University of Hawaii, Stovall seek favorable returns

Hawaii’s football practices can be a distraction for punt returners.

Sometimes, three balls will be thrown simultaneously toward a returner. Sometimes, there is the “Indiana Jones” method of rolling two boulder-sized rubber balls toward a returner while he tries to field a punted football. Often, a returner faces the wrath of 11 angry men.

Those tactics are part of special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial’s catch-and-release approach. He wants returners to field each punt cleanly, then unleash quickness and elusiveness to gain more favorable field position. Last season, the Rainbow Warriors averaged 8.65 yards on 20 punt returns.

“The development of returners sometimes gets overlooked,” Ghobrial said. “We’ll look for a guy who can do more than simply catch it. A lot of it deals with situational awareness.”

Ghobrial said a returner needs to know when to let the ball bounce into the end zone, when to fair catch it, or when to take off.

“We want (the returner) to make the smart decision, then work on the yards after the catch,” Ghobrial said.

On the UH-issued depth chart for Saturday’s opener against Arizona, Melquise Stovall is listed as the top returner on punts and kickoffs. Other dual considerations are Cedric Byrd, Jared Smart, Rojesterman Farris II and Justice Augafa.

Stovall said he has been returning punts since he was 6. “It’s been years of experience, taking reps after reps,” Stovall said. “I feel more comfortable back there. It’s kind of second nature.”

Stovall said he learned how to track punts in all conditions. “Probably the hardest one to catch is when you get it right in the sun,” Stovall said. “I’ve done it in the rain. It’s pretty simple. I’ve done it in a little bit of snow, as well.”

The key, Stovall said, is mastering split vision. While watching the arc of the punt, he uses his peripheral vision to peek at “guys either funneling down on you or guys further back, depending on whether you need to catch it or field it.”

Stovall has proven to being receptive to different roles and multi-tasking. At Paraclete High in Lancaster, Calif., he took drama classes and participated in school plays. “I’ve (played) anywhere from a tree to anything else,” Stovall said, smiling. “Not too much singing. I like to think I can sing. A lot of people tell me I can’t.”

It was during one of the drama classes where he learned to juggle — a useful skill in focus and dexterity.

Stovall began his NCAA career as a receiver and returner for California. His first game was against UH in the 2016 Sydney Bowl. After two years at California, he played a season at Riverside (Calif.) City College, before enrolling at UH this past January. This preseason, Stovall is competing at left slotback.

Ghobrial said the Warriors’ four-wide offense has expanded the pool of punt returners. “The beauty of having an offense like this is you’re going to have a lot of guys with good ball skills,” Ghobrial said. “There’s no shortage of returners. And these guys want to do it. For me as a coach, it’s easy when guys have genuine want-to. You’ll ultimately get the most out of those guys. This speaks volumes to where this team’s mind-set is.”