Ferd Lewis
UH-BYU rivalry heats up

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

When we last glimpsed Brigham Young University football, the Cougars were trudging out of Aloha Stadium after a 72-45 whupping, not to be seen again for a while.

Or, so it was thought.

Just don't look now — especially University of Hawai'i fans — because the Cougars are back.

Either there is a BYU coaching retreat out on the North Shore or the Cougar coaches are back in force working to reverse what had become a near-dry recruiting pipeline, because three of them have been in town.

They are the most visible symbols of the depth of the Cougars' commitment to rebuilding a presence here and pointed examples of the increased competition UH faces for homegrown talent.

When Hawai'i-born Norm Chow recruited for them, the Cougars were the dominant player in recruiting here, parlaying a strong Mormon church connection. BYU's 1984 national championship team had four starters from Hawai'i. Overall, more than 30 players, including one All-American and eight all-conference performers, with local ties played for BYU while the Cougars were in the Western Athletic Conference with UH.

It was a foothold the Cougars lost with the rise of the UH program and the departure of Chow. After years of watching Utah swoop in to take advantage, the Cougars under Gary Crowton have made it a priority to reestablish a presence. "A lot of effort is going back into the Islands," Crowton pledged before UH's victory last month.

Undoubtedly given more inspiration by the events of Dec. 8, Crowton is back — and with company in newly hired Steve Kaufusi and defensive coordinator Ken Schmidt. Kaufusi, Utah's point man on recruiting here, was hired away by BYU last week to become the Cougars' first full-time coach of Polynesian ancestry and provide instant entry.

Early indications are it might pay off. According to the Provo Herald, BYU has already secured a commitment from Advertiser All-State wide receiver Ferron Fonoimoana. The Cougars are also in the running for All-State Defensive Player of the Year Jonathan Mapu and co-Offensive Players of the Year Inoke Funaki and Mulivai Pula, all of Kahuku.

For UH, the rivalry with BYU adds import to the competition for the 6-3, 250-pound Mapu, who is ranked 69th among high school prospects in the nation by one recruiting service. Three of the top five prospects in the state, Kamehameha's Brandon Ala, Iolani's Donny Mateaki and Mapu, are defensive linemen.

That's a position where UH loses three of its top eight players from last season and five more over the next two years. That Mateaki has already committed to Washington puts a premium on securing Ala and Mapu.

When it comes to BYU, it appears that far from seeing the end of the Cougars, this rivalry is really just getting started.