By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
On his football recruiting tour, quarterback Warner Shaw discovered that a lot of signs pointed him to Puget Sound.
The Kamehameha senior recently signed an academic scholarship with the Loggers, a Division III school that doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, turning down offers from Northern Colorado, Colorado University-Boulder and Southeast Missouri State.
The Loggers, located in cozy Tacoma, Wash., haven’t exactly been a powerhouse in the Northwest Conference, finishing with five straight losing seasons. They went 0-9 overall, including 0-6 in the conference, last season.
In the last game of the season, a 40-34 home loss to Whitworth in 45-degree temperature, just 2,918 fans braved the rain and infamous Northwest whipping cold to watch the game.
The weather will be no problem for Shaw, who will major in exercise science and physical therapy.
“The climate is quite similar to my hometown in Waimea. It was quite chilly during the Loggers’ Northwest Conference season finale against Whitworth in mid-November,” said Shaw, who attended the game.
As far as signs, the university’s address is 1500 Warner Street and the cross street is 18th Avenue. That’s a nice coincidence with Shaw’s first name and his uniform number.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Shaw mentioned the personal connections he felt with Loggers coach Jeff Thomas, who sat with him for an hour during his recruiting trip, and recruiting coordinator Ricky Daley, who flew over to the Big Island. Also, vice president of admissions George Mills made Shaw feel comfortable, while answering questions about the school, which has an enrollment of 2,600 students.
“I went there last summer and the coaching staff treated me really well. They showed serious interest in me and made me their 2012 top recruit,” Shaw said. “I wanted to go somewhere I was wanted. The amount of interest they showed in me made me want to go there.”
His parents, Warren and Amelia Shaw, gave their nod of approval, too. In fact, Warren had a good tidbit about how much the Loggers wanted his son.
“How many schools ask what number do you want to wear? He got his No. 18, the same number at Kamehameha,” Warren said. “That’s in honor of his favorite quarterback, Peyton Manning.”
That red carpet treatment extends both ways for Shaw, who insisted that all the influential people in his development as a quarterback, and 3.3 grade-point-average student-athlete be included in his photo.
“My mom taught me to appreciate the people who have helped you in life,” Shaw said. “I wanted to show them how much they meant to me. They supported me the whole time. I wanted to show them that all that support and effort paid off.”
Shaw regards Kamehameha equipment manager Regan Mizuguchi as an uncle, and appreciates coach Dan Lyons, offensive coordinator Tom Foster and athletic director Bob Wagner for pointing him in the right direction.
But the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II offensive player of the year, who threw for 2,134 yard and 26 touchdowns, patted his dad on the back for being his biggest influence.
The family lives in Waimea and Shaw gets up at 5 a.m. to endure the 90-minute bus ride to the Kamehameha campus. He gets home after 9 p.m., making for a long day and good preparation for life as a student-athlete at an academically driven institution.
When he thinks about what makes him tick, Shaw tells the tale of his dad clearing out a pasture in the family’s property and making a football field for him. There he worked with his dad on his accuracy, throwing deep balls, eventually stretching his distance to 75 yards, and giving him the arsenal to win eight out of nine MVP camp awards last summer.
“My dad mowed a pasture to make a 100-yard field. Ever since then I would throw every day,” he said. “My dad taught me how to throw. He was a quarterback at Kamehameha-Kapalama. My arm strength is my biggest asset.”
A good grasp on putting things into perspective runs a close second.
“It’s a game and I put hard work into it. But I also understand that it’s just a game,” he said. “I want to impact the program at Puget Sound and have fun doing it, too.”