Hawai'i was preoccupied at various times this year with issues of crime, racism, homelessness, airline wars, the Iraq war, canceled rock concerts and just who the heck is Jacob on the Isles-based TV show "Lost."

Raging wind and rain storms in December damaged scores of properties across the state, isolated some rural communities and left thousands of households in the dark for days until electricity was restored.

But the University of Hawai'i football team was a steady and exalted presence around office water coolers, school playgrounds and backyard barbecues throughout 2007, whether the topic was UH athletic director Herman Frazier's skills in scheduling games, quarterback Colt Brennan's decision to stay or seek his fortune in the NFL, the Heisman Trophy race or a perfect 12-0 season.

Even Gov. Linda Lingle's last weekly radio address of the year was simply titled, "GO WARRIORS!"

During the 2007 season, the Warriors went undefeated and claimed the Western Athletic Conference championship, a best-ever No. 10 national ranking and a Bowl Championship Series berth — Tuesday's showdown with fifth-ranked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans.

The tale of the triumphant Warriors — whose mantra is "Believe!" — united Hawai'i in a year that saw other issues drive a bitter wedge between neighbors and communities along geographic, racial, economic and cultural lines.

"Nothing captured the state's imagination this year — or for many years — as did the University of Hawai'i's magical 2007 season. It seemed to be the only thing any of us could talk about, and it solidified us, while other news events divided us, in a way that nothing else could," said Mark Platte, senior vice president and editor of The Advertiser.

The Advertiser's readers and editors agreed the saga of the UH football team was, hands-down, Hawai'i's top story of the year.

More than three-quarters of readers who voted in a poll during the week of Dec. 16 picked the Warriors as No. 1 from a list of 12 major stories.

The yearlong Hawaii Superferry controversy finished a distant second, followed by the April 14 death of iconic entertainer Don Ho, and the July announcement by teenage golf phenom Tadd Fujikawa that he was turning pro.

The Warriors' undefeated season and Brennan's record-breaking feats captured the attention of the national sports media, which have long ignored UH athletics, and reignited local pride in the home team.

"It's a no-brainer: the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors football season, winning the WAC championship, going undefeated and earning a berth into the BCS Sugar Bowl. Go BOWS!!!! It will be even greater after the win against Georgia," said Jed Sasaki, a Department of Health epidemiological specialist, in submitting his pick.

Hotel executive assistant Shelley Okubo seconded the motion: "Undoubtedly, the 2007 UH Warriors' 12-0 season and June Jones and his wonderful team's trip to the Sugar Bowl. GO WARRIORS!!!!"

UH's 2007 football season no doubt will be recalled by generations to come, but Jenny Samaan and others felt the Hawaii Superferry controversy will have a more important and lasting impact on the state.

"It is a classic case of the tension between establishing Hawai'i as a place that is business friendly vs. opposition to change and a cherished island way of life. Finding a way to manage these seemingly opposing forces is crucial to Hawai'i's future success in a global marketplace," said Samaan, executive director of international relations at UH.

Hawaii Superferry relaunched its high-speed interisland service on Dec. 13 after months of legal challenges, protests and other obstacles. The company provides Hawai'i's first roll-on, roll-off ferry service, carrying passengers and their vehicles between Honolulu and Maui, with sailings to Kaua'i and the Big Island to follow.

Passionate statewide debate over the benefits and drawbacks of the Superferry examined government actions in aiding the $250 million enterprise and upholding Hawai'i's environmental protection laws.

With the career of Michelle Wie in doubt in 2007, other readers found a new rising golf star to root for in Fujikawa.

"I vote for Tadd Fujikawa ... because he exemplifies the spirit of aloha, of caring, of humbleness and perseverance, that provides every man the hope and gift of greatness through character," said Mary Matayoshi in casting her vote.

Hawai'i's top story of 2007 also could turn out to be the top story of 2008.

We'll know New Year's Day, but in the meantime the UH football team already can be counted on to supply plenty of candidates for next year's list of top Hawai'i stories:

Will the Warriors beat the Bulldogs? Will Jones stick around after his contract expires in June? How high will Brennan go in the NFL draft? And what will UH football bring in the 2008 season?

We believe.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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