Isle Huskies Set To Raise The Woof
Micah Hatchie is one of four Hawaii players who will suit up for Washington at Aloha Stadium Aug. 30. STEPHEN BRASHEAR / RED BOX PICTURES PHOTO
If you’re like me, you can’t wait for the college football season to start. And even if you’re concerned about the current state of the University of Hawaii football program, you know we’re going to see some great football Aug. 30, when the Rainbow Warriors open up against Pac-12 power-house Washington at Aloha Stadium.
Don’t be surprised if a significant number of local fans show up at the stadium in Husky purple and gold. That’s because the Islands are well-represented on the Seattle campus as well as on the U-Dub roster, with two outstanding starters and two strong backup players.
Kahuku’s Hau’oli Kikaha and Waialua’s Micah Hatchie are starters for Washington, while Hawaii Islanders Shane Brostek and Psalm Wooching are key contributors. (There’s also a fifth name, as Huskies’ reserve defensive back Brian Clay from California played for UH back in 2011 before transferring to UW in 2013.)
Kikaha is expected to bring a big contingent from Laie. The former All-State linebacker from Kahuku (you knew him as Hau’oli Jamora when he was in high school) is the Huskies’ top defender — he’s already been named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious Bednarik Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive player.
At 6-foot-3 and 246 pounds, Kikaha is cat quick and a tenacious finisher at outside linebacker in UW’s defensive scheme. Last year, he finished the Husky season with 13 sacks, the second-most in school history, and won the team’s defensive MVP award. He also picked up defensive MVP honors in Washington’s victory over BYU in last year’s Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco, with three sacks, a forced fumble and nine tackles.
Hatchie also should have a big throng on hand from Haleiwa. The 6-foot-5, 306-pound offensive lineman has started the past two seasons for the Huskies and is expecting a huge senior season.
The former All-State star from Waialua is the picture of consistency for UW’s front line. He’s started every game for the past two seasons and last year, as a junior, picked up the team’s lineman of the year award, as well as garnering honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors.
Don’t be surprised if the Husky offensive line has two Islander names during much of this first game of the season. Shane Brostek, a 6-foot-4, 283-pound senior from Hawaii Prep, has earned significant playing time the past couple of seasons.
If his name sounds familiar to longtime local football fans, it should. Shane is the son of Vern Brostek, who was an All-American at Washington in the late ’80s and then went on to a stellar NFL career.
The other Hawaii islander is former Kealakehe all-state star Psalm Wooching, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound sophomore outside linebacker. Wooching was heavily recruited out of high school a couple of years ago, played quite a bit as a freshman for the Huskies last season, and has a chance to move his way up the depth chart this year. Wooching also got off to a great start in the classroom, picking up honorable mention All-Academic Pac-12 honors after his first season.
So whether you’re headed to Aloha Stadium in Washington’s colors or the traditional Hawaii green and white, just know that you have a chance to go home a winner either way. What more could a college football fan ask for?
See you Aug. 30 at Aloha Stadium!
senatorbobhogue@yahoo.com
