HONOLULU – Twenty-two University of Hawaii football seniors will play their final game at Aloha Stadium’s Hawaiian Airlines Field on Saturday vs. Nevada-Las Vegas.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be televised live statewide on Oceanic Pay-Per-View (Digital channel 255) and broadcast live on radio via ESPN 1420 AM.
Each of the seniors will be introduced after the game and will participate in the traditional “Senior Walk” ceremony, where they can be greeted by fans in the first row.
The 22 seniors are: Kody Afusia (offensive line), Nick Childs (defensive line), Taylor Graham (quarterback), Ruben Guzman (punter), Tyler Hadden (placekicker), Scott Harding (receiver/punter/punt returner), Jeremy Higgins (quarterback), Joey Iosefa (running back), Donnie King, Jr. (receiver), Tevita Lataimua (linebacker), Dave Lefotu (offensive line), Frank Lloyd, Jr. (offensive line), Dee Maggitt (defensive back), Marcus Malepeai (defensive line), Michael Martin (defensive back), Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson (tight end), Moses Samia (defensive line), Sean Shigematsu (offensive line), Taz Stevenson (defensive back), TJ Taimatuia (linebacker), Niko Uti (defensive line) and Beau Yap (defensive line).
Almost all of the seniors are scheduled to earn their bachelor’s degree either next month, or in May. Stevenson already graduated.
The Rainbow Warriors (3-8 overall, 2-4 Mountain West Conference) are still mathematically alive in the chase for an MWC Western Division title, sitting only one game behind co-leaders Nevada, San Diego State and Fresno State (each at 3-3). But Hawaii must win Saturday to remain in contention.
Peni VEA returns: UNLV junior safety Peni Vea, a 2011 Kealakehe High graduate, is one of six players from Hawaii on the football team’s roster, but the only Big Island product.
He’ll play at Aloha Stadium for the last time as a Rebel on Saturday in a Mountain West Conference game. Next season, UNLV will host UH.
Vea is second on the team with 69 tackles. He also has 2 ½ sacks and a forced fumble.
Last season, he earned All-MWC honorable mention after starting all 13 games, leading the team with 108 tackles, including three for loss, and snagging two picks.
HARDING A SEMIFINALIST FOR RAY GUY AWARD: Scott Harding is one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, which recognizes college football’s top punter.
The semifinalists were chosen from an original list of 82 candidates; three finalists will be announced on Monday and voters will then cast another round of ballots to determine the winner.
TAIMATUIA IS MWC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Linebacker TJ Taimatuia was named MWC Defensive Player of the Week after notching a career-high 11 tackles (six solo), including one tackle-for-loss, to help the Rainbow Warriors shut out San Jose State, 13-0, on the road.
The victory snapped UH’s school-record and nation-leading 17-game road losing streak, and was the Rainbow Warriors’ first shutout since 2005.
MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYS PITT ON MAUI: The UH men’s basketball team (3-1) will play host to perennial powerhouse Pittsburgh (2-0) on Friday at War Memorial Gym in Wailuku, Maui.
The game will not be televised but will be broadcast live on radio via ESPN 1420 AM, and KHLO in Hilo and KKON in Kona.
The Rainbow Warriors are coming off an 89-71 home victory over UH-Hilo on Wednesday night. Sophomore wing Aaron Valdes scored a career-high 31 points and junior point guard Roderick Bobbitt added 12 points, 10 assists and 10 steals, becoming only the second player in school history to record a triple-double. For NBA player Reggie Carter was the only other Hawaii player to accomplish the feat, with 12 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds vs. Yale in 1975.
Bobbitt also broke Tony Webster’s previous school record of nine steals, set in 1983.
RAINBOW WAHINE VOLLEYBALL TEAM ON ROAD: The UH women’s volleyball team will close out its Big West Conference road schedule this weekend with matches at UC Santa Barbara on Friday and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday.
The Rainbow Wahine are 17-6 overall and 9-3 in the Big West. UC Santa Barbara is 12-13, 7-7, and Cal Poly SLO is 9-15, 4-10.
Hawaii, which is unranked, will likely need to win both matches in order to stay alive in the race for an NCAA Tournament berth.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM OPENS HOME SCHEDULE: The UH women’s basketball team opens its home schedule by hosting the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic on Friday and Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawaii will face No. 14-ranked California at 7 p.m. Friday, and UNLV at 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Rainbow Wahine are 2-0 after opening the season with road victories at Colorado State and Denver.
