Sateles will lay it on line for first time

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

For the University of Hawai'i football team, the offensive line is becoming the Satele blood line.

"It's going to be great to play next to him," Hercules said.

The Satele cousins are close, even though they first met each other in 2002. Samson was raised in Kane'ohe. Hercules, born in Hawai'i, moved to Long Beach, Calif., when he was 2.

Another cousin, Melila Purcell III, who was raised in American Samoa, is UH's starting defensive left end.

All three share an on-campus apartment. On weekends, they stay at Samson's family house on the Windward side.

Samson said he gives tips to Hercules. "I'm always on him," Samson said.

Hercules said: "We communicate all of the time."

Samson and Purcell are engaged in a season-long competition. They devised a scoring system that awards points for Purcell's sacks and Samson's pancake blocks. "It puts the pressure on him," Samson said. "That makes him more violent out there."

Samson said he hopes the family plan will expand next season. His cousin, linebacker/running back Brashton Satele of Pac-Five, is being courted by the Warriors. Samson's father, Fa'alata, said Brashton will likely sign with UH, despite offers from Utah and Notre Dame.

"It's his choice," Samson said. "I hope he comes here. Then we can have two (family members) on offense and two on defense."

An injury to center Derek Fa'avi triggered a chain reaction resulting in Samson and Hercules playing in the same lineup. Fa'avi might miss the rest of the season because of a bone bruise in his right knee.

Fa'avi's immediate backup, right guard Uriah Moenoa, is suffering from knee and hamstring injuries. Moenoa received a cortisone shot yesterday, but "he was sore after that," UH coach June Jones said. "We'll see how it goes. I'm not ruling him out yet."

For now, Samson Satele is the starting center and Hercules Satele is poised to make his first career start.

"I had something special with Derek," quarterback Tim Chang said, "but I have faith and trust in his replacement."

Jones said Samson should make an easy transition to center. "The big adjustment is for who's filling in for (Samson)," Jones said. "Hercules hasn't played a lot, but he has a lot of physical talent. He's got to turn it up. He certainly has the ability to play."

Hercules said: "I'm nervous. It's my first time. I have to step up."

Samson said he is trying to master the center's play-calling duties. As a left guard, his pre-snap visual check was to "look only on the left side. At center, I have to look wide and long, from cornerback to cornerback. I check the (defensive) fronts, check (the location of) the safety, then make the (blocking) call."

Middle linebacker Curnan will not play

Middle linebacker Ikaika Curnan, who is suffering from a sprained right ankle, will not play Saturday despite participating in yesterday's workouts.

"Every time I run on it, it makes me fall back in the healing process," Curnan said. "My mind wants to play, but my body says, 'no,' especially without a healthy ankle. It's like trying to move around with a flat tire."

UH has better chance with local recruits

Jones reaffirmed his claim that it takes "special circumstances" for UH to land a highly sought Mainland football prospect.

Soon after accepting the UH job in December 1999, Jones consulted with former Warrior coaches Dick Tomey and Bob Wagner. Jones was told it would be a "waste of money" to chase Mainland players sought by top football programs.

"I didn't believe them the first year," Jones said. "We went out and lost every one of the kids the big schools were on. ... If (U)SC, UCLA, Washington are recruiting a kid, he'll go there."

But Jones said the Warriors are competitive in recruiting Hawai'i standouts.

"Locally, we have beaten those schools," he said. "There are good kids in Hawai'i. We know we have to get them."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.