Warriors left tackle Ray Hisatake draws his massive hands together at the center of his chest, palms nearly touching as if in prayer, as he demonstrates the proper hand position at the start of a block.

This is how it's supposed to be, he explains. Thisclose.

"You've got to keep it tight," he says. "You look at Aaron (Kia) and Steiny (Keoni Steinhoff) and they keep their hands really tight in the cradle on their chest.

"Before, when I'd come out, I'd be out here," he says as he draws his hands slowly apart.

It was Hisatake's tightening grasp of such technical essentials that made the battle for the starting left tackle spot one of the most intriguing of spring training.

With Laupepa Letuli out with a hamstring injury and Raphael Ieru sidelined with a bum ankle, Hisatake made the push for No. 1 a two-man race between himself and fourth-year junior Kia.

Both saw significant time with the starting units before Kia emerged as the top option at the position. Still, the palms-close competition proved beneficial to both players.

"I'm fine with it," Hisatake says. "Aaron is a great utility guy. He's played all positions, so being behind him is actually a good thing because I get to learn. It's a battle and I work hard every day to try and keep up with him."

Hisatake says he expects the competition to be just as fierce in the fall.

"Everything is open so I'm still going to battle Kia and no matter where Pepa steps in, I'll battle him, too," he says.

Hisatake's emergence as a legitimate contender for left tackle has been one of the bright spots for an offensive line that is still building its identity.

Keith Ah Soon, who played the position last year, will take over at left guard this season.

Despite not playing football in high school — he was a three-time league champion in the shot put — Hisatake proved an intriguing collegiate prospect coming out of the College of San Mateo in California, where he earned second team all-conference honors.

After biding his time as a redshirt last season, Hisatake quickly made his imposing 6-foot-3, 315-pound presence felt on the UH practice field.

Hisatake, who has shown the greatest improvement on his front-side sets, says he'll spend the summer refining the position and use of his head and hands coming off the line.

"Football is a bit easier than track and field," he says. "In track, there's a individual mentality. It's completely on you. In football, you're always surrounded by your teammates and you can count on them to have your back."

(Hisatake competed in the Terry Albritton Invitation track and field competition in February, placing first in shot put and second in discus.)

"Ray is a good player and he has a lot of talent," Kia says. "He's learned a lot since he's been here and it wasn't easy (to earn the starting spot). It's still not over."

Kia had expected to compete with Steinhoff for the right tackle position, but says he's happy to remain on the left side, where he has more experience. He says his ability to play both sides is a "win-lose" situation.

"There's a downside because if you're able to play both sides, you're more likely to play both sides instead of staying in one spot," he said. "I just want to play hard and not lose this spot. I want to start this year."

Kia said refining his technique is a perpetual process. Kia said he learned much of what he knows from watching former Warrior tackle Tala Esera and listening carefully to assistant coaches Brian Smith and Alex Gerke.

"I don't have it down pat," he says. "It's going to take a lot of reps. You can never get too many reps. I'm in no ways sound, but nobody is ever sound. Nobody is ever perfect. I just have to keep working hard at it."

Kia is well aware that it's imperfection that draws attention. And for offensive lineman, attention is rarely ever a good thing.

He says one blown assignment, or worse, a sack, can make a solid day of work feel like abject failure.

"All it takes is one sack and everybody looks at it as a horrible practice or a horrible game, and I look at it the same way, too," he says. "I give up one sack and it blows my mind. If I'm the one who gave up the sack, my heart drops and I get pissed off at myself. But when that happens, you have to focus, relax, and concentrate on the next play."

And yet, when the higher profile stars on offense execute for a big gain, their anonymous teammates on the line recognize the value of their contribution.

Kia said the highlight of his spring practice experience was the shuffle play he and his offensive teammates executed to perfection during Saturday's scrimmage.

Reacting to the blitz, quarterback Inoke Funake shovel passed the ball forward to Leon Wright-Jackson, who followed his blockers upfield for a big gain.

"Hell yeah," Kia said. "I didn't get the perfect block on the linebacker, but I got a block and it helped bust it for a good amount of yards. On offense, everybody has to work as one to make something happen. When you do your job and everybody else does their job, it's like 'Yeah, we accomplished something.' "