UH’s Hadden putting his best foot forward

It’s the final minutes of a hot Sunday afternoon practice, the third of nine days in a row of workouts to start camp for the University of Hawaii football team.

Quarterback Taylor Graham leads a nifty red zone two-minute drill capped by a touchdown pass to Chris Gant.

Next, a field-goal try from around 35.

Whoops. Tyler Hadden’s kick clangs off the left upright.

But there’s one final set of plays, and one more chance for Hadden.

This time the junior pures it from 38 yards.

"You leave on a positive note like that, it’s not good just for him but the entire team," UH special teams coordinator Chris Demarest said.

There was no extra running or pool party at stake this time, just the positive buzz that comes with a good end to the day’s work.

"We put (the kickers) in pressure situations all the time in practice," Demarest said. "Is it actually that event? No. But it helps prepare them for it."

Hadden had no opportunities for late game-winning or -tying field goals last season. You don’t get those chances when your team’s closest game is a 12-point difference.

"It’s actually rare," Hadden said. "I’ve never been in that situation, even in high school. I think I’d be ready for it. That’s what we dream about and think about all the time. You’ve done it in your head over and over again."

With the lack of dramatic opportunities and in all the disappointment of a 3-9 season, a fairly solid year of place-kicking by Hadden got lost in the shuffle.

He was 13-for-21 on field goals, missing just once under 40 yards, and made all 29 points-after-touchdown. Hadden made his last five field goals in the year-ending wins against UNLV and South Alabama. He hit three 40-plus yarders in the 23-7 finale over the Jaguars.

"You take away those nine points and it’s a different game," Demarest said. "When we got here, it was, ‘Oh my god, it’s a crisis situation. We don’t have a kicker.’ I said, ‘Let me determine if we have a kicker.’ All (Hadden) did was go out and have his best year."

Well, you could point at 2011 when, as a freshman, Hadden hit just five of 10 field goals and missed three PATs, and conclude that Demarest isn’t saying much. But also take into account that Hadden has constantly battled injuries since his arrival in 2010. Last fall he played with two hernias.

Hadden said he’s finally at full strength now following surgery in February.

"I feel like I can come out and kick with a lot more power now," he said.

But that doesn’t mean the starting job is being handed to him. Colgate transfer Joe Uglietto shares reps, and JC punter/kicker Jackson Dionne is getting a look, too.

"The coaches said the job’s open. After being injured all year last year, my goal is to be healthy and compete for the job," said Uglietto, who is recovered from an adductor tear.

Uglietto does have a clutch late kick on his resume, a game-tying 24-yarder in his first game at Colgate as a true freshman in 2011. The Raiders then won in overtime.

It will be a good sign for Hawaii if its kicker is relevant late in games again in 2013, whoever ends up with the job.