On the surface, things are looking pretty good at Ching field after the University of Hawaii football team’s first scrimmage Saturday.
“The turf’s fine,” said Jonah Laulu, who sees it from perspectives on both sides of the ball as a defensive lineman and tight end. “They did a good job. Better than being in the mud, slipping everywhere. I definitely like the turf.”
A little bit above field level, though, is the metal-bleacher reminder that the Rainbow Warriors are set to play their home games this fall at an emergency backup facility that will seat a maximum of 9,000 fans.
And that’s if spectators are allowed to attend without social distance restrictions that come with COVID-19 concerns.
If you’re a glass-half-full optimist, you see a totally full stadium because the pandemic numbers shrink again, in time for the Sept. 4 home opener against Portland State.
Laulu hopes for the best, especially after the only “fans” allowed at last year’s games were a few two-dimensional cutouts at empty 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium.
“It’s definitely going to be nice having this place packed,” Laulu said after Saturday’s practice at the on-campus facility. “Hopefully, they let the fans come. You know, (Gov. David Ige) might want to let us pack this out. Please!”
Unfortunately, it’s not really up to Ige or any one human being. It’s up to the virus and its variants, and if the community comes together by staying apart to beat it … again.
Also if you haven’t yet, getting a shot in the arm might give you and other fans a better one of seeing UH play in person. That goes for other college and high school sports, too.
No one wants those bleachers to be empty this fall like they were for Saturday’s scrimmage, when about 10 local media members, six construction workers, and an officiating crew got a look at the Warriors.
Those of us seeing them for the first time this summer got visual reminders of some reasons to believe this team can make some noise this fall.
It’s not just that 18 of 22 starters on offense and defense are back from coach Todd Graham’s first UH team that went 5-4, including a New Mexico Bowl win.
The fact that one of the returnees is Calvin Turner is a reason for optimism.
Actually, it seems like he’s about five of them.
The scoreboard isn’t in place at Ching yet, but when it is, you can expect that Turner will light it up. He broke away twice for long touchdowns Saturday.
Turner presents one of those dilemmas a coach likes to have: Where do you play this guy?
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior was mostly a quarterback in his three years at Jacksonville University. Last season, his first at UH, he played running back, receiver, quarterback and kickoff returner; Turner scored rushing, receiving and as a return man last season. This season he will return punts, too.
He likes the Ching field surface, too.
“It’s beautiful, it feels good. It’s nice and soft,” he said. “I feel like I’m running a little bit faster on it.”
It’s AstroTurf, but not that old stuff that was like playing on pavement that someone painted green, and you were lucky if you made it through a game with just rug burn.
This is “third-generation” artificial turf, with blades of “grass” and infill. It gives, so it at least feels safer. But it’s also got that bounce that speedsters like. Coaches like it, too.
“This old guy has arthritis in his hips and my knees, and it feels really soft,” Graham said. “I think it’s a great advantage to practice on your playing field. … Looks like fresh mowed grass. They just have a different tempo to what they’re doing.”
