Hawaii football team impressed in first practice on Clarence T.C. Ching field

For Thursday’s practice, the University of Hawaii football team did a test run.

It was the first time this training camp that the Rainbow Warriors conducted a full two-hour practice at the retrofitted Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex on the school’s lower campus.

“I think it’s definitely special,” safety Khoury Bethley said. “Just coming out on the turf and being able to be on it for the first time, I was excited. It looks really good to me. It looks way better when you’re on the field, too, than when you’re sitting outside looking at it from the construction angle and all that. I was excited. I can’t wait to play on it this season.”

The Rainbow Warriors were forced to seek a new home site after being told Aloha Stadium would no longer be available for spectator events because of structural concerns at the 46-year-old Halawa facility.

UH officials opted to play the Warriors’ home football games on campus, retrofitting Ching from a 3,200-seat venue into a 9,000-seat complex. If zoning requests are approved, Ching could expand to at least 15,000 seats next year.

The $8.3-million project called for installing bleachers that were prefabricated on the mainland, setting up a two-way video scoreboard, and putting in a two-toned AstroTurf field. The Warriors used an adjacent grass field for the first five practices of training camp.

“Being here since freshman year (in 2018), and seeing what the turf looked like before and seeing what it looks like now, it’s real nice,” left tackle Ilm Manning said. “It’s even better than Aloha Stadium.”

Coach Todd Graham said the field has to “settle,” and that the rubber granules are still loose. But he noted the white markings on the spearmint-and-shamrock-colored turf were helpful guides during drills.

Ching “field is painted where you can really see (the lines),” Graham said. “The practice field … the numbers are really skinny. There’s not much grass on it. It’s a different deal. You can see the markings (at Ching). You’re in a stadium. That’s why I like it.”

While downplaying the significance of the test run, Graham conceded, “I like practicing on the field we play on. I think it just puts a little more pep in their step, and I think it’s better to teach from. It’s harder to teach when you can’t really see the markings.”

Graham said the experience will be heightened on Sept. 4, when the Warriors host Portland State in the home opener.

“I think what’s going to be awesome is when we play our first game here,” Graham said. “And for our students, and to be on campus, is going to be big time.”

For the first three practices, the Warriors wore “spiders” — light, upper-body padding — as part of the NCAA’s mandated phase-in period. The next three practices were held with thicker padding, which added to the contact level.

“I think we’re a lot more physical football team,” Graham said. “We want to be a team that plays extremely fast, extremely physical, extremely disciplined. We’ve got guys stepping up.”

This Saturday, the Warriors will have their first scrimmage of training camp.