Bows or Warriors?

The answer is "both" for Hawai'i football player Josh Leonard, who is a Warrior skilled with a bow.

Leonard and his family have bow-hunted for boar and black-tailed deer in Coalinga, Calif.

They either will use hunting dogs to track the prey, or wait near a feeding area.

"You have to pull them back," Leonard said of the bows. "It takes a lot of strength. It's more of an adrenaline rush because you have to get closer than (if you were using) a gun. The farthest shot you can get with a bow is around 50 yards."

When he was a kid, he killed about 90 ground squirrels during a two-day period.

"They're more of a nuisance for cattle ranchers," he said. "They drill holes, and the cows walk by, (step in the holes) and break their legs. (The ranchers) want (the squirrels) off their property."

He was unsuccessful during a bear hunt when the dogs lost the scent.

He once shot a boar, which scampered away. The group never found it.

"We ended up losing the blood trail a half mile down the road," he said.

Still, he remains enchanted by the thrill of the hunt — the same feeling, perhaps, as when he chases down opposing ballcarriers.

Leonard, a senior defensive tackle, made eight tackles, including three in Weber State's backfield, in a 36-17 victory the past Saturday at Aloha Stadium.

It was a remarkable performance for an interior lineman whose primary job is to create push, re-set the line of scrimmage, and open the way for linebackers to swoop in for tackles.

"They started running to my side," Leonard said, "and I started to make the plays."

It was the second consecutive start for Leonard, who opened in place of fifth-year senior Fale Laeli.

Laeli was held out of all of spring practice and most of training camp because of tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee. He suffered an ankle injury against Weber State, and will not play in Saturday's road game against Oregon State.

"It's a big loss not to have him in there," Leonard said. "He's my roommate every time we go on the road. He gives us senior leadership. He was there in the trenches last year."

Now Leonard is being pressed into the glare.

"It's definitely time for me to step up on my part," he said. "I'm trying to get a little more vocal with the team."

Soon after transferring from Sierra College last year, he was immediately miscast as a defensive end. He lost weight and then — oh, never mind — he was switched back to his natural position of defensive tackle. But at the lighter weight, he had difficulty holding the point.

Now he is 30 pounds heavier, benching well more than 400 pounds, and physically fit. He played in 40 of 55 snaps against Florida, and 37 of 66 against Weber State.

"It's a lot more reps than I was getting last year," Leonard said.

Off the field, Leonard is at peace. He and Christa have a son, Blayne.

Despite his classic biker look — long beard, tattoos — Leonard has "a soft side," Christa said. "He's a big, tough guy, but he's a sweetheart. He's a good daddy."

INEXPERIENCE AT DE

The injuries to Rocky Savaiigaea and Laeli have created depth problems at defensive tackle behind starters Leonard and Keala Watson.

Vaughn Meatoga is a second-year freshman. Tuika Tufaga did not play in the previous three seasons.

"My first game (as a Warrior) was against Florida," Meatoga said. "They threw me in there. The coaches felt confident in me. I felt confident in myself."

Meatoga, who redshirted last season, said he is adjusting to the "size of the players in college" and their quickness.

But in the trenches, leverage rules. At 6 feet 2, Meatoga plays low, under an offensive lineman's pad level, making him difficult to block.

Tufaga is a Kahuku High graduate. He played two seasons for New Mexico Highlands before serving a church mission in Atlanta.

"Southern hospitality," he said. "I loved everything about it. It was a great experience, a great opportunity to grow up and see the real world."

He redshirted last year, spending his extra time receiving tips from his mentor, Laeli.

"Fale is the man," Tufaga said. "Hopefully, we can get him back quick."

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