PUB. DATE: JAN. 2

WARRIORS HIT SOUR NOTE IN SUGAR BOWL LOSS

NEW ORLEANS — What had been a football season of perfect beauty for the Hawai'i football team ended oh, so, UGA-ly, last night in the Sugar Bowl.

Playing on the biggest stage in their history, the Warriors could do little right in a disheartening 41-10 loss to Georgia in the Louisiana Superdome.

The Warriors coughed up a Bowl Championship Series-record six turnovers — four interceptions and two fumbles — and Colt Brennan, scrambling all night against a relentless manhunt, was sacked eight times.

"It was the worst game of my career," said Brennan, who was 22-of-38 for 169 yards and three interceptions. "But it was against the best team I've played."

The 10th-ranked Warriors (12-1) could not respond to taunts of "Over-rated" or, in a merciless kick-'em-while-down act, when Georgia coach Mark Richt challenged a UH catch with the Bulldogs ahead, 38-3, in the third quarter. The fifth-ranked Bulldogs (11-2), as it turned out, won the challenge.

The Warriors entered their first BCS postseason game as the nation's only unbeaten Division I-A team. They ended up saving their worst for last, suffering one of their worst offensive showings in June Jones' nine seasons as UH head coach.

Through their first 12 games, the Warriors averaged 529.25 yards per game, third best among Division I-A teams. Last night, they finished with 306 yards, most coming long after the suspense had ended.

For the Warriors, it unraveled early, when they could not offer any resistance against the Bulldogs' speedy pass rush. Of the two ways to defend a four-wide offense — drop into coverage or sic the 'Dogs — Georgia chose to go with the full-court press.

"It's Georgia speed," linebacker Dannell Ellerbe said. "I don't think they've seen anything like it."

JAN. 8

JONES' DEPARTURE BEGAN WHEN FRAZIER NIXED DEAL

The beginning of the end of June Jones' tenure as the University of Hawai'i's head football coach could be traced to March 2006.

The Warriors had finished 5-7 in 2005. But Jones believed the core of first-year starters — quarterback Colt Brennan, receivers Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins, defensive lineman Michael Lafaele, and linebackers Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian — would help lead the Warriors to the brink of a success.

To fulfill that potential, Jones felt, two moves were needed. Jones wanted to rehire Dennis McKnight, who left the program in 2000, to become the offensive line coach. Jones also wanted to create a fundraising position for his mentor, Darrell "Mouse" Davis, who had served as offensive assistant coach in 2005.

Jones approached athletic director Herman Frazier with a unique offer. Jones was entering the fourth season of a five-year contract in which he earned $800,016 annually, half of which was paid from donations.

Jones offered to sign a new five-year contract, taking a large pay cut that would reduce his annual salary to $500,000. The savings, Jones said, would be used to hire McKnight, create a non-coaching position for Davis, and boost the recruiting budget. The only stipulation was the deal needed to be completed in time for the start of spring practice in April.

Frazier rejected Jones' offer.

The two never discussed terms of a contract proposal again until last Thursday — the day Jones received a proposal outline from Southern Methodist University.

Yesterday morning in Dallas, Jones accepted an offer to become SMU's head coach, ending the most successful football run in UH history. UH agreed to release Jones from the remainder of his contract, which expires June 30.

JAN. 9

FRAZIER'S TENURE ENDED WITH LITTLE FANFARE

It wasn't just the early-morning sun reflecting off the five diamonds set in an Olympic configuration on his U.S. Olympic ring that sparkled on the June day in 2002 when Herman Frazier was introduced as the University of Hawai'i athletic director.

So, too, did the possibilities, as then-UH President Evan Dobelle and a cast of dignitaries toasted Frazier's hiring in the Bachman Hall foyer.

Where previous UH directors were introduced in the athletic department in little more than pot-luck affairs, Frazier got the red-carpet treatment befitting a man Dobelle hailed as "a true American hero" and someone "who will do great things for this university, this state. Someone who can lead without limits."

Today, UH looks for Frazier's replacement, having announced his buyout yesterday in the wake of football coach June Jones' stunning departure to Southern Methodist University.

"In the best interests of the athletic program," UH said it will pay $312,510 to buy out a contract that was to have concluded July 31, 2010.

JAN. 17

MCMACKIN VOWED TO MAINTAIN 'JUNE'S LEGACY'

The "Greg McMackin" name plate is dangling on the office door, a reminder that even the naming of a new University of Hawai'i football coach is a work in progress.

"Can't worry about that," said McMackin, who was on a three-things-at-once schedule during his first day as June Jones' successor. Jones resigned last week to become Southern Methodist's head coach.

McMackin's wife of more than 40 years, Heather, watched in bemusement as he signed forms, crafted plans for this weekend's nine recruiting visits, and ignored his Burger King leftovers — "my only meal today."

McMackin, promoted from defensive coordinator, has a lot of work and little time to fill the five remaining coaching positions on his staff — Rich Miano, Cal Lee, Ron Lee and George Lumpkin are staying — and formulating ways to maintain what he calls "June's legacy."

McMackin promises to be a players' coach — and a coaches' coach — who also can provide, if needed, feisty leadership. That means shedding the "grandfatherly" image painted by author J. David Miller.

"I don't know where I get that label," said McMackin, who once threw a water bottle during an impassioned halftime speech last year. "I am a grandfather, but I'm a young grandfather. I'm a defensive (coach) personality. I'm not a yeller or screamer. But when I get upset, they know it. If you yell and scream all of the time, they won't know when you're really upset. I have my defensive (coach) side."

McMackin, without the help of an agent, secured not only a five-year contract worth $1.1 million annually, but promises of substantial raises for his assistant coaches. Manoa chancellor Virginia Hinshaw said she also will look into giving McMackin's assistant coaches multi-year contracts.

AUG. 23

CLAY IS CROWNED WORLD'S GREATEST ATHLETE

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BEIJING — Bryan Clay can sleep now, and he can dream about being the Olympic decathlon champion. When he wakes up, it will still be true.

Sleep deprived and exhausted, Clay persevered to win the decathlon yesterday at the Beijing Olympics, joining the likes of Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Bruce Jenner and Dan O'Brien in American athletic lore.

"Those are all the guys that I look up to," Clay said. "I think this is the start of something good, and I'm hoping we can continue to do this through 2012. It's been a little while since we've had the gold medal in the decathlon brought back to the States. I'm happy with being the person to do it. I hope the Wheaties box and all those types of things happen."

The Castle High alum, 28, won the silver medal in the decathlon at the 2004 Athens Olympics but had long targeted the Beijing Olympics as the competition for which he wanted to aggressively pursue a gold medal. And so he went after it from the first event on Thursday, the 100-meter dash, and continued until he had all but locked up the title by the start of the final event yesterday, the 1,500-meter run.

He scored 8,791 points, 240 more than silver medalist Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus.

AUG. 25

WAIPI'O COMPLETES CLIMB TO TOP OF WORLD

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — In the final game of its thrilling roller-coaster ride to a world championship, the Waipi'o Little League baseball team this time took out much of the drama with a couple innings to spare.

Waipi'o routed Mexico, 12-3, yesterday in the most lopsided victory by a United States team over the International Champion since the Little League World Series started including foreign teams in the title game in 1967.

Waipi'o also became only the second team since the first Series in 1947 to score a run in every inning of the championship game.

"It felt really good to be the world champions," said second baseman/shortstop Tanner Tokunaga, "especially (for me) to make the last out."

But long before Tokunaga glided to his left to cleanly field a ground ball by Hector Dragustonovis and made a quick throw to first baseman Khade Paris on the game's final play, the outcome appeared to be decided thanks to hot hitting by Waipi'o and a steady pitching performance by Caleb Duhay.

Waipi'o pounded out 11 hits — including two home runs by Tokunaga and one by Iolana Akau — and was aided by several Mexico miscues: three errors, six wild pitches, three passed balls, nine walks issued and three hit batsmen.

"The kids from Hawai'i are really, really good and they got a great start from the get-go," Mexico manager Gustavo Gomez said through an interpreter. "They are very solid, they did a great job. My hat's off to them, my congratulations."

OCT. 30

VICTORINO A MAJOR PLAYER IN PHILLIES' TITLE DRIVE

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Philadelphia at last has a World Series champion and a center fielder from Maui played a key role.

Shane Victorino became the first everyday player from Hawai'i to capture Major League Baseball's top prize.

The St. Anthony (Maui) alum played a key role in getting the Phillies to the World Series.

After hitting .293 with 14 home runs and 36 stolen bases in the regular season, Victorino provided the Phillies with two defining moments of their postseason run, hitting a grand slam off Milwaukee's CC Sabathia in Game 2 of the NLDS and a game-tying two-run home run against the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLCS.

In the series-clinching Game 5 with the game tied at 3, Pat Burrell led off the bottom of the seventh with a drive off the center-field wall against J.P. Howell. Chad Bradford relieved and after Victorino grounded out to second to move pinch-runner Eric Bruntlett to third, Pedro Feliz singled through a drawn-in infield for a 4-3 lead.

Victorino capped off his season by winning his first Gold Glove award on Nov. 5.

AUG. 24

PROUD MOMENT FOR HAWAI'I VOLLEYBALL

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BEIJING — Clay Stanley can add an Olympic gold medal to his volleyball resume, while a trio of former University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine and a Punahou alum are bringing home a silver medal from the women's event.

Stanley, a Kaiser High and UH alum, had a team-high 15 kills — including the match-winner — three blocks and two aces as the United States beat Brazil, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23, today.

In the women's final, Brazil beat the U.S., 25-15, 18-25, 25-13, 25-21.

This was the first time since the 1984 Los Angeles Games that both the American men and women advanced to the Olympic finals.

In the women's final match, former UH players Heather Bown had 10 kills, while Robyn Ah Mow-Santos and Lindsey Berg, a Punahou alum, shared setting duties. Kim Willoughby, another UH alum, entered as a substitute.

"Four years ago, none of us really expected us to be here," said Berg, a captain. "It's been a long journey and we've come a long way. We couldn't be more proud of what we've done here."

AUG. 22

KAI REJOICES IN U.S. SOCCER'S GOLDEN DAY

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BEIJING — They came to the Beijing Olympics as a team trying to find its way, still adjusting to a new coach and each other, still smarting from a loss that brought humiliation on and off the field.

They dropped their first game, hardly an auspicious start for a country that had lost only one other in three Olympics. But bit by bit, game by game, they came together, figuring out what it would take to win.

Yesterday, the U.S. women's soccer team stood as one, Olympic gold medals around their necks, champions once again.

"Vindicated? I feel great, I feel amazing. I just won a gold medal," said goalkeeper Hope Solo, whose banishment at last year's World Cup symbolizes the struggles these Americans have had and without whom they wouldn't have won this game.

Forward Natasha Kai, a Kahuku High and University of Hawai'i alum, was brought in for her fresh legs during the first 15-minute extra-time period. She said Solo's estrangement is no longer a topic of discussion.

"You forgive and you forget," Kai said. "Hope's an amazing person. She's a part of our team. We love her and we love each other, and that's the beauty of it."

Now Kai and her teammates have a gold medal.

"Bling," Kai said, cheerfully. "It's bling."

AUG. 4

MCLACHLIN JOINS HIS AMERICAN IDOLS

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RENO, Nev. — Honolulu's Parker McLachlin didn't expect to even play in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, let alone come away with his first victory on the PGA Tour.

Now he's secured a spot in this week's PGA Championship at Oakland Hill and, perhaps more important to him, an invite to the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship in his home state of Hawai'i.

"I used to go over there and work that golf tournament picking the range, spending the week over there when I was 13, 14 years old being a standard bearer," said McLachlin, 29, who held on with a 2-over-par 74 yesterday to win the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at 18-under 270 — seven strokes better than Brian Davis and John Rollins.

"I can vividly remember being a standard bearer for Fred Couples. I just idolized those guys and to be part of that fraternity, I just can't express it," McLachlin said. "It has been a dream of mine since I was about 12."

The Punahou School and UCLA alum, who is in his second year on tour, began the final round with a six-shot lead after tying the course record of 62 on Friday and setting a 54-hole mark of 20-under par at the 7,472-yard Montreux Golf & Country Club near Lake Tahoe.

He extended it to seven after three holes yesterday, but the nerves tightened when he saw it shrink to four with seven holes to play before escaping trouble several times down the stretch and dropping a 15-foot putt on the 18th for his lone birdie of the day.

"I was fortunate to have that big cushion because I needed it," McLachlin said.

NOV. 21

MOORE'S VICTORY SHOWS SHE'S WAVE OF FUTURE

After a historic surfing victory yesterday, Carissa Moore's celebration was put on hold for ... school.

"Yes, I still have to do homework," said Moore, a junior at Punahou School.

Which makes her victory in the women's division of the Reef Hawaiian Pro all the more remarkable.

Moore, 16, became the youngest surfer — male or female — to win a Vans Triple Crown of Surfing contest.

The Reef Hawaiian Pro is the first contest in the Triple Crown series, and most of the world's top-ranked female surfers were in the field.

"It's a pretty amazing feeling," Moore said. "I'm really stoked and happy."

The final day of the contest was run in 3- to 5-foot waves at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach.

Moore is one of the most decorated amateur surfers in the world, and yesterday was her first significant professional victory.

Because of her lack of professional experience, Moore had to qualify for the Reef Hawaiian Pro through a separate trials heat. She won the trials heat, then proceeded to win every one of her heats over the two days of competition.

"After making it through the trials, I was just trying to make it through heats and see where it took me," she said. "I wasn't expecting any of this."

MAY 20

Punahou athletics hailed as best in U.S.

Punahou's recent athletic prowess will make a national splash tomorrow, when Sports Illustrated's latest issue hits newsstands with an article featuring the Buffanblu program as the best out of more than 38,000 high schools across the nation.

Punahou administrators have deferred official comment on the ranking until Sports Illustrated issues its press release, but they acknowledged yesterday that the magazine sent a reporter and photographer to spend several days on campus three weeks ago.

Keith Amemiya, Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director, said he also was contacted by magazine researchers, who indicated that Punahou would be ranked No. 1.

"This is a tremendous honor for not only Punahou, but the rest of our high schools across the state as well," Amemiya said. "It reflects the high level of competition and excellent caliber of athletes we have in all of our schools and in all of our different sports."

Punahou has won 16 team state championships in this school year alone, including eight in the past two weeks. The Buffanblu won 13 team state championships in both 2005-2006 and 2006-2007.

JAN. 20, MAY 25

PENN SHOWED WHY HE'S THE ULTIMATE CHAMPION

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Hilo's BJ Penn laid claim to a label of being one of the best ever in the sport of mixed martial arts.

Penn defeated Joe Stevenson by choke submission in the second round to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight world title at Newcastle, England in January.

With the win, Penn (155) became just the second mixed martial arts fighter to win UFC world championships in two separate weight divisions. In 2004, he was the welterweight (170 pounds) champion.

In May, Penn successfully defended his lightweight world title with a second-round TKO victory over Minnesota's Sean Sherk at Las Vegas. Sherk was the previous UFC lightweight champ, but got stripped of the title after he failed a drug test in 2007.

TE'O REAPED BUSHEL OF NATIONAL AWARDS

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A Dick Butkus award — a first for a high school player ...

The Sporting News High School Athlete of the Year ...

USA Today's national Defensive Player of the Year ...

The honors kept rolling in for Punahou School star running back/linebacker Manti Te'o, who became Hawai'i's most decorated prep athlete ever and one of most sought-after recruits.

Te'o, an Eagle Scout who also is a sound student and a standout citizen, led Punahou to its first state football championship with a 38-7 victory over Leilehua in December.