Rainbow Warriors enjoy Aloha Stadium experience

It was Aloha Saturday for the University of Hawaii football team.

For the first time this training camp, the Rainbow Warriors practiced at Aloha Stadium on Saturday night in an exercise in preparation and necessity.

UH’s athletic facilities were unavailable for most of Saturday because the power was turned off as part of renovation on two practice gyms. As a result, the Warriors opted to book Aloha Stadium for a practice that was mostly a dress rehearsal for the coming season.

The Warriors went through their whole game-day schedule leading to the 100-play controlled scrimmage.

“The whole day was really good,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said. “They were really dialed in, from meetings to pregame meals to getting on the bus and getting (to Aloha Stadium).”

The Warriors also did a dry run of how to exit the locker room and line up for warm-ups. They also brought back a staple of the past — the pregame introductions of the defense. With Rolovich serving as announcer, the defensive starters were introduced. Safety Kalen Hicks displayed the most animated motions when his name was called.

“It was very exciting,” Hicks said of the introduction. “I feel it’ll be surreal once the real game starts. It’s going to be moments to remember for the rest of our lives.”

Under the lights, there were several illuminating moments. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, a 2018 Saint Louis School graduate, had perhaps his best series of training camp. Cordeiro completed eight of his first 10 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Cordeiro teamed with slotback Cedric Byrd on a 50-yard catch-and-sprint for an apparent touchdown. Because Byrd was wearing a no-contact orange jersey, Rolovich decided to re-set the drive. “They tried to say it wasn’t a touchdown,” said Byrd, who opened a sizable lead on the defensive back, “but it was good.”

Undaunted, Cordeiro came back and led a seven-play, 41-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 6-yard completion to Byrd.

“I like playing on this field,” said Byrd, who transferred from Long Beach City College in January. “I came out here on my (recruiting) visit, but this is the first time I had a chance to play on it, to run on it. I love it. I love it out here.”

Cole McDonald, a third-year sophomore quarterback, also played well, leading two touchdown drives in a session in which the overtime rules were applied.

“They all played great,” Rolovich said of the quarterback group that also included Jeremy Moussa, Kolney Cassel and Justin Uahinui.

Rolovich singled out a play during the four-minute drive in which the offense held the lead. Slotback Dakota Torres caught a pass, stayed in bounds, and took a knee.

“That was probably my favorite play of the day,” Rolovich said. “He was smart enough on an out route to get down and keep the clock running. … That’s how important this team is to him.”

Torres said: “I was thinking of the situation. I tried to get out of bounds. We were trying to run the clock down. We were up. We were trying to do what we could to win the game.”