WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Ilaoa gets medical clearance for Tulsa game
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i slotback Nate Ilaoa has been medically cleared to play in Saturday's football game against Tulsa at Aloha Stadium.
Ilaoa, a second-year freshman from Virginia, suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the Oct. 5 game against Boise State. It was feared Ilaoa would miss up to four weeks. But Ilaoa has been able to rotate his right shoulder without pain, and a recurring hamstring injury also has healed.
While UH medical officials have cleared Ilaoa — he competed in conditioning drills yesterday morning — the final decision on his availability rests with the UH coaches.
Slotback Chad Owens, who suffered a sprained right knee in a 59-34 victory over Nevada last Saturday, yesterday said he will not rush his recovery.
"I'll wait for however long it takes for me to heal up," said Owens, who was on crutches and wearing a leg brace yesterday. "I'm not going to rush back. I don't want to make it worse. I'm going to take my time. If I can come back early, I will. If not, I'm going to give it time to heal. I won't come back until I'm 100 percent."
Owens will not play against Tulsa, and he might miss up to four weeks. He said there still is swelling in his right knee, although "I can put a little pressure on it."
Clifton Herbert, who was scratched from the starting lineup against Nevada, is recovering from a shoulder injury, but is expected to play this week. He was used on punt returns against Nevada.
The injuries opened the way for Britton Komine, a second-year sophomore from Maryknoll High. Komine caught eight passes for 238 yards, including scoring plays of 72 and 54 yards.
Although he did not win a Western Athletic Conference player-of-the-week award, he drew praise from several teammates yesterday.
"A lot of people who have been supporting me tell me how proud they are and to keep doing what I'm doing," Komine said. "It's been good."
Komine, who usually plays in the left slot, practiced on the right side last week because of Ilaoa's injury. In the locker room before the game, UH coach June Jones told Komine he would start.
"Clifton's shoulder was acting up and Nate was out already," Komine recalled. "This was a shot I needed. It went as well as I thought it would. I have to get better. I made a couple of mistakes. I have to clean those up."
Komine entered UH on an Army ROTC scholarship in 2000. His mother is an Army recruiter, and Komine said he aspires to become a pilot.
"I think that's where my future will be," Komine said, "and I think the Army ROTC is my ticket."
Two weeks ago, assistant coach Rich Miano, who runs the walk-on program, recommended Komine for a football scholarship. Jones agreed. Komine is allowed to keep both the football and ROTC scholarships.
Komine, a distant relative of former Nebraska baseball pitcher Shane Komine, is making a name for himself, at least in Hawai'i. In the road game against Boise State, the Bronco State announcer repeatedly pronounced Komine's name as Ko-MINE.
Health report: Running back Mike Bass yesterday said he does not know if he will be available to play against Tulsa. Bass is recovering from a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
But strong safety Hyrum Peters, who did not play in the second half against Nevada because of a stinger, will play this week. Peters, who scored on a 64-yard interception return, was nominated for the WAC's weekly defensive award.
Wearing a streak: By defeating Nevada, the Warriors improved to 3-0 in games in which they wore black jerseys the past two seasons. Last year, the Warriors wore black jerseys against Fresno State and Brigham Young.
UH officials said the Warriors will not wear the black jerseys again until the Nov. 30 game against Alabama.
The black jerseys were added to the Warriors' wardrobe in 1999, Jones' first season as UH head coach. Since then, the Warriors are 4-2 when wearing black. They wear green jerseys for the other home games and white on the road.
UH favored: Las Vegas oddsmakers have installed the Warriors as 32-point favorites over Tulsa this week. Tulsa has lost 16 in a row dating to last season's opener against Division I-AA Indiana State.
