Alabama freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who enrolled in January and could still be finishing up his senior year at Saint Louis right now if he had chosen, made a memorable debut on Saturday in a Crimson Tide uniform.
The reigning Honolulu Star-Advertiser state player of the year was 18-for-32 for 315 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the annual A-Day spring game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Tagovailoa led his team of mostly second-string players to touchdowns on his first two drives against the No. 1 defense.
By halftime, Tagovailoa had already thrown for 276 yards and all three of his touchdowns.
Sophomore Jalen Hurts, who led the Crimson Tide to an SEC title and the national championship game last season, was 16-for-35 for 301 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He led the team on a game-winning drive, aided by a targeting call on the defense, to the White 13-yard line, setting up a 30-yard field goal to win it for the Crimson, 27-24.
Hurts also ran for 70 yards on 17 carries, while Tagovailoa was sacked four times and did not attempt a single run past the line of scrimmage.
Tagovailoa also played a series for the Crimson team.
Coach Nick Saban, speaking Tuesday at a fundraising event in Mobile, Ala., told a group of media, “Even though all of you in the press are trying to make a quarterback competition out of nothing, which is what you’re doing right now, there really isn’t one.”
“Jalen Hurts played a lot of good football for us last year,” Saban said. “And he’s certainly made a lot of progress this spring.”
Hurts is No. 1 on the depth chart, with Tagovailoa the clear No. 2 ahead of another freshman, Mac Jones.
“We want both guys to play at a high level, and I think the competition that they offer each other is probably healthy for both,” Saban said. “Hopefully it will make both players better players. We’re just looking forward and feel fortunate to have two outstanding young men that can play at a high level at that position.”
Milton more comfortable at QB for UCF
Central Florida’s McKenzie Milton says he’s feeling more comfortable coming off his first full season with the Knights.
Still in his freshman season after throwing for 1,983 yards and accounting for 13 touchdowns (10 passing, three rushing) in his first year in the program, the Mililani alum played well in one half of action in the UCF spring game on Saturday at Spectrum Stadium.
Milton was 17-for-27 for 166 yards and a touchdown on a 17-yard pass for the first score of the game to cap an 80-yard drive.
Milton’s team led 21-14 at halftime and he did not return to play in the second half.
“A year of growth has definitely made me feel more comfortable with my reads (and) my progressions, Milton was quoted as saying in a press release. “The O-line has been doing a better job, so I feel more comfortable sitting in the pocket.
“Also, the chemistry with the receivers has grown so much, I feel like we’re all getting toward a point where we’re all on the same page.”
Milton, who helped the Knights come back from an 0-12 season two years ago to make a bowl game this past season, thinks UCF can play with anybody in the American Athletic Conference.
“I think our 11 compares with anybody’s 11 offense and defense,” said Milton, who hopes to continue to add weight to his 5-foot-11 frame. “I want to add a couple of pounds this offseason so I can take some hits from big guys in this conference.”
Huang finishes 1 shot back at WCC tourney
Brigham Young sophomore Rose Huang earned her second second-place showing of the season, finishing one shot behind the leader at the West Coast Conference championships that ended Saturday at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah.
Huang, a 2015 ‘Iolani graduate, shot a 2-over 74 in the final round to help the Cougars win their second consecutive conference title.
She finished the three-day tournament at 2-over 218 and held a three-stroke lead over the eventual winner heading into the final round.
Huang bogeyed five holes on her front nine but battled back with birdies on Nos. 11, 15 and 16.
Santa Clara junior Kristen Le, a 2014 Punahou alumna, closed with an even-par 72 to finish in sole possession of seventh place at 7 over.
Le had five birdies in her round.
Defending champion Ciera Min of Gonzaga, a 2013 Waiakea alumna, bounced back from a disappointing round of 7 over on Friday to shoot a 75 on Saturday and finish in sole possession of 12th place at 11-over 227.
Hopoi goes low to tie for second
Boise State junior Donny Hopoi entered the final round of the Mountain West Championships in fourth place on Sunday at the Omni Tucson National Resort in Tucson, Ariz.
The 2014 Kamehameha graduate, who transferred to Boise State before the season from Dixie State, tied for the lowest final round with a 5-under 67 to finish in sole possession of second place.
Hopoi made five birdies without a bogey, including three straight on Nos. 10-12, to finish two shots behind the winner at 10-under 206.
“I’m so proud of Donny. Talent-wise he’s had this in him all year, but he hadn’t quite gotten over that hump,” Boise State coach Dan Potter said in a press release. “For him to finally play well the last couple of rounds and going into today, it was a big day. For him to go out and have no bogeys and shoot 67 and get in the mix and have a chance to win, he just played awesome down the stretch. We saw a different Donny this weekend and it was pretty special.”
As a team, Boise State finished two strokes back of champion UNLV.
Rebels junior Johnny Oda, a 2014 Moanalua graduate, tied for sixth place at 6-under 210 after a final-round 74. He started the day one shot behind the leader.
San Diego State junior PJ Samiere (Punahou ’14) finished in sole possession of 14th place at 2 under after closing with a 70.
STATS AROUND THE NATION
BASEBALL
>> Codie Paiva, Kamehameha ’15: The Loyola Marymount sophomore right-hander tossed 32⁄3 scoreless innings of relief and allowed three hits and one walk with two strikeouts to earn his second save in a 7-3 win over Pepperdine on Friday. Paiva threw a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout to earn his third save in a 4-2 win over Pepperdine on Sunday. Paiva is 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 411⁄3 innings this season.
>> Tyler Meditz, Kamehameha ’13: The Santa Clara senior left fielder hit a three-run homer in a 3-2 win over San Francisco on Friday.
>> Brent Sakurai, Mid-Pacific ’13: The New Mexico State second baseman finished 5-for-12 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, two runs and four RBIs in a three-game sweep of Northern Colorado over the weekend.
>> Tyler Yamaguchi, Mid-Pacific ’15: The Northern Colorado shortstop was 3-for-10 with a double and a run scored against the Aggies.
>> Bo Coolen, Punahou ’14: The Ohio State first baseman was 4-for-12 with an RBI as the Buckeyes lost two of three against UNC Greensboro over the weekend.
>> Jason Rosen, Punahou ’13: The Portland senior outfielder returned from a fractured hand and went 3-for-13 with a double and an RBI in three losses to Gonzaga over the weekend.
>> Raymond Pedrina, Campbell ’14: The Lewis & Clark State center fielder finished 6-for-15 with two doubles, a walk, two stolen bases, two RBIs and six runs scored in a four-game sweep of College of Idaho over the weekend.
>> Brock Ephan, Waimea ’14: The Lewis & Clark State first baseman was 4-for-13 with three homers, including a grand slam, three walks and 10 RBIs against College of Idaho.
MEN’S GOLF
>> Spencer Dunaway, Kamehameha ’15: The Brigham Young sophomore closed with back-to-back rounds of 2-over 74 to finish in a tie for 20th place at 1-over 217 at the West Coast Conference Championships that ended Saturday at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah.
WOMEN’S GOLF
>> Brittany Fan, Kamehameha ’14: The Colorado junior had two birdies and two bogeys en route to an even-par 72 on Tuesday and is in a tie for seventh place at 2 over heading into the final round of the Pac-12 Championships today at Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz.
>> Mariel Galdiano, Punahou ’16: The UCLA freshman shot a second consecutive 1-over 73 and is tied with Fan for seventh place in the Pac-12 Championships.
>> Kacie Komoto, Punahou ’13: The Northwestern senior notched her best result at the Big Ten Championships, carding a 2-under 70 on Sunday to finish in a tie for eighth place at 3-over 219 at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio. Komoto had the worst opening round of anyone to finish in the top 20 with a 78 but rebounded with a 71 and a 70.
>> Taylor Viquelia, Kauai ’13: The Southern Utah senior closed with her best round of the tournament, a 3-over 75, to finish in a tie for 11th place at 14-over 230 at the Big Sky Championships that ended Sunday at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev.
>> Kimberlie Miyamoto, Baldwin ’14: The Eastern Washington junior shot even par in her second round and finished in a tie for 24th place at 18 over at the Big Sky Championships.
>> Kirsten Ishikawa, Baldwin ’15: The Eastern Washington sophomore closed with a 78 to finish in a tie for 27th place at 19 over at the Big Sky Championships.
>> Mari Nishiura, Mililani ’16: The Nevada freshman ended her first season with the Wolf Pack with her fourth top-10 finish, closing with a 1-under 71 last Wednesday to finish in a tie for ninth place at 4-over 220 in the Mountain West Conference Championships at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
MEN’S GYMNASTICS
>> Josh Yee, Thompson Academy ’12: The Oklahoma redshirt senior and co-captain scored a 14.250 on the pommel and a 13.6 on the high bar to help the Sooners win their third consecutive national title at the NCAA Championship Finals on Saturday.
SOFTBALL
>> Robi Kami, Pearl City ’14: The Texas A&M International catcher finished 6-for-11 with two runs and two RBIs in a three-game sweep of Oklahoma Panhandle State over the weekend.
WOMEN’S WATER POLO
>> Lauren Boyer, Punahou ’13: The UC San Diego senior scored a game-high five goals to help the Tritons win the Harper Cup with a 10-6 win over San Diego State on Saturday. Boyer was named the Harper Cup MVP after accounting for the game-winning goal in both of the last two editions.
>> Courtney Overland, ‘Iolani ’15: The Macalester College sophomore goalkeeper was named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III all-tournament team on Tuesday. Overland made 14 saves in a 10-9 overtime win over Washington & Jefferson College on Sunday to win the CWPA Division III championship.
Compiled by Star-Advertiser’s Billy Hull. To submit an athlete for publication, email bhull@staradvertiser.com.
