MANOA — The University of Hawai‘i Warrior football team is in the middle of spring practice at Manoa’s lower campus. For two weeks now, Kaua‘i guys such as Jett Jasper, Kenny Estes, Keala Watson and the rest of the team,
MANOA — The University of Hawai‘i Warrior football team is in the middle of spring practice at Manoa’s lower campus.
For two weeks now, Kaua‘i guys such as Jett Jasper, Kenny Estes, Keala Watson and the rest of the team, have been waking up early for the 7 a.m. practices and that meant getting back to a grueling schedule.
“It’s pretty much business as usual for us now,” Jasper said yesterday after practice. “We’re getting back into the groove of things, catching passes and running routes.”
The Warriors returned a total of 12 starters: four on offense, five on defense and three on special teams, from last season’s perfect 12-0 regular season squad. Of the 114 players participating in spring camp, 63 lettered, 21 redshirted, eight grayshirted and seven were four-year transfers.
“Our practices have been good. Mondays are always hard because everyone goes hard on Mondays,” said Jasper, a Kaua‘i High School graduate. “It’s a little tougher than practice in regular season because we have full pads on and guys are getting hit. There’s a lot of hitting going on, which isn’t a bad thing.”
Hitting the field again after a spectacular fall season also meant a fresh start for first-year head coach Greg McMackin and his newly assembled staff.
McMackin retained four assistant coaches from last year, which included new offensive coordinator Ron Lee and new defensive coordinator Cal Lee. Also returning are associate head coach Rich Miano, who’ll continue to coach the secondary and assistant head coach George Lumpkin, who’ll handle the linebackers.
McMackin brought in five new assistant coaches including former Warriors Nick Rolovich (quarterbacks) and Brian Smith (offensive line). Rolovich lettered for UH from 2000-01 while Smith was the team’s center from 1998-2001. Dave Aranda (defensive line), Ikaika Malloe (defensive tackles/special teams) and Alex Gerke (offensive line/running backs) are also on board.
Estes, a Waimea High School graduate, works with Miano on the secondary and said that he and the players learn something new every day and that practice, no matter what time of the year it is, is hard work.
“I was ready for (spring practice),” said the sophomore defensive back, who kept training during the off-season. “It’s intense. Every day is intense working on our drills.”
The 15-day spring practice schedule officially started for the team on March 31 and will conclude on April 26 with the annual Football Ohana Festival at Aloha Stadium.
Practices are from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and are free and open to the public, however, there is no practice today.
Na Koa, the official Warriors booster club, will be having one of its several fund-raising golf tournaments today, at the Hawai‘i Prince Golf Course. A fund-raising golf tournament is tentatively scheduled to come to Kaua‘i in June.
The coaches will also be holding their inaugural coaches clinic with the registration starting at 8 a.m. this Saturday in the auditorium of the UH athletics complex. It will be hosted by McMackin and his coaches and costs $10.
• For more information, call 956-6505 or visit www.hawaiiathletics.com
