Quotes from the Warrior Bowl

About how he was relaxed before the Warrior Bowl, Mack said:
"This is the most fun I've had in coaching. I got to watch both Ron Lee and Cal Lee. I was relaxed all day. I took a little swim in the morning. I took a hot tub. I wore my slippers (during the game). It was great." (HA)

"Too bad it isn't like this all the time." (HA)

HA Note: "The tough decisions will come soon enough for the Warriors' first-year head coach and he can thank Inoke Funaki for the biggest one, selecting a No. 1 quarterback. Funaki's two-touchdown passing performance in the Black Team's 24-20 victory assures there will be a big call coming in deciding the starting QB spot for the Aug. 30 season opener at Florida. Funaki completed 12 of 18 passes for 145 yards, galloped 45 yards on two runs and took the Black Team to scores in all three series he worked in the first half to slap an exclamation point on an eye-opening spring. Over the course of the month-long spring session the junior-to-be from Kahuku closed what had been a significant gap with fifth-year senior Tyler Graunke, the heir apparent to Colt Brennan. So much so that they will likely open fall practice even, awaiting the arrival of two junior college transfers."

About how Inoke caught up to Tyler this offseason, Ron Lee said:
"He definitely did (close the gap). He moved around, showed some athleticism and made some plays." (HA)

About how the battle between Tyler and Inoke is close, Rolo said:
"They are tight ... pretty tight." (HA)

HA Note; "That it will be close is testament to the way Funaki took advantage of the opportunities presented this spring. Odd man out last year when Brennan and Graunke got most of the work in the fall, Funaki grew with the expanded workload."

About Inoke's increased reps helped him improve, Rolo said:
"He got over 300 (repetitions) in the spring and I think that really helped." (HA)

HA Note: "Graunke was 10 of 14 for 108 yards and one touchdown but had the the game's lone turnover, an interception."

Praising both Inoke and Tyler, Ron Lee said:
"I thought they both did well." (HA)

About Tyler and Inoke, Mack said:
"Tyler came back (from the interception) to drive us down the field. I'm really happy both of the quarters have come around and Jake (Santos) also showed some things." (HA)

About how Inoke is pressing for the starting QB job, Tyler said:
"I feel like, over the spring, I haven't shown my best. I got to pick up my game and keep improving. I've got to get in the weight room and then get out on the field and have a better chemistry with the guys," he added. "A lot of guys are stepping up." (HA)

About how their winning team in the Warrior Bowl will get steak dinners, Inoke said:
"Yes, steak was on our menu. It was nice to come up with a win." (HA)

HA Note; "The first UH spring game in 10 years matched the Lee brothers — offensive coordinator Ron Lee, who was head coach of the Black, and defensive coordinator Cal Lee, who led the Green."

Asked about the Lee brothers, Inoke joked:
"My favorite Lee? Bruce Lee. Nah. I love 'em both. They're cool guys." (HA)

About how they avoided injury in the game, Ron Lee said:
"We got out of it with nobody getting hurt. To me, that was the plus." (HA)

About how he secretly preferred the green team, Dan Kelly said:
"I like their uniforms better. They had the throwback look I was looking for." (HA)

HA Note: "Everything else was fair game, which explained the game's final scoring play. With the ball at the Black 13, on the right hashmark, Green offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich called for T-Corner. The wideouts aligned on the line of scrimmage, and left tackle Aaron Kia stepped back a yard, making him an eligible receiver. The 280-pound Kia, running at the speed of huff and puff, ran an out pattern. He then hauled in Bryce Kalauokaaea's pass for a touchdown, closing the Green to 24-20 with 5:25 to play. Kia then turned to the more than 9,000 fans on the near sideline — only sportscaster Artie Wilson and team security officer Manny Rezentes sat on the far-sideline stands — and struck an American Gladiator pose. Soon after, Kia became the center of a Green mosh pit."

About how he had never caught a pass or scored a TD before, Kia said:
"Never in my life. Did (the celebration) look good? It was no dance. It was a pose." (HA)

About how he made the play up on Friday night, Rolo (who played in the Arena league) said:
"You see that in arena sometimes. We needed it. It was perfect timing. We told (Kia), when we got off the bus, we were going to use it. He was fired up. It was fun for him. It was a memory he'll always have." (HA)

About the trick play for their final TD, Kalauokaaea said:
"Just a little something up the coaches' sleeve for the Green. Coach Rolo came up with it. We never practiced it. It was a game call. It was good because (Kia) is such a big target." (HA)

About the 27-yard TD pass he caught for the first score in the game, Lane said:
"I went through my reads. I ran a choice route. I either had the out or the post. (The cornerback) gave me the post, so I hit it." (HA)

HA Note: "After the Green closed to 10-7 on Michael Washington's 8-yard pass from Tyler Graunke, the Black upped the cushion to 17-7 on Daniel Lofton's 6-yard touchdown catch. Lofton, the son of Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton, last played at California in 2006. He transferred to UH last summer. While his transcripts were reviewed, he was withheld from practicing most of last season, during which he had to redshirt in accordance with NCAA transfer rules."

About how he hadn't played in game-like conditions for a long time, Daniel Lofton said:
"It was weird to play under the lights. I hadn't done it in a long time." (HA)

About his TD on a shovel pass, where he bounced off two tacklers, Heun said:
"I learned from all of those linebacker days. Give credit to the o-line. They blocked away." (HA)

About the big hit he put on Nasca after Nasca's first catch, Desmond Thomas said:
"It was a cover-3 (defense), and I tried to disguise it a little bit." (HA)

About Thomas' hit, Nasca said:
"I didn't feel him coming at all. I just held on to it." (HA)

About the big hit he took from Dowling after his season catch, Nasca said:
"I knew I was going to get hit, so I figured I might as well catch it. I hope (the catches) help me. We'll see in the next couple of weeks how it goes." (HA)

About eating steak instead of hot dogs (the meal the losers got), Mack said with a smile:
"I'm going on the winning team. I get to pick." (HA)

About the difference between the two meals, Heun said:
"There was a little bit of a wager out there. In the end, we're all one team." (HA)

Praising Dowling, Mack said:
"He's a great player and I'm excited to have him. He's had a great spring and he's going to be a big-time factor for us." (HA)

HA Note: "At 6-foot-3 and 205 spring-loaded pounds, Dowling has the sort of length and athleticism UH has rarely seen at the cornerback position. Playing for the Green Team, Dowling finished with a game-high 3.5 tackles, including two solo tackles and a tackle assist in the first quarter. McMackin pulled his starting defensive units and some of his offensive line starters after the first six plays to give other players time to be evaluated. Dowling added another solo tackle in the final period, bringing down wide receiver Nathaniel Nasca after a 17-yard reception."

About how Dowling has earned a starting spot (big news!), Mack said:
"He's earned a starting spot. He plays low. He does what he's been taught. I think he's a player, and I'm really proud of him." (HA)

Not happy with his performance in the Warrior Bowl, Dowling said:
"I think I could have done better. I think I did good with my technique but I know I can be a lot better. We also had some miscommunication out there." (HA)

"We'll do better in the off-season." (HA)

HA Note: "Dowling was particularly irked at the defensive lapse that resulted in a 13-yard touchdown hookup between Bryce Kalauokaaea and Aaron Kia."


Praising Dowling, Rich Miano said:
"I looked over on the other side and it looked like he was making some plays. It's good to get him in a game situation because he sat out all of last year. He's looked great in practice." (HA)


About how he would have appreciated if they had stopped the clock in the last 2 minutes instead of having the clock run all of the time, Cal Lee said:
"It was fine. The only problem was in the last two minutes. That to me would have been perfect, if it was running time up until the last two minutes. It would have been exciting to have the opportunity to move the ball and use the clock in those situations. That's good practice, not just for the offense but the defense as well." (HA)

Glad that his first Spring Game was over, Sol said:
"It feels like the world is spinning and the lights are blurry and your heart is just beating like crazy. It's really exciting but it's also really nerve-wracking." (HA)


About his INT of a Tyler pass, Kenny Estes said with a laugh:
"I don't know what to say. I think I read the ball, but I was in the right place at the right time, too. All I know is I got a lot of work to do in the offseason." (HSB)

Happy that Dizon was drafted so high, Estes said:
"My brother called me. I was pretty stoked he made it in the second round. Yeah, I did (think he would go that fast). Ever since high school I envisioned him going quick." (HSB)


Not happy with his punting in the Warrior Bowl, Dan Kelly said:
"My punting, on a scale of 1 to 10, was probably a 4." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Grasso, who lurked nearby after observing the game, butted in with a "2!" "

About his missed extra point after the final TD of the game, Kelly said:
"We're going to go 'no comment' on that one. Tonight was just kind of fun, get the kicking involved, because it will be a big part of the team this year." (HSB)

Kelly said that his performance made Grasso look:
"more amazing than he already is." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Right wideout Malcolm Lane boosted the Black squad early with a 27-yard touchdown from Inoke Funaki on the game's opening drive. But he couldn't connect with Funaki again on a deep ball while he was wide open, dropping the pass at about the 10-yard line as the Aloha Stadium crowd groaned. Funaki made up the slack with an eventual 6-yard TD to Daniel Lofton on the same drive."

Declining to talk about his performance in the game, Lane said:
"I don't want to talk about just myself. I'm more happy about the team. There were a lot of questions coming in about our team, how we were going to be. I think we really stepped up to the plate and we showed what we have. And we showed that we're ready to go down to Florida, and we're ready to play, ready to compete." (HSB)

HSB Note: "After being newly inserted in the game, freshman receiver Troy Lauduski hauled in a 55-yard bomb on the run from Kalauokaaea in the final quarter. It was easily the Carlsbad, Calif., native's most impressive play of spring practice, and allowed the Green team to make the score more respectable late."

About how he took advantage of his opportunity in the Warrior Bowl, Troy Lauduski said:
"Every ball that's thrown to you, you gotta catch. Hopefully (after that) they give me a good look. I still got a lot of eligibility, so maybe end up redshirting this year. A lot of time here." (HSB)

Happy with how things went this Spring, Mack said:
"We've had a whirlwind few months, but it's been great. The base has been built, Everybody has been so supportive. It was a great turnout tonight that these guys appreciate. They've worked hard this spring to improve. I'm the appreciative one because this has been a blessing to me." (HSB)

About the difference in the meals between winning and losing teams, Inoke said:
"We get to eat steak, they get hot dogs." (HSB)

About how the rules of the game made it easier for his offense, Ron Lee said:
"The defenses made it kind of easy on us. They didn't blitz and were playing base." (HSB)

About the effect of the crowd on the players, Mack said:
"It's amazing how that affects players. When we come home from Florida (after the Aug. 30 season opener), it's important we have 50,000 people here. The players play for the fans." (HSB)

HSB Note: "In the here and now of it, junior quarterback Inoke Funaki upped his stock in the competition to be the starter for UH. The historical part is that he did it by beating a defense coached by the same man who led the opposition nearly eight years ago during Funaki's brightest athletic moment. In 2000, Funaki quarterbacked Kahuku past Saint Louis 26-20 in a landmark game that ended the Crusaders' stranglehold on Hawaii high school football's championship hardware. The opposing coach? Current UH defensive coordinator Cal Lee, who coached the Green team last night."

About how he's never forgotten Inoke's play in the state championship game, Cal Lee said:
"I always remember him in that game. How can I not remember? He killed me." (HSB)

About that State title, Inoke said:
"Good memories for me." (HSB)

HSB Note: "After senior season at Kahuku, two years on a religious mission and three more years on the UH bench, Funaki is on the cusp of creating memories at Aloha Stadium again. The 10,000 on hand last night may have gotten a preview. Granted, Cal Lee's defense would've been harder to beat last night with linebackers Adam Leonard and Blaze Soares in the game and blitzing and sacking allowed. But Funaki displayed the skills that made June Jones recruit him all those years ago -- and then some."

Praising Inoke, Cal Lee said:
"He's a threat, but you can't touch him, so you don't have anybody on him. But he looks like he hasn't missed a beat (running the ball). Man, he looked good taking off. He still runs as good as I've seen him and now he's more polished (as a passer)." (HSB)

Praising Inoke when asked if Inoke had pulled ahead of Tyler, Ron Lee said:
"I like what Funaki has done. He had a good spring. But there's a lot of time. We're not there yet." (HSB)

About how he made some mistakes on reads in the game, Inoke said:
"There's some good positive things I know I did. Unfortunately, the ones that stick in my head are the errors that I made. Hopefully I can just work to try to improve it." (HSB)

About how his main concern was to avoid injuries in the game, Cal Lee said:
"My goal was making sure everyone comes out healthy and they did. Hawaii won, that's the main thing. When you put it all together, the guys that can play together, you've got a pretty good group I'd face anybody with." (HSB)