Warriors bring pride home from bowl

January 3, 2008

June Jones wasn’t ready to talk upon Hawaii’s arrival from New Orleans yesterday, but that didn’t mean many of the Warriors players and coaches weren’t ready to reflect on the Sugar Bowl and season as a whole.

The team members who returned to Oahu yesterday aboard a Hawaiian Airlines charter were greeted by music and hula dancers at Honolulu International Airport before being quickly bused to the UH campus. The coaches rounded up the players behind the four buses first, and Jones gave them some final encouragement before the Warriors went on their way.

“He said to be proud. We accomplished a lot, we had a great season,” said Mike Lafaele, defensive tackle and team captain. “He told us he loved us and we love him too, he’s a great coach. There’s nothing to hold our heads down for, just be proud of what we did for this state and for our program.”