Warrior receiving is in good hands
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The best foursome in Hawai'i does not have a tee time on Kaua'i.
Instead, the University of Hawai'i quartet can be found in the rough of a football game, sandblasting past clinging defensive backs or diving for underthrown passes.
"They're the best receiving corps in the country," UH quarterback Nick Rolovich said of wideouts Ashley Lelie and Justin Colbert, and slotbacks Channon Harris and Craig Stutzmann.
The Warriors are second in the Western Athletic Conference in receptions, but first in chilling spines.
In a 52-51 victory over Miami (Ohio) Saturday, Lelie made a leaping one-handed catch in the end zone and Colbert, in a Jeter-like move, used his left hand to pluck a pass inches from the ground. UH coach June Jones said Craig Stutzmann's diving catch on the winning drive "was so big."
"Stutz was on his way down when he caught the ball," Rolovich gushed. "It was amazing. I'm glad I had the best view in the stadium."
The Grab Four struggled last season, dropping numerous passes. "This year, we put it together," Harris said. "We're focusing."
Said Lelie: "When we're clicking, nobody can stop us."
It would appear the four are an attraction of opposites. Lelie, the tallest at 6 feet 3, is the quiet one. Colbert is thoughtful, Stutzmann is friendly and Harris, once nicknamed "Fabulous," is flashy.
"Channon is the ringleader," Stutzmann said, a reference to Harris' personality and not his jewelry collection.
During practices, Harris wears triangle-shaped diamond earrings and two gold chains. His hair is neatly braided.
"You have to look nice at all times," said Harris, who has been asked to film a day-in-the-life segment for KGMB-TV. "It's part of the game."
Lelie, a miliary dependent who attended Radford High, joined UH as a nonscholarship player. Stutzmann, a St. Louis School graduate, did not receive any other Division I-A offers. Colbert, of Rialto, Calif., is 5 feet 7. Harris, of Culver City, Calif., claims to be 5-8.
"We have different personalities, but the same interests," Lelie said.
They also share the same work ethic. By request, UH rarely substitutes receivers. "These guys can run all day and night," Jones said. "They run in their sleep. They're in condition. The fourth quarter is nothing to them."
It seems the receivers save their best for last. Lelie soared for the winning catch against Fresno State. Colbert, who wears a long-sleeve undershirt to protect his forearms and elbows from turf burns, made two fourth-quarter catches against Miami (Ohio).
"I don't try anything fancy in practice, but when the game comes, I'll do a lot of spur-of-the-moment things," Colbert said.
Stutzmann said the receivers wage friendly competitions.
"When you see someone make a great catch, you get a little jealous, and you want to go out and make plays," Stutzmann said. "That jealousy — and it's a good jealousy — drives the competition. It helps us play better. And it's for bragging rights, too."
Still, Stutzmann said, "A couple of times, I'll see Ashley make a catch and say, 'Oh, my God.' I didn't see Justin's catch (against Miami), but I heard the roar of the crowd. I thought, 'Justin must have made a great catch.' "
Said Jones: "You can make all of the catches in practice, but until you do it in a game, it doesn't mean anything. Those four guys are gamers."
