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The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii hands this season’s captainship to 4 former Gaels
- Story byThe Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- Hawaii hands this season’s captainship to 4 former Gaels
STANFORD, Calif. — After finalizing the game plan and going through a dry run, Hawaii football coach Timmy Chang announced what had been apparent since spring training.
During a team meeting on Friday night, quarterback Micah Alejado , running back Cam Barfield, linebacker Jamih Otis and nickelback Elijah Palmer were named team captains. The quartet are graduates of Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman High School. They represented the Rainbow Warriors at last month's Mountain West Media Days in Las Vegas.
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"These are our top guys and they need to be the heads of our team," associate head coach Chris Brown said. "They were chosen because of their mindset and how they carry out things. They do it through speech and their actions. And how they hold themselves. The standard is always high. They've earned the respect of their teammates. That's the biggest thing about being a leader. When you say something, do others follow you? And they all do."
The four are expected to lead the way when the Warriors open the season today against Stanford.
In preparation for Stanford Stadium's natural surface, the Warriors held two practices on 'Iolani School's grass field the past two weeks. On Friday, the Warriors had an hour-long practice at Menlo College. After that, they visited Stanford Stadium.
The Warriors also have incorporated scrimmage-like sessions in anticipation of Stanford's rugged schemes. First-year head coach Tavita Pritchard, a former Stanford quarterback, is true to the Cardinal's physical approach.
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Stanford has a wide variety of receivers. "A receiver room is like a basketball room," Pritchard said. "You want to find guys with different skills."
But Pritchard hired a line coach as offensive coordinator. The Cardinal historically employ up to three tight ends in power-ball concepts. The projected O-line averages 311 pounds a blocker. Even quarterback Davis Warren , who transferred from Michigan , has embraced the physical demands.
"It's in the job description to stand in there and take some hits and make some throws," said Warren, who often is grouped with the O-linemen in strength training.
UH nose tackle Elijah Williams said the Warriors look forward to the rock-'em, sock-'em matchup.
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"I love going against good teams and showing we can play the same way — playing physical, playing fast," Williams said.
Pritchard said the Warriors "play extremely hard. And they play physically. That's something we're going to have to match and meet and exceed that physicality and intensity. They play with their hair on fire."
During a team meeting, Brown delivered the mission statement of perseverance. He explained the obstacles U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six "had to endure and overcome" in pursuit of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.
One of two Black Hawk helicopters carrying SEALs experienced a hard landing.
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"Everything they planned on doing went out the window," Brown said. "They didn't quit on the mission. They continued the mission. They never wavered. They relied on the brother next to them. They fell back on their training and continued on the mission until they captured bin Laden."
Brown added the Warriors face "a lot of unknowns" against Stanford.
"But it doesn't matter," he said. "We're coming here to play our game. The mission is the mission at the end of the day. We're going to fall back on our training and fundamentals, and we're going to do what we do best. And that's play football."
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