Russell Borden taught his three sons to be good people, share their Mormon faith and learn the family business.
“My dad taught me and my brothers how to snap,” said Noah Borden, who will begin his third season as the Hawaii football team’s long snapper. “Over the years, we learned and taught each other.”
Kawika Borden was the Rainbow Warriors’ long snapper for two seasons. Kamuela Borden, who will join the Warriors in the spring after completing a church mission, also is capable of snapping.
For inspiration, the Bordens looked to the Ingram brothers — Jake and Luke — who handled UH’s snapping for an eight-year span.
“The Ingrams were good examples,” Noah Borden said. “They made it far. We hope to be like them.”
The past two seasons, Borden accurately delivered snaps on 152 punt attempts, including a fake that led to Ben Scruton’s 14-yard dash for a first down against UMass. With short snapper Brodie Nakama’s graduation, Borden also will handle the snaps on point-scoring kicks this season.
Similar to his older brother, Borden probably could play linebacker. He made a team-high seven tackles on punt coverage last season. But with a new holder, punter and place-kicker, Borden will focus solely on snapping for now.
Borden already has mastered the technique of delivering laces-up snaps to the holder. “The key is consistency,” Borden said. “I have to snap the same and get the rotation the same. It’s science, and you have to practice it a lot. But it helps the kickers a lot when you get the laces right.”
Borden has embraced his father’s work ethic.
He earned life scout, the Boy Scouts’ second-highest rank and also served a two-year mission in Las Vegas, regularly working 12 hours a day. “My first summer in Vegas, it was a biking area,” Borden said. “I was riding my bike in 118 degrees. That was crazy. It was way too hot, dry heat or not.”
But he was able to befriend several people. After completing his mission, he reported to the training center, where he met Shayna, who had served a mission in Provo. “That was a good first impression,” Borden said.
Back on Oahu, Borden proposed during a visit to the temple in Laie, where the couple had weekly dates. They married, and in December, Shayna gave birth to the couple’s daughter.
“It’s amazing, it’s awesome,” Borden said of fatherhood. “It makes it a lot easier because of my wife. I give so much credit to her. She takes care of the baby while I’m (practicing). She holds down the house. She takes care of everything. I couldn’t do it without her.”
SCOUTING REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS
The Warriors lost a place-kicker, punter and kickoff specialist when Rigo Sanchez completed his UH eligibility after the Hawaii Bowl. Holder Ikaika Woolsey and short-snapper Brodie Nakama also graduated. Stan Gaudion, an Australian who redshirted last year, is the top choice to hold and punt. Ryan Meskell and Alex Trifonovitch, who was signed two years ago as a punter, are competing for the kicker’s job. Keelan Ewaliko and John Ursua are the top returners for kickoffs and punts, respectively, but Justice Augafa is an option for both jobs.
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LONG/SHORT SNAPPERS
1 | Noah Borden | 6-1 | 215 | Jr. | Pearl City
42 | Dayton Furuta | 5-11 | 230 | So. | Mililani
KICKERS
46 | Ryan Meskell | 6-0 | 180 | So. | Gold Coast, Australia
46 | Alex Trifonovitch | 6-1 | 180 | So. | Honolulu
PUNTERS
99 | Stan Gaudion | 6-3 | 210 | Fr. | Melbourne, Australia
36 | Ben Scruton | 6-1 | 200 | So. | Melbourne, Australia
KICKOFF RETURNERS
12 | Keelan Ewaliko | 5-11 | 200 | Sr. | Wailuku
26 | Justice Augafa | 5-11 | 205 | Jr. | Anchorage
PUNT RETURNERS
5 | John Ursua | 5-10 | 165 | So. | Kailua-Kona
26 | Justice Augafa | 5-11 | 205 | Jr. | Anchorage
