That blur was the University of Hawaii football team sprinting from the practice field to the shave-ice truck.
To celebrate the end of the 18-day training camp, coach Norm Chow paid for shave ice for the players, coaches and staff.
“Today is a good day,” said quarterback Max Wittek, scooping a strawberry-mango concoction.
Chow also called off Saturday’s scheduled second practice, and ordered the coaches and players not to do anything football-related on Sunday. UH’s fall semester begins on Monday, at which time the Rainbow Warriors’ practices will move to 7 a.m.
“It’s been good and productive,” Chow said of training camp.
Ahead of the Sept. 3 opener against Colorado, there are nine practices scheduled, including a late-afternoon workout at Aloha Stadium and a night session at Ching field.
“We’ll stay in camp mode for another day or two before we focus in on Colorado,” Chow said.
The Warriors are expected to establish scout teams this week to simulate Colorado’s offensive and defensive plays during practices. Chow said it is “not easy” assigning players to scout units “because these guys have given us a lot of effort. We have to do what we have to do because you can’t travel them all.”
Several starters, including Wittek, were held out of 11-on-11 drills on Saturday.
“We gave other guys a chance to show their improvement, and I think they showed that,” offensive coordinator Don Bailey said.
Melvin Davis, a 245-pound running back who joined the Warriors last Monday, showed his power skills. He gained a first down on each of his five third-down rushes. Twice, he finished runs by flattening a defender.
“He’s a big body,” Bailey said of Davis. “He has to get into shape. I like his physicalness, and he’s pretty smooth for a big guy. He just has to be able to take more than one rep.”
Warriors healthy
The Warriors exited training camp relatively healthy. Running back Diocemy Saint Juste, who is recovering from a hamstring issue, was held out of drills on Saturday.
Wideout Vasquez Haynes departed a drill because of what appeared to be a problem with his wrist.
Kauhi shifts to end
Sione Kauhi is on the move again, this time switching to defensive end.
In spring training, Kauhi played on the defensive and offensive lines. This training camp, he worked out at tight end. But with a glut of tight ends, it was felt Kauhi could contribute more on defense.
Kauhi was born in New Zealand but raised in Oregon. He joined the Warriors in January after serving a two-year church mission.
