Just got off the phone with Brian Viloria, recently crowned IBF flyweight world champion from Waipahu.

He’s in Vegas for Saturday’s junior welterweight fight between his good friend, Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.

Viloria said he’ll arrive  in Hawaii on May 13 and be home for about a week. There’ll be a press conference, and a parade through Waipahu in his honor is planned for Saturday, May 16.

He told the Star-Bulletin recently that he would like to defend his title in Hawaii and wants to meet with promoter Tom Moffatt. Viloria has not fought in Hawaii since 2003.

-By Dave Reardon

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In response to the question about who I think should start at the receiver spots for the UH football team:

At this point, I’d go with Greg Salas and Malcolm Lane on the outside spots and Kealoha Pilares and Jovonte Taylor at the slots. Lots of playing time also for Jon Medeiros, Dustin Blount, Rodney Bradley and Billy Ray Stutzmann.

I can’t remember the UH receiving corps ever being this deep before.

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Frank Gansz was a great special teams coach, in the NFL and college ranks. The former Kansas City Chiefs head coach served as a guest coach at UH in 2004 due to his friendship with June Jones, and spoke at the team banquet one year.

Gansz, 70, has died due to complications from knee replacement surgery. He was Jones’ special teams coach at SMU.

“Heaven became an even better place today,” Jones wrote on his Twitter account. 

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–By Dave Reardon

University of Hawaii football alumni are invited to a reception Friday night (April 24), 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wong hospitality room at the Stan Sheriff Center. Food and beverage will be provided by Na Koa and the UH Letter Winners’ Club.

Na Koa president Don Weir said Sol Kaulukukui, who played for the Rainbows in the 1940s, is among the alumni expected to attend.

Coach Greg McMackin, athletic director Jim Donovan and UH Manoa chancellor Virginia Hinshaw are scheduled to make brief remarks.

It will be announced at the gathering that all UH football lettermen will receive a free ticket to the Dec.5 game against Wisconsin at Aloha Stadium and be acknowledged in a special celebration.

For more information, call Weir at (808) 295-7969.

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Speaking of  former UH football players:

Gerard Lewis and Myron Newberry, little cornerbacks who made big plays for Hawaii in arguably the Warriors’ two greatest seasons, 2006 and 2007, are back together again, playing for the Amarillo Dusters of af2 arena football.

“Life is treating me great,” Lewis said in an e-mail.

The Dusters are 0-3, but hope to get on the winning side of things with a home game against Oklahoma State on Saturday.

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–By Dave Reardon

I had the honor of sitting with the editors and advisors of the Waianae High School newspaper today at lunch. They took home a truckload of awards at the annual state competition.

One of their plaques was for best sports story of the year, which was about wrestlers cutting weight and expertly written by Brittni Dinong.

Congratulations and best of luck in the future to Mhanivei Moresca (editor in chief), Brittney Rojo (features editor), Trinell Agaran (features editor), Shanti Segovia-Manner (news editor), Sam Balecha (sports editor), Maisha Abbott (features editor), Lorraine Gershun (advisor) and Bryson Armitage (advisor, Waianae Class of 2007).

–By Dave Reardon

Beautiful ceremony in remembrance of Les Keiter this morning at Outrigger Canoe Club. One after another, Hawaii sportscasting luminaries and others spoke of how Les so generously gave of himself to help the future generations of his profession. The speeches were all personal but with a common thread: Les was a giant in his field, but also a huge hearted friend to all he met and mentor to all he worked with.

Among the many Hawaii sports legends in attendance: Skippa Diaz, Merv Lopes, Tommy Kono, Bob Nash.

Les was a friend to me, but I keep learning new things about him. I didn’t know he liked to play volleyball until Jim Leahey mentioned it today.

 –Dave Reardon