Welcome

May 16th, 2013
By Stephen Tsai

It's OK for Warrior football fans to exhale.

Word on the (Dole) Street is that Waianae's Kennedy Tulimasealii and Kahuku's John Wa‘a and Aofaga Wily have met the NCAA eligibility requirements to play this coming season.

Tulimasealii will be part of the rotation on the interior defensive line that includes Saui Matagiese, Moses Samia, Marcus Malepai, Hunter Thomson and Mike Andrade. There is a possibility that Calen Friel, recently healed from a year-long injury, will move to the offensive line.

Wa‘a will compete for a rotation spot at offensive tackle.

Wily will compete at running back.

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With his contract as Hawaii News Now's sports director set to expire,  Chris Tanaka faced an uncertain future.

The cloud has been lifted with his move to co-anchor of the station's 5 p.m. weekly newscasts. He doesn't have to attend 6 a.m. practices, and he gets to sit next to Stephanie Lum five evenings a week. He'll also have more time to spend with his wife and their 6-month-old son.

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Thanks to surfivor.com and our anonymous donor, we're giving away this cool T-shirt:

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To enter the drawing, please post: Happy birthday, Mo808.

Avis will pick a winner.

"Legend of Gary Beemer"

May 15th, 2013
By Stephen Tsai

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Gary Beemer, the Warriors' newly hired strength and conditioning coach, has an impressive history.

He worked out for a year to gain enough strength and weight to join the Florida Gators as a walk-on lineman. Later, he joined the Gators' strength staff  (under Mickey Marotti) while earning a master's degree in biomechanics. This past year, he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings' strength and conditioning staff.

In searching for candidates for the newly opened UH position, UH athletic director Ben Jay contacted Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. (Jay previously worked as an administrator at Ohio State.) Meyer directed Jay to Marotti, now OSU's strength coach. Marotti recommended Beemer.

"Working in the NFL is awesome," Beemer said. "The players are world class. But my heart is in helping young men develop into great football players. I think that happens more at the college level than in the NFL. Guys who come to the NFL are pre-packaged, pre-formed. They've already arrived. ... In college, you get a young guy — raw talent, undeveloped. ... You get to mold him and meld him and get him ready to play high-quality football at the college level, and then go on to play in the NFL. That's the goal."

In his final season as a player, Beemer had a very memorable moment.

Check this out: "Legend of Gary Beemer" video

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Former UH linebacker Paipai Falemalu is seeking another NFL opportunity after being released by the Cleveland Browns.

He had signed as an undrafted free agent.

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Happy birthday to our occasional karaoke singer Aya Ibarra.

Who's the boss?

May 14th, 2013
By Stephen Tsai

It was a defining moment when UH decided to call all of its men's teams the "Rainbow Warriors."

What is known, definitely, is that it is the community's power brokers — not the UH administrators, not the people — who make the decisions.

AD Ben Jay was correct, in February, when he decided there needed to be one name for the men's teams  His handling of the situation, two months into the job and without getting more input, was too hurried. While the passion of Steven Chinen and the Letter Winners Club should be acknowledged, overturning Jay's February mandate was the work — and the will — of power brokers who write the much-needed checks. The decision to overturn the original mandate, like the mandate itself, did not involve polls or public meetings.

Today's decision, like the first one, was rushed to action. The uniforms of the past, long discarded or auctioned, won't be brought back into use for this coming season. The proposed retro line now becomes the line.

It's good the matter is settled. It's good for fans who prefer "Rainbow" to be part of the nickname. It's also good that we now know who runs the show

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Austin Kafentzis, a soon-to-be-junior quarterback at Utah's Jordan High, today received a 2015 offer from the Warriors.

There are long ties between his family and the Warriors. Austin's father Kyle was one of five Kafentzis brothers to play for UH. A second Kafentzis generation — Tyson, Landon and Mikhail — also were Warriors.

Austin Kafentzis already has received offers from BYU, Utah, Utah State and Wisconsin.

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Former UH placekicker Dan Kelly, who still is dealing with legal problems, has signed to play for the SoCal Coyote, a semipro football team based in Palm Springs.

The Coyotes' head coach is J. David Miller, who once collaborated with June Jones on a book about the Warriors. Kelly said he contacted Miller, who offered the contract. Mouse Davis serves as a team consultant, Kelly said.

Kelly, who declined to comment on his on-going case, said he works as a litigator for a financial company.

Pollard cut

May 13th, 2013
By Stephen Tsai

According to the Jets' Web site, former Warrior receiver Royce Pollard has been released.

He was on the practice squad last year.

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Picture Zach Randolph, the Memphis Grizzlies' 6-foot-9 post player.

Now picture somebody jumping completely over Randolph, with a half-inch to spare.

That somebody was Layton (Utah) High's Marcus Kemp, who won the 5-A Regional Championship this past weekend in Syracuse, Utah. Kemp won the high jump (6-9 1/2) and long jump (22-7). Kemp, a wide receiver, signed with the Warriors in February and already has been accepted to UH.

Another UH recruit, Baldwin High's Keelan Ewaliko, made quick work at this past weekend's HHSAA's track meet, winning the 100 (11.05) and 200 (22.16), and anchoring the 400 relay champions (42.58).

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Birthday wishes to volleyball guru Chris McLachlin.

WarriorNY gallery

May 12th, 2013
By Stephen Tsai

I was out and about yesterday — OK, mostly when I wasn't out I was knocked out — so I apologize for not posting WarriorNY's photos of the Jets' training camp. I'm grateful he posted on the comments thread, but I thought we'd give him proper placement today.

Here's Mike Edwards:

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Here's Royce Pollard:

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And Alex Dunnachie:

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I was thumbing through a First Hawaiian Bank brochure, and now I know what happened to former UH wideout Tafiti Uso:

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Birthday wishes to Laulau Head and Whitney Yui.