Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
As positions on the Hawaii football team’s offense are being solidified, there remains a significant slot to be filled.
Jason-Matthew Sharsh and Melquise Stovall are competing at left slotback in the Rainbow Warriors’ four-wide offense. With Cedric Byrd set at right slotback, the other inside-receiver position opened with John Ursua’s departure to the NFL.
“It’s still a good battle,” coach Nick Rolovich said of the matchup that has stretched over 12 training-camp practices.
“We compete every day,” said Sharsh, a fifth-year senior. “And at the same time, we try to get each other better. At the end of the day, we help each other out.”
Stovall, a fourth-year junior, said it is “always good to come out and compete with the other slots. We come in with a set mind of no dropped balls (each practice), things like that to get us better.”
Stovall and Sharsh have polar backgrounds. Stovall was a consensus 4-star prospect who initially committed to USC before signing with California in 2016. He was with the Bears for two years — catching the first scoring pass of the 2016 season against Hawaii in the College Football Sydney Cup — before transferring to Riverside Community College. He enrolled at UH in January.
Sharsh, who did not receive any Division I offers as a Moanalua senior in 2015, played at Santa Barbara City College for two seasons. After suffering a severe ankle injury as a sophomore, he joined the Warriors as a non-scholarship player in 2017. He redshirted that season to enable his ailments to heal, and then played in 11 games, starting three, in 2018.
Stovall relies on speed (4.57 seconds over 40 yards), lateral movement (4.15 seconds in the short shuttle), strength (40-foot toss of powerball) and crtical learning to break into the clear. Sharsh, who admittedly is not a burner, stresses route knowledge.
“There are some things Mel is really great at,” Rolovich said. “And Sharsh is trustworthy. You know where he’s going to be. He has to be. He’s not as twitchy as John Ursua. He’s got to do everything right. There’s extreme value in that, also.”
Sharsh said: “I was never really the fastest, but I always worked hard no matter what. I always tried to lock in to know the system, the concepts, the routes. I think it’s more mentality than my speed. I have a different kind of game plan.”
While California’s Air Raid offense has many concepts similar to the run-and-shoot, there still was an adjustment period for Stovall.
“It’s a tad bit change of the tempo,” Stovall said. “I had to come in with a clear mind and make sure I knew the plays, and take what I learn from the coaches, and bring it on to the field.”
There also is room for flexibility. When Byrd needs a break, Stovall or Sharsh can fill in at right slotback. Newcomers James Phillips and Lincoln Victor are rotation options.
Stovall and Sharsh also have other roles. Stovall is a candidate to return kickoffs or punts. Sharsh recently was selected as one of the four team captains.
86
