A total of eleven members of the University of Hawai‘i football team were honored by the Mountain West Conference, which released its yearly awards on Tuesday.
Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, as well as to the all-conference first team, after making 25 of his 26 field goal attempts and all 37 of his extra point tries. The Japan native is also a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker. The winner will be announced on Dec. 12.
"Honestly, I never expected this season, but I believe I can do it somehow," Matsuzawa said on Tuesday. "Really grateful to have my teammates and coaches and all the connection throughout my journey. It's been a blessing not just as a player, but as a person. I really want to thank everybody who connected with me and helped me throughout the journey."
Meanwhile, quarterback Micah Alejado was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year after throwing for 2,832 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games, breaking Timmy Chang's record for passing touchdowns by a UH freshman.
While Alejado was an All-Mountain West honorable mention pick, receiver Jackson Harris was named to the conference's first team after hauling in 963 yards and 12 touchdowns. On defense, Roosevelt alumnus and UH senior Jackie Johnson III was named to the first team after racking up 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. The defensive end began his collegiate career at Lawrence Tech, an NAIA school in Michigan.
"It has just been an incredible journey, and I'm just happy," Johnson said. "This means a lot to me. It's an incredible achievement that I never saw myself getting. It's a testament to the coaches, coaching staff and players inside the locker room and the players inside my position room that support me. They teach me a lot of things. It's just a perfect combination, and it's just not me that's receiving this award. It's my teammates and my brothers."
Receiver Pofele Ashlock was named to the Mountain West second team after accumulating a team-high 62 receptions for 704 yards and six touchdowns. Defensive tackle De'Jon Benton also earned second-team honors with his team-high 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Additionally, running back Cam Barfield was named to the Mountain West second team as a returner with his 29.7 yards per kickoff return, including an 86-yard touchdown against San Diego State.
Safety Peter Manuma, linebacker Jamih Otis, defensive back Elijah Palmer and offensive lineman Zhen Sotelo all earned honorable mention from the Mountain West.
"For the for the defensive guys that got voted in there, it shows respect around the around the conference, a couple of [additional] guys that should have been in there, I truly believe," associate head coach and linebackers coach Chris Brown said. "But for the guys who did get in there, I think they earned the respect."
Hawai‘i, which wrapped up the regular season with a 27-7 win over Wyoming on Nov. 29, is set to play in the Hawai‘i Bowl on Christmas Eve, although a formal announcement and opponent have yet to be released. The Rainbow Warriors will return to practice in the coming days.
"I think the most special part of this whole thing is that we get more time with those guys, more time to make memories, more time for laughs and just great times with these guys," Brown said.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
