In what continues to be a joyous season, the Western Athletic Conference named Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan as Offensive Player of the Year and June Jones as Coach of the Year.

It is the first time a UH player has been named the top offensive player in the school's 27-year WAC membership.

"There's no quarterback as talented who's playing now," Jones said of Brennan, who leads the nation in total offense (410.8 yards per game) and touchdown passes (53).

In turn, Brennan said: "That's awesome about coach Jones. He did a great job. I'm so happy for him."

Brennan was among a school-record nine Warriors to earn berths on the All-WAC first team.

The others were: running back Nate Ilaoa, left slotback Davone Bess, left tackle Tala Esera, center Samson Satele, defensive left end Melila Purcell III, defensive right end Ikaika Alama-Francis, free safety Leonard Peters and kick-returner Ross Dickerson.

Named to the second team were: left wideout Jason Rivers, right tackle Dane Uperesa, nose tackle Michael Lafaele and inside linebacker Adam Leonard.

Despite a lumbar strain and hamstring tightness — "little nicks here and there" — Brennan is leading the nation's highest-scoring offense (47.3 points per game).

"This isn't about me," Brennan said. "It's about our offense. We wanted to make a statement that we weren't one of the best offenses in the nation; we wanted to win the overall title."

UH met that goal, leading the nation in total offense (549.92 yards per game, an average of 73.09 yards more than runner-up Louisville).

"That's why this is a good honor for the receivers, the O-line, and Nate," Brennan said. "They deserve as much credit."

Jones said: "Colt's been a great competitive player for us this year. He's a winner."

Ilaoa is playing with a painful bruised left heel. The only thing that keeps him balanced is his sprained right ankle. "I don't think about those things," said Ilaoa, who leads the Warriors with 1,674 all-purpose yards (893 rushing, 781 receiving) and 18 touchdowns. "I just want to be out there with the other seniors helping the team win."

Bess, who was named to the first team as a freshman last season, is the Warriors' leading receiver with 91 catches for 1,155 yards and 14 touchdowns.

After a mid-season slump, Bess has caught 29 passes for 457 yards and five touchdowns in the past four games.

"He was pressing a little bit early," Jones said. "He and I had a talk, and ever since then, he's let it flow. I think he's the real deal. He's been fantastic."

Bess said: "The hard work paid off. I'm thankful for my teammates around me, the blocking, and for Colt getting me the ball."

Each day, Esera makes the long ride from the North Shore. A greater journey was going from an unheralded defensive lineman to one of the nation's best backside blockers. "He really turned it up this year," Jones said. "He hustled. He was an inspirational leader."

Esera, who is married with two children, credits his family. He said he receives "big time" support from his parents and in-laws. "I'm very thankful," Esera said. "All I have to do is show up and go to classes."

Esera and Peters, both Kahuku High graduates, coaxed Jones into allowing the team to perform the haka. Jones said the haka, which often brings him to tears, will become a "new tradition" for the Warriors.

Peters is playing — and performing the haka — despite a chipped cartilage in his rib cage and partially torn ligament in his right knee. "I can't imagine playing safety with a broken rib," Jones said.

"You get used to it," Peters said. "You try and focus it somewhere else."

Jones described Peters as "not just a great player, but a great person."

Jones had similar praise for Dickerson, who accepted a request to move from wideout to slotback.

Jones said Dickerson never complained last season, when he played despite a torn ligament in his ankle, and this season, when he voluntarily ceded a starting job.

"He took a leadership role," Jones said. "He's got heart. And he made a lot of sacrifices."

So, too, did Satele, who passed up an opportunity to apply for the NFL draft in April. Instead, he returned for his senior season, while moving from left guard to center.

Fresno State's Kyle Young was regarded as the WAC's best center entering this season. Satele kept Young's picture in his locker for "motivation."

"He had a lot at stake (coming back)," Jones said. "He had a very good season. Samson is all I thought he would be, and more."

Jones said Purcell and Alama-Francis — both high school basketball standouts — fulfilled projections.

Purcell, who was a 208-pound freshman, developed into a relentless defender. "I don't think there's anybody playing any better than him in the last five or six weeks," Jones said.

Purcell said: "I didn't work hard for awards. I worked hard to help my team."

Alama-Francis joined the Warriors after playing for the UH basketball team as a freshman. "He just blossomed," Jones said. "Year after year, he got better."

Alama-Francis turned 22 yesterday. "I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present," he said. "I owe a lot to coach Jones. He gave me a chance and believed in me. There aren't enough ways to thank him."

Jones, meanwhile, said he feels thankful.

"God blessed me in many ways," he said. "In one of them, He blessed me with great people. Some of that comes by divine intervention. How does a Colt Brennan end up coming here? How does he come, really, to know how to have a spiritual embracement here. There's a reason why that happens.

"Sometimes it's out of our hands," Jones added. "It's in God's hands. It's like me living through my (car) wreck (in 2001). Why do I live? Why do I get lucky and live, and why is someone else not as lucky? It comes to God just isn't ready to take me. He has some other things for me to do. I really do feel that part of why God didn't take me was for this season. Because we've had so many kids come to know the Lord through our football team."

Jones said the most fulfilling part of the season is "we learned to love and play for each other. I always talk about it every year. The reason we have success is because we've had a nucleus of people always buy into the principles of what it takes to win. This year, I could tell, we had some real strong leadership. That's why we were successful."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.