Hawaii Youth Defense Review

Honolulu - Hawaii coach Greg McMackin and defensive coordinator Cal Lee has been coaching football for 78 years together at all levels, has not yet been a challenge and the question this season.

Case of the season 7-7, including a loss against Notre Dame Hawaii Bowl, the Warriors defense before a complete overhaul.

Passing the 10 starters, including linebacker and co-Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the year are Solomon Elimimian. By the defense, which is always a crime in Hawaii from a number of games last season. Gone is reliable, veteran group that had the experience of playing in almost all situations.

Instead, the defense is still a full-time starters - senior linebacker John Fonoti - and the few question marks, but no doubt rich optimism at this early stage of practical preparations - season.

"I've never had a team in which they do only one kind of return to the game," said McMackin. "But we practice very well. They are very eager to learn. They collect things quickly. His attitude is excellent. We are very close attention to detail and the players are focused on this point. It's fun to train, and the players work hard. "

The growing pains were apparently in the new defense last spring.

Meatoga Vaughn, shaken in its second year, was expected this season, when reminded that the bags line of defense, the team came together just enough to be counted "on one hand" through the practice in the spring.

In the annual spring game until the end of April, the offenses combined 48 points in the first half, and have three passes of 50 yards long.

This is clearly a defense of drowning in the lack of familiarity, but it is a problem that has set in four months that followed, the coach said.

"We had the chemistry," McMackin said of his defense in the league this spring. "Everybody tried to do their own work. I think now in autumn, boys find their place in play with children and more than one teamness and unity. For the last few weeks were really together. We" Get the sales were. We were playing. "

The coaches that the cupboard is not bare, wounded despite the loss last week, senior linebacker Brashton Satel, sitting on the season with a left shoulder.

Back talents, is mainly the body Linebacker Blaze Soares and RJ Kiesel-Kauhanen, the new look to consolidate that the defense will rely heavily on the speed of the computer. Fonoti started all 14 games last season and finished with 62 tackles and 3.5 sacks. McMackin calls, 6 foot 2 inch, 290-pound Meatoga team "Best Deal" last season, when he was a newcomer, a red shirt.

The approximation is still very stiff. But at this point in camp, is where players fight for positions not necessarily a bad thing.

"The competition is great teams in football," McMackin said.

So know strong defenses and defensive players that ride with a veteran offense that gives the weight of the season on his shoulders could.

"I come this year to overlook our defense," said Kiesel-Kauhanen. "I think this year we are working to establish ourselves as a defense. ... I feel comfortable with the guys. There are many good players. We just gotta be ready."