a time. hope all is well with you and yours, possible CC next week maybe, see how tomorrow and the rest of the week goes.

    saw pastor elwin sunday, didn’t get a chance to say aloha, but he looked good.


  23. al January 19, 2010 9:12 am

    it appears to me that we may have room for five or six more recruits for this class. utilizing the grey shirt method to expand our list.

    it would be good to land more top local talent and we are in line for several.

    still, based upon needs of the future it would be nice to have a receiver or two and of course like jello there’s always room for a bigtime olineman.


  24. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 9:13 am

    Kody Afusia, 6′ 3″, 295 — good size for a center


  25. al January 19, 2010 9:14 am

    hey bulla.
    long time no smell.

    call me when your book clears.

    and yah, that elwin never ages.


  26. Kekoa January 19, 2010 9:17 am

    Mahalo for the inside scoops Mauimon!


  27. Garret January 19, 2010 9:23 am

    cheepeno,

    Thank you (and Tombo) for the good news on the OL recruit! I had been hoping for a high school recruit for the OT position…it sounds like Afusia could fit that perfectly.


  28. Garret January 19, 2010 9:24 am

    oops, I saw 6’5″ when I read the article but then I saw madeinhawaii’s post and checked again and it said 6’3″. Still, it is good to have another OL recruit.


  29. Garret January 19, 2010 9:27 am

    When ESPN designs its TV schedule for the WAC around BSU’s schedule they have a good reason to do so…BSU will be highly ranked and they really brought in the ratings last season.

    ESPN recently released the TV ratings for the 12 regular-season football games involving teams from the Western Athletic Conference. As a whole, the games averaged a 1.6 rating, the highest-ever for the conference (a rating of 1.0 equals about one million viewers).

    Four games had a rating of 2.0 or higher. It might be easy to celebrate this as a sign that the WAC is slowly establishing itself as a conference that people will be paying attention to in the coming years.

    The four highest-rated WAC football games last season all involved Boise State. The Broncos’ game against Oregon on Sept. 3 was the most-watched of all the WAC games with a 2.9 rating. Next came Boise State at Fresno State, Boise State at Tulsa and Nevada at Boise State.

    Games not involving Boise State struggled to find any audience at all. For example, Nevada’s game against Louisiana Tech had a rating of less than 1.0.

    Although other schools may not want to admit it, it’s Boise State that got the WAC its football deal with ESPN.


  30. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 9:28 am

    Garret..

    Looks like Afusia’s only a Junior. I think he still might grow some.

    Here’s his jr highlights vid..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f3LfNzeXFg


  31. Kekoa January 19, 2010 9:44 am

    Questions for T.J. Kua:

    1. Who was most responsible for getting you started in Golf?

    2. At what age did it occur to you that you were better than most of your peers?

    3. What iron is your *Go To* stick, when you’re faced with a difficult shot?

    4. Do you plan on becoming a tour professional?

    Best of luck in moving to the next level T.J. 😎


  32. (Jesse) James January 19, 2010 9:55 am

    Good morning Tsaikos…just stopping in to say hi…hope all is well…gotta go…talk later…


  33. Bulla January 19, 2010 10:01 am

    JJ

    I was close to your office on Sunday, but I KNEW that you wouldn’t be there working……not in session yet, BWAHHHHAAHHHAAA


  34. djmitcho January 19, 2010 10:19 am

    Aloha Tsaikos!
    Just watched Kody Afusia’s highlights from his jr. year on youtube. I think he’ll be another in a line of great centers from UH. Looks like he’s got a mean streak in him, just what the o-line needs as long as he can control it.


  35. JK January 19, 2010 10:21 am

    We need some help on the DL and the OL. Stop the run and protect the QB are the most important things. Good to hear about these commits. Hopefully we get more burners and lets give USC and Kiffin a sweat at least.


  36. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 10:31 am

    Oops.. if he’s registering in July.. then he’s not a Junior as the site describes.. I guess it hasn’t been updated properly…


  37. J-Dog January 19, 2010 10:32 am

    I wonder who the relative of Afusia is, and can we sway him to UH.


  38. Pomai January 19, 2010 10:48 am

    “IS IT SATURDAY YET”


  39. al January 19, 2010 11:00 am

    afusia is also one of the top wrestlers in the orange county area and the state in his weight class 285lb plus.


  40. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 11:05 am

    which probably means he’s got great footwork… solid balance.. and an excellent center of gravity..

    I like it.


  41. Shauna January 19, 2010 11:08 am

    We still need more questions for today’s Warrior Beat guest! Thanks! 🙂


  42. Kekoa January 19, 2010 11:12 am

    Breaking Tsaiko News in from our Florida Chaptah brings serious concerns for another of our senior bloggers:

    Aloha Kekoa,

    This is Florida Pat…trying to get into the blog to no avail. Just wanted to let everyone know that Florida Ted has been in the hospital for ten day now. He had a biospy on his bile duct on Thursday. No results as of yet. Today they are doing one on his pancreas, I haven’t heard anything, he is still in recovery…they think it is cancer, but I feel otherwise…just wanted everyone to know. Lots of prayers needed…

    With aloha,
    Florida Pat


  43. (Jesse) James January 19, 2010 11:17 am

    Prayers for Florida Ted….and all the other Tsaikos in our family who need it….


  44. protector January 19, 2010 11:18 am

    Aloha & Mahalo to Cody Afusia for becoming a Warrior!
    I hope the staff can bring him up to scratch in a hurry, so he can get some PT in this upcoming season, unless of course there are redshirt plans.


  45. al January 19, 2010 11:19 am

    shout out to florida ted.
    prayers for both you and pat.


  46. al January 19, 2010 11:22 am

    mih….what i particularly like about wrestlers is there mental toughness. that program did more for #1 son than anything i could ever say to him.

    i have the utmost respect for the wrestler. (and i am not talking wwf).


  47. al January 19, 2010 11:23 am

    so we still looking for…….
    a db
    a wr
    a dlineman (or two)
    and why not get a rb.


  48. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 11:23 am

    Oh jeeze.. I was wondering why Florida Ted hadn’t been posting lately.. I’ll keep him in my thoughts… Get well Florida Ted! We miss you!


  49. al January 19, 2010 11:25 am

    actually lolohea is athletic enough to develop into a nice running back. he runs 4.65.

    then again, elisara was a highly rated big back as well as mlb.

    but, i think lolohea can run in the open field.


  50. al January 19, 2010 11:26 am

    looks like we may not have room for a kicker afterall???


  51. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 11:26 am

    al,

    Oh yeah.. and mental toughness… exciting recruit..just as Estes is leaving… we get a near clone, height and weight wise…


  52. Pride. January 19, 2010 11:26 am

    Florida Pat. We are praying with you for Florida Ted’s recovery.


  53. BG January 19, 2010 11:27 am

    Back for a few minutes. Plenty of time to send out Tsaiko encouragement to FT and Pat!!! Love and prayers being sent your way.


  54. Pomai January 19, 2010 11:40 am

    Prayers out to Florida Ted an Pat.


  55. Pride. January 19, 2010 11:44 am

    TJ. Once upon a time your dad was a pretty good golfer. Is he still good enough to give you some competition.


  56. Pride. January 19, 2010 11:46 am

    TJ. Can you kick a football as good as your dad?


  57. Pride. January 19, 2010 11:49 am

    TJ. How many different states have you traveled to while golfing? Which ones were they? Have you ever golfed outside of the U.S.?


  58. Pride. January 19, 2010 11:51 am

    Where is your favorite course to golf on Kaua’i? Why? Where is your favorite golf course in the whole state of Hawaii? Why?


  59. Pride. January 19, 2010 11:55 am

    What is the most important lesson that you learned from your Uncle David Ishii?


  60. koakane™ January 19, 2010 11:55 am

    aloja tsaiko country. nice sunny day here in the 808 state as usual.

    big congrats to the wahine bballers on their victory. got to pay attention when their games are going on. tuned it at 7pm and just saw the ending 2 minutes of the game. anoddah shout out to the warrior men tennis team on their win.


  61. A-House January 19, 2010 12:24 pm

    Pat:

    Our prayers to Ted for a speedy and full recovery for whatever ails him!

    Florida Ted – how’s your book going?


  62. A-House January 19, 2010 12:26 pm

    If a “grey-shirt” fails to enroll at UH or enrolls but does not meet academic standards by fall camp, what happens to his scholarship and does this count against the APR?


  63. Ralph January 19, 2010 12:27 pm

    three announced recruits in two days and no shout out from the bay area, Hilo side…so where is BigHilo these days? Susan’s honey do list from August is finally getting some attention!


  64. LizKauai m/ January 19, 2010 12:27 pm

    Prayers and love to the Floridas… Hang in there, Pat!

    Speaking of doctors, I got a “can’t see anything abnormal” (good) report from my gyn this morning… phew. Love a doctor who looks for causes instead of reacting to symptoms.

    Nice show today… but, for Slugger’s sake, it was more like hear/watch than watch/hear 😆

    HiHo!


  65. whitey January 19, 2010 12:28 pm

    kody’s sister, nicole, is a catcher with the AzStU.


  66. Ralph January 19, 2010 12:29 pm

    if a grey shirt doesn’t enroll, then he can not be a student at UH, he isn’t tallied in the football equation.


  67. al January 19, 2010 12:47 pm

    elisara bench press 365 lbs


  68. […] Stephen Tsai has more. Center Kody Afusia of Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, Calif., told the Warrior Beat he has […]


  69. A-House January 19, 2010 1:11 pm

    Does Elisera sound like a bigger Nate Iloa?

    Size, can run and catch, can block, likes to hit, good speed – “Nasty” combination of someone who played for UH.

    Maybe as a “goal line” back or blocking back or short-yardage situations?


  70. A-House January 19, 2010 1:12 pm

    Ralph or al or ST:

    What about the 2nd half of my question in #63? APR takes a hit?


  71. A-House January 19, 2010 1:16 pm

    Good game by the Wahines last night, but same problem as the men – fall down in the last 10 minutes of the first half.

    But, they came back to win. Good crowd – paper say 918 turnstile count?

    also, great to see the community backing Coach Dana – Okinawan drum group entertained at half-time and their family/friends purchased tickets and fuud.

    same for the Kaiser High girls BB team – the entire team with coaches.

    I am happy that we bought season tickets!


  72. al January 19, 2010 1:17 pm

    ahouse different build and type in my opinion.

    ilaoa, short stout but elusive. great athlete.
    elisara, much larger in stature, straight ahead power back. prefers defense.

    ilaoa is a once in a lifetime athlete if you ask me. had he been six feet he would have still been in the nfl. had he took the preseason conditioning seriously he would have been in the nfl still. great instinctive football player he was.

    elisara will make his own mark when he is done. if he can pick up some speed he has all the tools to play on sunday.


  73. al January 19, 2010 1:19 pm

    ahouse….i would think that if he never enrolled during the grey shirt period of acceptance then he would not count against our apr since he would be a non-entity.


  74. A-House January 19, 2010 1:19 pm

    OK, al, we are fast approaching “mid-week” – we expecting more good/fantistic recruting news or are the 3 recent commits fill your prediction?


  75. Stephen Tsai January 19, 2010 1:20 pm

    No. APR doesn’t take a hit until after a scholarship player officially joins the team.
    And a student wouldn’t flunk out after one semester, anyway.
    I think the way it goes is if you’re under a certain GPA, you go on academic probation. Then it’s suspension.
    So a grayshirt wouldn’t count against APR.


  76. Kody Afusia Commits to UH | Sports News January 19, 2010 1:21 pm

    […] Stephen Tsai has more. Center Kody Afusia of Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, Calif., told the Warrior Beat he has […]


  77. SteveM January 19, 2010 1:30 pm

    Bulla:
    January 19th, 2010 at 9:10 am
    good morning al,

    ….. possible CC next week maybe, see how tomorrow and the rest of the week goes……

    fuud? Next week sounds good. 🙂


  78. Bulla January 19, 2010 1:31 pm

    prayers to Ted for a speedy recovery…..


  79. Bulla January 19, 2010 1:33 pm

    Steve M.,

    let’s see how the week develops….but yes, it is time………..haha.


  80. Kazz January 19, 2010 1:37 pm

    Hang in there FloridaTed!


  81. Stretch January 19, 2010 1:38 pm

    Since we are on the topic of recruiting….

    http://blogs.sltrib.com/usu/index.php?p=9395&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

    “Utah State has nowhere to go but up, and that’s a good thing,” Fehoko said. “Hawaii has nowhere to go but up, and that’s not a good thing. Everywhere I go, people love Gary Andersen, the players, the fans, the administration. There are people in Hawaii that want Greg McMackin fired. I’m not sure I want to be a part of that.”


  82. al January 19, 2010 1:42 pm

    ahouse

    we still have a shot at a wr, db, dt, de. some are still mulling a decision while at least two have yet to trip.

    it all depends upon how many greyshirts we take in.

    time will tell and so will tsai. so, stay tuned,


  83. al January 19, 2010 1:47 pm

    i came this close to convincing the boss last night to partake at the world famous camellia. of course i wasn’t convincing enough even with #2’s help. we landed next door instead at sanoya’s.


  84. A-House January 19, 2010 2:05 pm

    al:

    and here I thought that you had extrodinary persuasive powers! women can change all that in the blink of the eye – eh?


  85. jojo ® January 19, 2010 2:10 pm

    did I hear the CC bell, but then again my hearing is going


  86. bstunna2002 January 19, 2010 2:14 pm

    I have a question with Tonga and Wadsworth going on missions does that free up an extra 2 scholarships for recruiting or would those count towards mid year schollies like the one Luke and Mo are gonna be getting?


  87. NorthShoreFan January 19, 2010 2:15 pm

    Interesting story on Fehoko. If the Warriors is not on the list, then why visit? Something about the story smells. Then again, welcome to the lb’s from Kapolei! Great to have you as Warriors!
    With Fehoko thinking of going away, will we be able to get the Beast on scholarship? Love to have a Warrior “Beast” in the line up!


  88. bstunna2002 January 19, 2010 2:18 pm

    As for recruiting is it an NCAA violation if we bring recruits to Aloha Stadium and have chair with Jerzey’s and announcing their names as they walk onto the field and approach the fifty, if it’s not IMHO this would be a great recruiting tool to explain how diverse Hawaii football is and how you not only playing for a University but for a whole State…..


  89. Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς January 19, 2010 2:23 pm

    Derek: #87 From what I had looked at, the Golden West League is a pretty decent league – and Afusia was the defensive player of the year.


  90. (Jesse) James January 19, 2010 2:25 pm

    Hey…Kalani and Stretch look alike….MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


  91. SteveM January 19, 2010 2:26 pm

    Best wishes to FloridaTed and Patty.

    A-House — #85 is a rhetorical question, yeah? I got real nervous when Al’s boss and Peaches exchanged contact info a while back…. 😐


  92. d1島 January 19, 2010 2:29 pm

    Best wishes to Florida Ted and Patty


  93. d1島 January 19, 2010 2:30 pm

    Good news about the commits today!


  94. Don Weir January 19, 2010 2:36 pm

    Na Koa Update

    Coach McMackin’s Recruit Review is int he planning stages. This evening is devoted to Coach McMackin giving you the inside story on all UH Football recruits as well as showing you some of the recruit’s highlights on the big screen.
    Once we have the time and place locked in Na Koa will post the information here and around town.
    Just in Case Put a placeholder on your calendar the evening of February 3, 2010.


  95. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 2:40 pm

    Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς:

    How did he become “Defensive” Player of the Year if he was on Offense?

    I think the teams less than stellar record (win/loss) may be part of the reason he went under the radar.


  96. NorthShoreFan January 19, 2010 2:42 pm

    BC show tomorrow supposed to have 2 hrs. of recruiting discussion with Robert K.


  97. d1島 January 19, 2010 2:52 pm

    Thanks Don Weir!
    Will watch for an update…


  98. al January 19, 2010 3:03 pm

    afusia was a two way starter.

    center on offense and dtackle of defense. he was all league two years in a row and as earlier mentioned he was defense poy, his junior year i believe.

    golden west conf. is in orange county a highly competitive league at that.

    it is my guess that he fell under the radar playing for a middle of the pack team.

    he is also an accomplished wrestler winning many titles and medals. if you have never been around wrestling then you have no idea how tough one needs to be in this sport.

    his story reminds me a lot like say, rgm. no one recruited him, but where is he today?

    there is so much talent out there, that always, always someone falls between the cracks. for those who don’t understand that, then you have no idea.

    some kids have all the offers in the world because of a great marketing program, inflated numbers, and the like. while others need to be discovered.

    there is no exact science in recruiting. most scouting services only go by hearsay. how could they even possibly watch all the players in the world?

    why even the pros make mistakes every year in the nfl draft. so many great ones never make it while so many free agents become hall of famers. it is not an exact science.

    …nuff said


  99. wafan January 19, 2010 3:06 pm

    Prayers and positive thoughts for Florida Ted and Pat!


  100. wafan January 19, 2010 3:08 pm

    Welcome to new Warrior Afusia!!!


  101. wafan January 19, 2010 3:08 pm

    Congratulations to the Wahine on their win!

    Whoo-hoo!!!


  102. al January 19, 2010 3:10 pm

    i think right now, that is all you know and that is why its a mystery.

    why lambast a new recruit where he will read your post when you have no clue as to his potential or ability?

    i trust that the coaches have done their homework and like what they see and therefore he was brought in.

    i trust that on his visit, kody afusia displayed the kind of character that the coaches want on this team.

    i trust that his parents also displayed the kind of people the coaches want to see as part of the university of hawaii.

    so, why not trust their judgment?
    are you a fan or not?

    i am sorry but i just don’t see why someone would publicly put down a 17 year old young man who just made the biggest commitment of his life on a public forum as this.


  103. Old Diver January 19, 2010 3:13 pm

    Regarding #87

    I don’t think this program can be built going after four and five star players exclusively. The coaches have to find that diamond in the ruff so to say, which makes their job tougher than for Notre Dame’s coaches. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately we aren’t privy to all the information the coaches are looking at, from talking to HS coaches, teachers and counselors, personal interviews, interaction with current UH players and of course game film. While it is our right as fans to question whether a recruit will make a good fit here or not, we really don’t have the information to make that decision, and I don’t want that information released until after sighing day. Reading scout.com or rivals.com is fun, but is for amusement purposes only.


  104. NorthShoreFan January 19, 2010 3:18 pm

    #104, al..a lot of times high profile teams get their players recognized more often than others. If you have a talented player on a cellar dweller team, the recognition is not there. Writers don’t always recognize talent and are not able to write about them. That’s why camps become very important for potential recruits. Like you say, coaches do their evaluations and we need to trust in their judgment.
    Welcome and Mahalo to all the 2010 Warrior recruits!


  105. Old Diver January 19, 2010 3:18 pm

    al is so right about wrestlers. Their tough training in HS meant you didn’t see too many football players wrestle. A good example of a guy with a tremendous work ethic is Richard Torres. Yep, a wrestler.


  106. Stephen Tsai January 19, 2010 3:34 pm

    Al:
    I agree with you, as always.


  107. lava January 19, 2010 3:40 pm

    Kody looks like a player on both sides of the ball. He always seem to be in the mix on defense, and hitting someone on offense. He’s a grappler and has size. What’s not to like.


  108. lava January 19, 2010 3:42 pm

    I agree with an earlier post that it is time for UH to get a student mascot, nothing against Vili, but change is sometimes good.


  109. Ralph January 19, 2010 3:54 pm

    and the change would be cheaper, a tuition waiver for an energetic student, and save the UHAD budget some dollars.


  110. Slugger January 19, 2010 3:57 pm

    Prayers out for Florida Ted & Pat.

    Happy birthday to Kalani Takase. That video commercial guy sorta looks like you… 🙂


  111. Slugger January 19, 2010 3:59 pm

    Welcome aboard, Kody Afusia!


  112. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 4:01 pm

    OR… maybe get the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau to hire a mascot or mascots for ALL UH sports… someone who will have no say if ESPN wants to use their footage for special spots. That would be between HVB and ESPN… and so on and so forth.


  113. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 4:04 pm

    Really sound like Jamora is headed for Udub, eh?

    http://washington.scout.com/2/939321.html

    what a shame


  114. FloridaTed January 19, 2010 4:06 pm

    Aloha,

    Florida Pat here…not good news! Ted went in for a procedure this morning at 11:00 a.m. and did not get out till 7:30 this evening. He wasn’t up to talking much, in a lot of pain, but he told me he does have cancer and the doctor on the floor confirmed it. Will go up in the am to try and see the oncologist. That’s all the news I have for now,

    With a heavy heart,
    Florida Pat

    a


  115. wafan January 19, 2010 4:07 pm

    Wow. So many different number for SSC attendance. UH needs to settle on one method for reporting.


  116. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 4:10 pm

    Aloha Florida Pat…

    You have our prayers and are in our thoughts…


  117. wafan January 19, 2010 4:11 pm

    Come on F-Ted! Fight it!!!

    You beat the stroke. You can do it!

    Continued prayers for F-Ted’s recovery and for continued strength for Pat.


  118. Garret January 19, 2010 4:13 pm

    Florida Pat,

    I am very, very sorry to hear the update on ForidaTed. I hope that things improve soon for him and I hope that you are doing okay.


  119. kama krab January 19, 2010 4:14 pm

    Oh well,

    Jamora would have been really nice but can get them all I guess. The real surprise was yesterday’s commits. I guess any other local recruiting front news is just going to be topping on the cake.


  120. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 4:15 pm

    Anybody know if ESPN will be broadcasting the Men’s VB game from Stockton tonight?


  121. kama krab January 19, 2010 4:18 pm

    Prayers go out to Florida Ted,

    My mom is a cancer survivor so I have no doubt that you can be one to. Take care and god bless.


  122. kama krab January 19, 2010 4:23 pm

    Since it looks like Jamora is now a Husky,

    I know that we are still in the hunt for Beau Yap but what about Jamora’s teammate. It looks like he is still a free agent. Does he have any interest in Hawaii cause I am sure Hawaii would love to have his services.

    Oh and how are we doing with the big boy from Aiea. Hope he is still within grasp at this point.


  123. wafan January 19, 2010 4:26 pm

    I sure hope today’s meeting was very productive. And that the players work hard to either meet or exceed their goals.


  124. kama krab January 19, 2010 4:27 pm

    Sorry #120 should have read,

    can’t get them all


  125. Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς January 19, 2010 4:35 pm

    MADEINHAWAII re:#96. Per the OC report: Ocean View offensive lineman Kody Afusia (6-3, 295) has committed to Hawaii, his father, Lee, said in an e-mail. Afusia, the Golden West League defensive player of the year, was recruited to play center.

    AL – your #99 I never could understand how some of these guys make comments without any knowledge. I don’t want to dis any of our bloggers but I don’t think they should dis any person that wants to play for Hawaii.


  126. Da Punchbowl Kid January 19, 2010 4:40 pm

    Aloha Gangeez!

    Major prayers for our dear brother Ted and his wife. We love you both!
    Keep on fighting, Ted! We stand with you.


  127. Da Punchbowl Kid January 19, 2010 4:41 pm

    Gotta love the new recruits. Welcome aboard to all of them!


  128. Da Punchbowl Kid January 19, 2010 4:42 pm

    Oh yeah- back on line and happy to be here! 🙂


  129. wafan January 19, 2010 4:44 pm

    Good to see dpk and bhf2, again!


  130. wafan January 19, 2010 4:45 pm

    Time to start getting ready for next semester.

    Tsigh.

    Heck, somebody has to do it. HA!


  131. al January 19, 2010 4:48 pm

    Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς:
    amen to that one.


  132. al January 19, 2010 4:55 pm

    well the recruiting fun has started.

    as karen carpenter would sing, “we’ve only just begun……..”

    each day is a new day with more recruit news as we enter crunch time. certainly we will see more recruits that have fallen off the radar.

    and only tsai knows.


  133. al January 19, 2010 4:58 pm

    wish list.

    a dback (or two)
    a dlineman (or two)
    a wr
    a rb (but, i forgot we have big jon lister joining the ranks this january)
    a olineman (more, more, more)
    okay don’t shoot me….how about another qback?


  134. al January 19, 2010 4:59 pm

    i say, that in this offense we must always look for the holy grail that is another colt brennan.

    we should never, never, stop looking.


  135. (Jesse) James January 19, 2010 5:18 pm

    Prayers for you Florida Pat….keep the strength….and prayers for our brother Florida Ted….

    C’mon Ted…with God on your side, you can beat this thing!!!!


  136. jm2375 January 19, 2010 5:28 pm

    Good afternoon / evening Tsai-kos!

    OK, went to the UOP website to listen to the game. On the home page, there’s a link to “Listen Live”. Buuuuttttt, the “Listen Live” page says “No events for today”. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.


  137. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 5:38 pm

    gametracker for volleyball here… Men down one game… leading in the second..20-16

    http://pacifictigers.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mvolley.html?event=847601&school=paci&sport=mvolley&camefrom=&startschool=&


  138. Ralph January 19, 2010 5:47 pm

    A Warrior never gives up the fight Ted, you can beat the cancer. Pat, keep the faith and strength, we’re all pulling for Ted to get well.


  139. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 5:58 pm

    jm2375:

    click on the next event.. you should be able to hear it.


  140. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 6:01 pm

    If you’re using firefox.. you may not be able to hear it as firefox has disabled the quicktime 7.2 plugin for security issues.


  141. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 6:05 pm

    Warriors took the second set.. 33-31…
    1 set apiece…

    Third set.. evenly match… 9-9


  142. whitey January 19, 2010 6:25 pm

    Florida Ted, you know you can overcome this disease and we all support you.


  143. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 6:32 pm

    Warriors took the third set… 30-25..

    up 2 sets to 1…


  144. 808ike January 19, 2010 6:32 pm

    Prayers go out to Florida Ted!!


  145. A-House January 19, 2010 6:41 pm

    We send our prayers to Ted for a speedy and full recovery from his illness.

    Believe, Ted, you always used that motto for the Warriors. Now, it’s time to believe in you to beat cancer.


  146. A-House January 19, 2010 6:45 pm

    When we go to the UH vs Udub game in 2011, I will need to pay attention to detail of what is so attractive to Hawaii players – campus, weather, fans, food, etc.

    More top notch players seem to gravitate to the Pacific Northwest than SoCal.


  147. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 6:55 pm

    Warriors win in 4 over UOP… 39-22… final game.

    series against UOP is now 35 -1


  148. TYaiea January 19, 2010 6:59 pm

    Florida Ted, you can do it. Malama Pono, Fl Ted and Pat.


  149. RainbowCliff January 19, 2010 7:10 pm

    Florida Pat, my prayers go out to you for Florida Ted who has made his “IMPACT” to Tsaikos all around this Warrior Beat who enjoyed the intelligence and objectivity of this surreal gentlemen who cheered for Warrior black, tapa and green so loudly and clear !

    Florida Ted, whom I never met left his words of ‘SUPERIORITY’ in which you read with so much interest of his intelligent observation on Hawaii football but his compassion for Hawaii and all the people who had the honor and pleasure of his esteem company.

    Hoping and praying for you Florida Ted as your ‘GREATEST’ gift was the opportunity to read your words of devotion and dedication in which I and “ALL” of Tsaiko Nation thank you for being the unique person that you truely are as you will remain in our hearts and spirit of what you represent as a “TRUE” fan to Hawaii Warrior Football !

    MAHALO for your “GREATNESS” and keep fighting cancer so that we may have the privelage and honor of your esteem company coming across the “Warrior Beat’ !


  150. Derek January 19, 2010 7:16 pm

    I’ve been to the Univ. of Washington campus. It’s just beautiful. Everything there is first class. The athletic facilities are first rate. I’ve been to Husky Stadium to see UW and Colorado in the year when U-Dub went to the Rose Bowl w/ Marques Tuiasosopo. My son was a student during those days at UW. However, I’ve heard that maybe the UH-Washngton game in 2011 might be at Q-West Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks where UH played WSU last year. Either way, they’re great venues. Q-West field is more comfortable, but UW has tradition and it overlooks Lake Washington. Just beautiful in the fall. Lots of diversity at the school and lots of Hawaii kids go there. Lots of Asians, a lot of Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans live in the larger Seattle area too so local recruits probably feel comfortable. It probably feels a little like Honolulu, just bigger. LA is just too big, w/ too many people. Oregon and Oregon St, and Wash St. are college towns and population is much smaller.

    Saw the highlights on youtube on Afusia. He seems like a load. Holds the point of attack very well. I can see why he was player of the year on defense. As a center, you can see he’s pretty strong. I would like to see him get a little lower on his block to get more leverage. Highlights didn’t show a lot of passing where we could look at his pass blocking. Since the highlights were of 2008, I don’t know if there’s footage of 2009.
    But, he definitely looks promising and has the potential to develop into a real good one.


  151. oldie January 19, 2010 8:24 pm

    Prayers go out to both FloridaPat and FloridaTed.

    I always enjoyed reading FloridaTed’s comments. A true Warrior all the way, but never afraid to add his constructive criticism of the program.

    Hope to see you blogging again real soon.

    Good luck to the both of you!


  152. HawaiiMongoose January 19, 2010 8:28 pm

    Florida Ted, both my wife and mother are cancer survivors. You have a tough road ahead of you, but keep your spirits up. It can be beaten.


  153. LizKauai [iMac] m/ January 19, 2010 8:33 pm

    Florida Ted and Pat- We are all in HIS HANDS. Prayers and supplications go out for what is BEST for you. Much love from Kauai!


  154. protector January 19, 2010 8:50 pm

    Derek, al & others,

    I also am impressed with Afusia’s ability. Too bad he isn’t twins. Then we could have one of him on each side of the line. He sure looks like he could help us on the D-Line too, although that seems to be solidifying.


  155. Bulla January 19, 2010 8:51 pm

    mih

    udub coaches in hawaii and pitching hard right now, making the home visits and following up with potential recruits who are HS juniors right now. 3 coaches including HC in town, flying out on wed nite, so i hear

    North Shore Fan,

    mahalo for the love, one step at a time, one day at a time, tomorrow afternoon the journey continues at the Ching complex………..GO WARRIORS


  156. Bulla January 19, 2010 9:21 pm

    great movie to catch is ‘The Book of Eli’, whew, that was unreal and makes you think………a lot.


  157. Elvina Spurgers January 19, 2010 10:08 pm

    Day (17-8), a popular fighter in Alberta, was released by the UFC in 2009 after dropping back-to-back bouts to Michael Bisping and Kendall Grove. He bounced back at RITC 35 with a submission victory over Trevor Stewardson. He is looking to a win over Taylor to help put him back on the UFC


  158. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 10:23 pm

    Bulla…

    This is it, eh? Down to the wire. Two weeks till L.O.I. I can see how they and others would be here trying to make their last minute pitches. Try to sway away those who are having second thoughts… dangle that “BCS” brand name as bait … and seduce them with their facilities.

    Guffunit.. hope our coaches are keeping tabs on all their verbals and more. It’s a battlefield out there.


  159. Stephen Tsai January 19, 2010 10:28 pm

    Thanks, Al, for serving as police this afternoon.
    It’s a little disheartening for some prospects to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives — choosing a college thousands of miles away from home — only to be greeted by disrespectful remarks.
    Especially, when I tell a prospect to read about himself in the blog.
    So sad.
    Thanks, Al, for reminding a few that these are kids who are making life decisions.


  160. Ralph January 19, 2010 10:34 pm

    did we really finish 11-12 in WAC baseball. I know it was on the last day or week that UH qualified for the WAC tournament on our home field and we struggled at the end but I thought we did better.


  161. al January 19, 2010 10:36 pm

    no problem.

    fortunately, the few that handout these disparaging remarks do not represent the pulse of the people of hawaii. these recruits will come to realize how special it is to live hawaii and more importantly how special the people of hawaii are.

    go warriors.


  162. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 10:46 pm

    Hmmm… singapore Yahoo reports that Shaq O’Neil is now the 5th player to have made 28000 points. In response to this recognition, Shaq replied something like…”If I didn’t miss those 5000 free throws.. or made at least half of them.. I’d have 30,000 already.”


  163. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 10:48 pm

    Just goes to show you.. no matter how great you are.. those little things you overlooked can come back to haunt you… eh?

    Saw that Shaq vs La Hoya fight the other night.. I was impressed with Shaq’s training mindset.


  164. al January 19, 2010 11:01 pm

    hey, stick around now.

    didn’t tsai say he’d have some recruit news on wednesday?


  165. al January 19, 2010 11:03 pm

    wanna guess???

    i’ll let you know if you are hot or cold.


  166. madeinhawaii January 19, 2010 11:04 pm

    RB, Safety, Corner, or Kicker?


  167. al January 19, 2010 11:14 pm

    hurry its almost midnight.


  168. al January 19, 2010 11:15 pm

    close


  169. al January 19, 2010 11:16 pm

    he can only play one position


  170. Stephen Tsai January 19, 2010 11:28 pm

    12:10, because the clock is always off.


  171. al January 19, 2010 11:38 pm

    no one is playing anyway.

    and what’s up with that clock?


  172. al January 19, 2010 11:40 pm

    they aren’t taking me seriously.
    hahaha.


  173. jm2375 January 19, 2010 11:41 pm

    Why is the blog clock always slow?

    ST – HA needs to up it’s UH sports coverage (other than football – no one can beat you). Brand X seems to have better coverage of men’s vb (on the road) and wbb.

    Coach Trap was on the BC show this am. First time I’ve ever heard anyone talk about how fast a baseball player is. Trap said Garcia(?) has 6.65 60 speed. Is that equivalent to a 4.4ish 40?


  174. jm2375 January 19, 2010 11:42 pm

    hi al.

    175?


  175. LizKauai [iMac] m/ January 19, 2010 11:50 pm

    Nitey Nite and Sweet recruiting dreams!


  176. al January 19, 2010 11:53 pm

    hi jm911.

    never, never, never compare brand x.


  177. al January 20, 2010 12:06 am

    told you.


  178. Stephen Tsai January 20, 2010 12:07 am

    I’m supposed to monitor road volleyball matches.
    But I don’t do it on nights my kid is playing basketball. Hey, he’s only young once, and he did score a basket.


  179. SteveM January 20, 2010 12:12 am

    Good very early morning!

    Congrats to Devon for scoring! 🙂


  180. SteveM January 20, 2010 12:13 am

    New blog entry up!


  181. […] Stephen Tsai has more. Center Kody Afusia of Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, Calif., told the Warrior Beat he has […]


  182. […] Stephen Tsai has more. Center Kody Afusia of Ocean View High in Huntington Beach, Calif., told the Warrior Beat he has […]


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