Washington State QB Gesser pitches in for Mariners
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Heisman Trophy candidate Jason Gesser of Washington State proved ambidextrous Saturday.
Gesser (St. Louis '98 of Hawai'i Kai) pitched 17 completions, including a touchdown pass, in the Cougars' 31-7 football victory over Nevada at Seattle's new Seahawks Stadium.
Then he hurriedly dressed and dashed a half-block to Safeco Field, where he threw out the first baseball for the Mariners-Royals game.
His arm worked better for the Cougars. The Mariners lost, 4-2.
MORE FOOTBALL
Arizona
Starting offensive guard Makoa Freitas (Kamehameha '98, of Manoa) required minor surgery for a wrist injury and did not play in the Wildcats' 38-2 opening victory over Northern Arizona Saturday. Arizona has a bye this week and Freitas is expected to return next week, Wildcat spokesman Tom Duddleston said.
Boise State
Defensive end Kealoha Emmsley (Kalaheo '99) has worked his way back on the depth chart after breaking his hand during fall camp, he said.
Washington
Although they are still being fitted for red shirts, highly recruited freshmen Brandon Ala (Kamehameha) and Donny Mateaki (Iolani) were taken on last week's road trip to Michigan as a reward for hard work in practice. They got to be part of history as 111,491 — the fifth largest crowd ever to see a college football game — filled Michigan Stadium. Michigan won, 31-29, on a field goal as the game ended.
Western Oregon
Four players from Hawai'i are starters for the NCAA Division II Wolves.
Senior linebacker Lyman Panui (Wai'anae '97) and sophomore fullback Damien Cole (St. Louis '00) were starters last season, too. Panui was second-team All-Great Northwest conference.
They are joined by two 1999 St. Anthony alums, 230-pound junior tight end Keoni Catugal and sophomore tailback Keala Aiwohi of Makawao, who are both transfers from Siskiyous junior college in California.
Also on the team is sophomore wide receiver Kenneth Gasilos (Farrington '00), a transfer from Missouri Valley.
Panui (broken finger) and Cole (hamstring pull) are fighting off injuries. Blockers didn't have much luck fighting off Panui last year; he made 10 tackles for losses.
Offensive line coach at Western Oregon is Tim Bowman (McKinley '77).
SOCCER
Oregon
In her first collegiate game, Mele French, the high-scoring all-state striker from Mililani High, assisted on the University of Oregon's first goal of the season as the Ducks lost to Florida State, 2-1, Sunday at Tallahassee.
Oregon sophomore Nicole Garbin (Baldwin '01) twisted her knee during a drill on a soft field earlier in the week and didn't play in Florida. "She went one way and her leg went the other," said her brother, A.J. Garbin. She is to undergo an MRI examination today in Eugene.
