Ekolu Soon, a speedy slot receiver from Kamehameha, becomes the first Hawaii high school player to go to SMU with June Jones as the Mustangs head coach. And if there was someone from here who played for the Dallas private school previously, I never heard of him (I’ll check later with my boss, Paul Arnett, who grew up in Big D).

Soon, who also considered Army and Utah, said he’s getting a preferred walk-on deal. Jeff Reinebold, who will be his position coach (still seems strange that Sun God has the WRs after mentoring the D-line here), recruited him.

***

According to the New York Daily News (and Mr. Tombo Ahi, who as far as I can tell posted it first among those of us on the Warrior Nation Net), Kenny Patton is signing a free-agent contract with the Jets.

***

Just got word there will be a news conference this afternoon regarding the TV contract for UH sports, which is up for renewal. Look for Oceanic to potentially be a bigger player than in past deals, since they’ve got the bucks. Also look for reports from Brian McInnis at Star-Bulletin.com breaking news and in tomorrow’s print edition.

Ryan Keomaka had 8 1/2 tackles in his pro football debut as he and his Billings Outlaws teammates beat the Omaha Beef 61-40 in a United States Indoor Football League game last night.

Sorry, was out at DII boys volleyball and didn’t have access to the blog
awaii two-sport athlete Amber Kaufman broke the school record in the high jump today, the final day of the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.
The Rainbow Wahine placed sixth with 74.5 points while Louisiana Tech captured its fourth consecutive team title.

Kaufman, a starter on the Hawaii women’s volleyball team, cleared 6-0.5 (1.84m) edging teammate Emily Sheppard (5-11.25/1.81m) for her first career WAC gold medal.

“For Amber, what an amazing effort to clear 1.84, she was just sitting over it,” UH head coach Carmyn James said. “She’ll be able to get to nationals with that mark. It was extra special for Emily too, to have to go between triple jump and high jump all while being sick. It was a great way to end the meet for us.”

The Rainbow Wahine will next compete at the NCAA West Regionals, May 30-31 in Northridge, Calif. UH qualified a school-record 10 athletes for the meet.

Don’t get too excited … these are just some minor rumblings to tickle on a slow day — make that slow week. But at least one guy is trying his best to get another Hawaii and Alabama football series going, and Jim Donovan and Greg McMackin are open to the idea.

Peter Kim, who scored the final points of Bear Bryant’s coaching career, has the ear of Alabama AD Mal Moore, and has been campaigning for more Warrior-Tide games after ‘Bama took 2 out of 3 in the series in 2002, 2003 (the UH win) and 2006 (at Tuscaloosa to open the season).

Donovan said he’s fine with the idea, as long as it includes at least one game here. McMackin said he’s cool with it, too, but points out that the price of oil will probably dictate how far UH will go in the future for road games.

As for the Alabama perspective, it would be difficult for it to play a game at Hawaii late in the season because of the SEC championship game (remember, last time they played here was because they were on probation and ineligible for postseason).

But Peter Kim — he of Yummy BBQ and now Liliha Bakery fame — is a guy with a track record of making things happen. So don’t be too surprised if there’s another Hawaii-Alabama series somewhere down the line.

***

McMackin is unhappy with a new NCAA rule that disallows head coaches from visiting high schools during the spring recruiting season. His plan was to hit every high school in the state this month in person.

“Since I can’t do that I’m sending two of my (assistant) coaches to each school,” McMackin said.

As for mainland recruiting, McMackin said UH will hit California hard, “from Sacramento to San Diego,” as well as Las Vegas, Utah and other areas with Polynesian kids.

Baldwin alumnus Kai Maiava, who started as a freshman on the offensive line at Colorado, is transferring to UCLA. There was some speculation that Maiava would try to transfer to Hawaii after the Buffs moved him to fullback.

I just got a phone message saying Annett Wichmann just won the WAC outdoors heptathlon for the third year in a row. More details to come on breaking news soon, and in tomorrow’s SB print edition.

Idaho also scored heavily in the heptathlon, so it will be a tough climb for UH to try to win its first WAC track championship, even with Superwoman Wichmann piling up more points tomorrow and Saturday.

UPDATE: Wichmann and Emily Sheppard (two points for seventh place) combined for 12 points. Idaho got 22.5 for second through fourth and a tie for fifth.

Amber Kaufman tossed a javelin for the first time in college last Saturday, throwing 98 feet, 7 inches. (Wichman throws around 142-6)
Kaufman is going to do both the javelin and the high jump. She equaled equaled her seasonal best Saturday when clearning 5-10.75.
UH coach James told the S-B’s Dave Reardon that she thought Kaufman had great potential as a heptathlete.

I spoke with Jim Donovan yesterday while he was at LAX waiting for his flight home, ending a week-and-a-half on the road. The trip included WAC meetings in Phoenix. Items discussed included football rule changes for 2009. Donovan said there will be more emphasis on helmet-to-helmet and shoulder-to-helmet contact, and that more of these kind of hits will be penalized. The UH AD said his understanding is that the only ones that won’t will be plays where the ball carrier puts himself in a vulnerable position while attempting to gain yardage.

This brings to mind the Marcus Riley hit on Colt Brennan last year that knocked the UH quarterback out of the Fresno State game.

There’s also a 40-second play clock now, like the NFL. Also, the gameclock will start on out of bounds plays as soon as the ball is made ready for play (not when snapped, as previously), except in the last two minutes of the half or game.

Donovan and others say this may favor teams with no-huddle offenses.

***

Mike Lafaele says he’s “kind of bummed” nothing has shaken out for him yet for at least a tryout with an NFL team. But the all-WAC defensive tackle is liked by at least one team — the Seattle Seahawks. Coaches have viewed a highlight tape put together by a scout, and they like it. Problem is the Seahawks don’t have any room at DT right now, even for a free agent, and something such as an injury has to happen for Lafaele to get an invite. It could happen, though, and Lafaele might get his shot, probably around the time fall camp starts.

Freshman safety Le’Marcus Gibson, a player for whom many had high hopes, is home in Mississippi and will not return to UH.

“Right now I’m thinking about going to a JC,” Gibson said in a phone interview with the Star-Bulletin today. “Nothing against Hawaii. I just think it’s a more comfortable situation here for me.”

Gibson played on special teams in the season-opening game against Northern Colorado last year and injured his knee, requiring surgery. He was still rehabilitating it during spring practice, but did participate in some individual drills.

He was expected to compete for playing time in fall camp.

Also, speedy wide receiver Eric Shaffer is leaving UH without having played a down.

Shaffer put up big football numbers in high school in Fayetteville, Ark., and was a state sprint champ with a 10.57 in the 100 meters.

He redshirted last year, and got quite a few reps at slotback in spring practice last month. Shaffer came to UH on the advice of his half-brother, Bobby Joe Edmunds. Edmunds was a star at Arkansas and played for June Jones when Jones coached the Detroit Lions.

UH sources said Shaffer is returning home to Arkansas due to reasons unrelated to football. He is not expected to return.

Gibson and Shaffer are among several scholarship players leaving the program following the end of spring practice. Others are linebacker Erik Pedersen and running back Korey Reynolds.

The good news is this frees up scholarships for other deserving players, including projected starters. The bad news is it counts against UH’s APR rating in future years.

***

I’m having a technical problem posting comments, so I’ll respond to the question below from Wes here: You can look at it in a couple of different ways — a serious problem because of the APR considerations, or growing pains as some players deemed worthy of scholarships a year or two ago might have a hard time getting onto the field. But if you do the math, you know this is a problem regardless … max 85 scholarship players, 22 starters (not counting specialists). The trick is to recruit student-athletes who are going to stay even if they realize later they’re not going to play a lot and they think they can somewhere else. And the coaches don’t want to mislead anyone. Man, that is a tough job.

Hawaii will not host the next two years. Sad. any thoughts??Penn State, Colorado State, Texas and Washington have been chosen as the  four host sites for the 2008 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regional Championship, to be held Dec. 12-13,The Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., will be the site of the 2008 NCAA National Championship semifinals and final on Dec. 18 and 20. Sites for the 2009 NCAA Regional Championships were also announced today and include the O’Connell Center and the University of Florida; the Sports Pavilion and the University of Minnesota; the Qwest Center Omaha and the University of Nebraska; and Maples Pavilion and Stanford University. The regionals will be played Dec. 11-12.The 2009 NCAA National Championship semifinals and final are slated for the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., and will be played Dec. 17 and 19.  For more information on the Penn State women’s volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.