Warrior notebook
Ailing Iosua vows to play against Nevada

• Charter planes to Reno to cost UH $30,000 extra

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	UH football schedule Sept. 8: UH 30, Montana 12 Saturday: at Nevada Sept. 29: Rice Oct. 6: at So. Methodist Oct. 13: Texas-El Paso Oct. 20: at Tulsa Oct. 26: Fresno State Nov. 3: San Jose State Nov. 10: Boise State Nov. 17: Miami (Ohio) Nov. 24: Air Force Dec. 1: Brigham Young

If Iosua, who is recovering from a sprained right shoulder and hyper-extended right knee, cannot play against Nevada on Saturday, this chain reaction will occur:

• Right end Houston Ala will replace Iosua at left tackle.
• Strong-side linebacker Joe Correia will start at right end, with Travis Laboy, who is recovering from a torn hamstring, serving as the backup. Correia, a senior who was a quarterback at St. Louis School, started at left defensive end last season.
• Keani Alapa, who did not play in the season opener against Montana, will open at strong-side linebacker, with Matt Wright becoming the backup.

"I'll play," said Iosua, who did not participate in contact drills yesterday. "I'm trying to rest up. It's completely up to the coaches."

But Vantz Singletary, who coaches the defensive linemen, said there is a 90-percent chance Iosua will not be ready.

"Right now, I don't think Mike is going to play," Singletary said. "He's really beat up. He's not where he needs to be. Even if we played him, and I know he'll give everything he has, but he's not at full strength."

Iosua, who was voted the defensive captain by his teammates, will be included on the 60-player travel roster.

Laboy, who has improved in the past week, also will make the trip.

"Joe (Correia) still has problems with his (surgically repaired right) foot, and we're not sure how long he can go," Singletary said. "Travis can fill in."

Safety first: Chad Kapanui is on the move again.

Recruited as a quarterback, Kapanui also has been used at linebacker, running back, long-snapper and upback on punts. After freshman Mike Bass was named the starting running back, Kapanui moved to strong safety.

"I feel I have a better chance (at safety)," said Kapanui, a sophomore from Roosevelt High.

Said UH coach June Jones: "He's a good athlete. He wants to find a spot on the field."

School of hard knocks: As a stress release, Jones conducted a full-contact scrimmage using reserves, redshirts and scout-team players.

Freshman quarterback Jeff Rhode was knocked to the ground several times.

"But I always bounced back," he said, showing off his bruised right forearm. "I have something to tell the folks."

Running back Michael Brewster, a transfer from Tennessee, had several long runs, with most ending in a thud.

"It's always good for the young guys to play," Jones said. "We get a chance to look at them in game situations. They wanted to do this."

Badge of honor: The Warriors will wear an American flag sticker on their helmets in tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

The stickers, distributed by the NCAA, will be placed on the back of each helmet, said Al Ginoza, the team's equipment manager.