HOMEGROWN REPORT
Eager Beavers ready for UH
By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer
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The highly anticipated showdown between the University of Hawai'i and Oregon State football teams — both rosters littered with Hawai'i players — finally takes place Saturday.
With 11 Hawai'i players on the Beavers' roster, OSU sophomore safety Al Afalava said "this is the game we've been looking forward to," the whole season.
The Warriors and Beavers play at Aloha Stadium with a 7:05 p.m. kick off. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Afalava found out the Beavers would be playing at Hawai'i when he returned to Oregon last Christmas break.
"I thought it was a lie," he said. "I went upstairs to ask the coaches, and they said 'Yup,' and I was excited."
Oregon State sports information director Steve Fenk said seven or eight players are expected to make the trip.
Afalava expects about 40 family members, and even more from the Kahuku community to attend the game.
OSU sophomore offensive lineman Tavita Thompson said, "I'm pretty excited to play Hawai'i because I know a lot of people on the team," including ex-Saint Louis School teammates, such as receivers Jason Rivers and Ross Dickerson.
"I haven't played there in a while, I think three, almost four years," Thompson said. "It'll be a nice thing to play in that stadium. From what I hear, it's supposed to be sold out. It's going to be weird because it's the first time I'll be in that stadium with a booing crowd."
MORE FOOTBALL
Oregon sophomore offensive lineman Max Unger (Hawai'i Prep '04) was a second-team pick.
Arizona State junior offensive tackle Brandon Rodd ('Aiea '03) and Oregon senior offensive guard Palauni Ma Sun, Jr. (Kahuku '03) were honorable mention.
Fernandez started all 10 games on the offensive line, clearing the way for the most prolific running back in Ivy League history in Clifton Dawson. Fernandez was an honorable-mention pick in 2004.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Nine Mainland teams with Hawai'i players are in the NCAA Division I Women's Tournament:
MORE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
She averaged a conference-high 5.13 digs per game and was also named to the conference first team.
Burton averaged 1.26 kills per game with a .258 hitting percentage and 1.02 blocks per game.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Mills College (Calif.) seniors Erica Worthington (Kaiser of Honolulu) and Megan Burke-O'Connor (Kaiser of Honolulu) also made the team.
Nitta, Apo and Point Loma Nazarene's Liz Kalama (Kamehameha of Kane'ohe) were named to the Golden State Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete team.
MEN'S SOCCER
Fujimoto played in 14 games, starting 11, and had one assist.
Also playing for Pacific are junior goalkeeper Chris Caswell (Pearl City '04), sophomore midfielder Jared Komo (Makua Lani Christian '05 of Kailua, Kona), junior defender Ricky Shinn (Pearl City '01 of Waipahu) and senior midfielder Derek Atta ('Aiea '02). Pacific finished 10-6-1, its first 10-win season since 1999.
Despite being on the road, the Broncos set the tempo early and came out attacking. After a good combination in midfield, DeVey had first bid for SCU in the second minute. He hit a low shot to the far post that slid just past.
DeVey injured his shoulder when the Wake Forest goalkeeper clipped him. It set up a penalty kick for the Broncos that put them up 1-0.
UC Santa Barbara freshman midfielder C.J. Cintas (Hawai'i Prep '06) remains the only Hawai'i player in the tournament. Cintas has not played in the tournament. UCSB advanced to the College Cup for the second time in the past three years after defeating Northwestern, 3-2, Saturday.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Sun won the 200 individual medley (1:46.55) and 200 backstroke (1:43.30), both NCAA qualifying marks, and was fourth in the 400 IM (3:51.25).
UC Irvine junior Randall Tom (Seabury Hall '04 of Wailuku) was seventh in the 200 IM (1:52.31), second in the 100 butterfly (48.45) and fifth in the 200 butterfly (1:49.43).
UC Irvine junior Chelsea Nagata (Maui '04 of Kahului) won the 100 butterfly (54.99) and 100 backstroke (55.88) was fifth in the 50 freestyle (23.96).
COMMITMENTS
"Brittany is a very fast breaststroker with a lot of potential, similar to Keiko Price (another Hawai'i swimmer and former Bruin)," UCLA coach Cyndi Gallagher said in a release.
Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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