LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Warriors are getting ready for their first road contest of the 2010 conference slate, Saturday in California against the Fresno State Bulldogs (4 p.m. Hawaiian, 7 p.m. local). Riding a two-game win streak, Hawai‘i (3-2, 1-0
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Warriors are getting ready for their first road contest of the 2010 conference slate, Saturday in California against the Fresno State Bulldogs (4 p.m. Hawaiian, 7 p.m. local).
Riding a two-game win streak, Hawai‘i (3-2, 1-0 WAC) has already seen plenty of positives and negatives through five games this season. Coming off a 41-21 victory over Louisiana Tech in Saturday’s home matchup, UH continued to display its offensive firepower, averaging 37.4 points and 501.6 yards per game.
Fresno State has been putting up similar statistics, averaging 36.3 points and 388.5 yards as the Bulldogs (3-1, 1-0) hope to push towards the top of the conference ladder, a position they were projected to reach prior to the season.
Witnessing the UH exploits to this point has been one of the five Kaua‘i players on the Warriors roster, freshman offensive lineman Sean Shigematsu.
The 2010 Kapa‘a High School graduate is almost halfway through his first season at Manoa, one in which he is redshirting. “Redshirt” is a term used to identify a player who is on the team but inactive for games, meaning Shigematsu will still have four years of football eligibility following this season.
The 6’4” right tackle arrived on campus June 21, ready to contribute in any way he could. His role to this point has been learning the offensive scheme and participating on the scout team, getting the starters ready for their weekly opponents.
“Right now, I’m getting to know the system,” he said. “We had a lot of returners (on the offensive line), so I’m learning the plays and getting used to our system.”
With Kenny Estes, Jett Jasper, Vaughn Meatoga and Kamalu Umu already in place as Kaua‘i lettermen, Shigematsu said he has been able to learn from those guys.
“They have taken me under their wing,” he said. “Kamalu and Vaughn, for sure,” as the two defensive linemen go up against Shigematsu during scout team run-throughs.
He additionally singled out the efforts of senior right tackle Laupepa Letuli, the same position Shigematsu hopes to move into eventually.
“That’s kind of who I’ve been mentored by,” he said. “He really helps me out a lot.”
Along with the other redshirts, Shigematsu is with the team on the field right up until kickoff, then heads up into the stands to take in the game. He then goes into the locker room at halftime and back to the stands for the second half.
This season’s opener, one that turned out to be a 49-36 loss to Southern California, was no typical home game and was more of a spectacle than most, due to the prestige of the visiting team.
“It was great, it was packed, the crowd was going crazy,” he said. “I thought we could have had that game, if we had cleaned up some of our mistakes.”
The Warriors will need to keep themselves in the upper echelon of the WAC in order to become bowl eligible, a feat they were unable to attain last season.
“We expect to be at a bowl game this year,” Shigematsu said. “(Projections) have been putting us at the bottom of the conference, as the underdogs. So we’re playing with chips on our shoulders. We’ve got to prove to everybody that we are at the top.”
The school whose jersey Shigematsu donned for the previous four seasons has climbed up the standings in 2010, as Kapa‘a currently sits in first place in the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation with a 3-1 record, handing Kaua‘i its first loss since 2008 on Sept. 25. As a four-sport athlete for his previous Warriors, Shigematsu has been keeping tabs on how the team is doing.
“I’ve talked to Tyrus Moises,” he said, referring to the current Kapa‘a senior offensive lineman, who also shared the volleyball court with Shigematsu at Kapa‘a. “I’m hoping they win, it would be the first championship in about 19 years,” a figure he actually underestimated, as the Warriors’ most recent KIF championship was 1989.
“It would be great for the community,” he said.
Off the field, Shigematsu has enjoyed his short tenure at UH, saying that the schedule suits him.
“Actually, I kind of like college classes,” he said. “I finish up with practice, eat something, take a little nap and then go off to class. I like the classes and I like that I don’t have to wake up early.”
Though he is inactive on game days, Shigematsu is going through the rest of the same process as everyone else on the team and said the coaching staff has been helpful and positive about his technique and improvement.
“I really get compliments on my pass blocking,” he said. “The upperclassmen are really helpful. The coaches have all been great. Coach Mac (Greg McMackin) is great. Coach (Gordon) Shaw is one of the best offensive line coaches I’ve ever known.”
Some of the main differences he noted moving from a high school to a college program are both the efficiency and the tenor of practices. There is very little wasted time, he said, as the players are always doing something.
“Practice is really fast-paced,” he said. “It’s really scheduled.”
He added that while high school students and athletes can get a feeling they are being bossed around, the adults around him at UH are treating him more like a man than a boy.
As far as goals for himself the rest of this season, Shigematsu is keeping things simple.
“I’m just trying to get bigger, faster, stronger,” he said. “Just put in the work.”
Thanksgiving is circled as the first time he expects to be back on Kaua‘i since June. While everything about his college life has been a positive to this point, he misses being around his family, as well as the convenience Kaua‘i provides.
“The beaches are great over here (on O‘ahu),” he said. “But you have to travel to get to them. On Kaua‘i, they’re just five minutes away.”
