SAN DIEGO » In the week leading to Saturday’s game against San Diego State, the University of Hawaii football team crafted a strategy based on patience.
Three key players — quarterback Ikaika Woolsey, running back Steven Lakalaka and linebacker Tevita Lataimua — had medical issues.
In the previous week’s game against Wyoming, Woolsey suffered a deep bruise to his tailbone and Lakalaka incurred concussion-like symptoms. Lataimua had missed three games because of an ankle injury.
On Monday, the Rainbow Warriors had conditioning drills, meetings and video reviews. Woolsey, Lakalaka and Lataimua did not participate in abbreviated practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. Woolsey and Lataimua took reps on Thursday, the day the Warriors were departing for San Diego. Lakalaka did not participate in contact drills all week.
"It was kind of precautionary, you know, to help me recover," Woolsey said. "Coach felt if I practiced more, it would have irritated it, so I was just taking mental reps this week."
That opened the way for Beau Reilly, a 22-year-old freshman who returned from a church mission last year, to work extensively with the No. 1 offense.
On Saturday morning, Woolsey assured coach Norm Chow he was fit to play. Chow then decided to start Woolsey, although there would be no public announcement. There were some plays scripted for Reilly. But because of the way the game was unfolding, Woolsey — a dual threat as passer and scrambler — played the entire way.
"He played OK," Chow said of Woolsey,."He has to make some better decisions."
Woolsey said his health was between 85 and 90 percent.
"It didn’t really hurt," Woolsey said. "I felt the adrenaline kicked in, and I didn’t really think about it."
The Warriors face a dilemma. With senior quarterbacks Taylor Graham and Jeremy Higgins unavailable because of injuries, Reilly needs game experience. But Reilly also can maintain his redshirt status if he does not play.
Lakalala’s value has increased after running back Joey Iosefa, who was set to play this week, instead began serving a three-game suspension following his arrest on a drunken-driving accusation a week ago.
Lakalaka said he experienced headaches and sensitivity to light a day after the Wyoming game. But he was symptom-free after that. He then passed a baseline test and running exam before being diagnosed as showing no concussion-like problems.
Lakalaka started against SDSU, rushing for 58 yards.
Without Lataimua, the Warriors have two available inside linebackers with experience. Benny Fonua and Simon Poti played every defensive snap against Wyoming — a workload the Warriors had hoped not to repeat.
But Lataimua, who made the trip to San Diego, did not play a down on Saturday night. He said he expects to be ready for Saturday’s game against Nevada.
