Linebacker Alapa cleared to play against Air Force

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i weakside linebacker Keani Alapa has been medically cleared to play in tomorrow night's college football game against Air Force.

But UH coach June Jones declined to announce whether Alapa will start.

Even if Alapa were to play, Jones said after yesterday morning's practice, "he's banged up pretty good. He probably won't see a lot of action."

Alapa suffered possible ligament damage in his right shoulder during last week's 52-51 victory over Miami (Ohio).

Alapa, who underwent a magnetic resonance imaging Wednesday, has said the condition of his right shoulder has improved, and he expects to play.

"We don't know how long he'll last, but he'll probably play," said associate head coach George Lumpkin, who coaches the linebackers.

Safety Robert Grant and backup linebacker Patrick Lavar Harley, a 17-year-old redshirt freshman, are prepared to move into the top linebacker rotation.

Jones said wideout Tafiti Uso, who has missed the last four games because of a shoulder injury, is available to play. Uso was held out of the Miami game because it was feared he would aggravate the injury.

But Jones said Uso is "practicing, he wants to play, and this is his senior year, so he'll play."

Jones said defensive end Travis Laboy, who is suffering from shoulder and ankle sprains, also might play.

"We'll see how he is on Saturday," Jones said.

• Spy games: Miami (Ohio) apparently stole UH's defensive signals in the first half of last week's game, forcing the Warriors to change the way they called plays.

"There's nothing illegal about it," Jones said of the RedHawks' tactics.

The Warriors noticed that the RedHawks, who ran a no-huddle offense, waited about 10 seconds and then looked to the Miami sideline before yelling out an offensive play. It is believed the Miami coaches in the booth on the loge level intercepted UH's signals and relayed them to the coaches on the sideline. That's perhaps why the RedHawks were penalized three times for delay of game.

UH countered by using players as messengers to send in plays. UH defensive players also put on wristbands, which had a menu of defensive plays.

The coaches would shout out a number, and the defenders would look at their wristbands for the correlating play.