Picture the jubilation at the University of Hawai'i over quarterback Colt Brennan's return for his senior year.

Then, imagine the chin-dropping opposite and you have something akin to the disappointment felt at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz., proud alma mater of Tyler Graunke, Warrior quarterback in waiting ... and waiting.

Coach Dennis Bene still talks of the thrill they got when Graunke called the day he was to start against two-time defending national champion Southern California on national TV in 2005. They recall the excitement during recruiting when June Jones first called for Graunke and the coach ran to the gym to tell him.

So when Brennan announced an application for entry into the NFL draft, there was a buzz that one of their own — "our Tyler" as a secretary put it — was finally going to take over the controls of the No. 1 passing offense in college football. Then, when Brennan rescinded the application, the air went out of the celebration.

Now, however, they have another reason to be proud beyond the number of school records he holds and the place in Lancer history he occupies. While Graunke isn't the UH starter of the moment, neither is he a quitter in adversity.

By swallowing his considerable disappointment and choosing to stick around UH as a fourth-year junior instead of packing up and moving on, Graunke validated precisely why he should someday be the Warriors' starter. And why if, heaven forbid, Brennan should ever go down with injury, UH will still be in capable hands.

By making the tougher choice instead of seeking the easy exit, Graunke reinforced a lot of what UH saw in him early on.

"Tyler is a competitor," said UH assistant coach Dan Morrison. "We liked that about him from the beginning."

You have to like his feistiness, too. As Graunke told Stephen Tsai's blog in the event Brennan chose to come back: "I want to try to give him (Brennan) a little scare, even through he's probably coach Jones' favorite right now and Hawai'i's favorite, everybody's favorite."

Graunke grasps the sense of family and core value of unselfishness that made the Warriors special last season. He understands he has a role to play, and that by playing it he makes the Warriors better.

When Graunke arrived at UH, he was one of three freshmen and seven overall QB candidates. One by one they have left. That Graunke will still be here, even in the wake of this setback, says the Warriors have a couple winners at quarterback, even if only one can be the starter.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.