CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Bryce Kalaoukaaea did a one-legged maneuver during Super Games dodgeball competition yesterday in Klum Gym.

Dodgeball a hit at offseason Super Games

What do college football players do after the season?

Play dodgeball, of course.

Around 100 Hawaii Warriors tried to nail each other with volleyballs yesterday in Klum Gym at 7 a.m. in the latest installment of the offseason Super Games, part of new UH head coach Greg McMackin's plan to add competition and fun to offseason conditioning.

Two weeks ago, McMackin had senior leaders draft teams. In addition to the weekly games, the teams compete in physical training, schoolwork, and other areas of accountability like being on time for meetings.

And dodgeball.

Surprisingly, many winning football skills and strategies translate to the dodgeball arena.

Like preparation in the film room:

"We used different dodgeball techniques we learned from 'Dodgeball,' the movie," said senior linebacker Adam Leonard, captain of Section 8, the team that won all four of its games to take the tournament. "We're just the Average Joes and we came to compete."

Unlike dodgeball legend Patches O'Houlihan in the movie, Leonard did not throw wrenches at his team to prepare them for the rigors of competition.

"But we did dodge cars," he said.

Section 8 had to beat the experienced Hammers team, led by another senior linebacker, Solomon Elimimian.

Dodgeball is a long forgotten playground game for most, but not junior linebacker Blaze Soares.

"We played a lot last spring, we used to have our own tournaments," Soares said. "Solomon, Jake (Ingram), Keao (Monteilh), Ryan Keomaka."

"Yes, we have some professional dodgeball players. Blaze, Greg Salas, Jake Ingram," Elimimian said. "We thought we were the favorite."

And Elimimian's team looked the part early. Even kicker Dan Kelly looked like he knew what he was doing (not a big surprise considering Kelly was an outstanding soccer goalkeeper in high school).

Soares, with a big wind-up fastball to match his first name, was the KO king.

In the championship game, the Hammers took the early lead, but the Section 8 players were especially adept at bailing their fallen teammates out of "jail" and came from behind to win.

"It's teamwork," Leonard gloated afterward. "Just communicate, and be athletic. We've got an athletic team, they can do different facets of just being an athlete. That's what it takes, and that's what I wanted when I picked my team.

"You have to have coordination. There's chaos and you have to be able to focus. Kind of like a football game."

Section 8's roster includes Cameron Allen-Jones, Jameel Dowling, James Flanagan, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane, Daniel Libre, Dylan Linkner, Monteilh and Miah Ostrowski.

Leonard explained his team's name: "Because we're hungry. We're tired of being on the bottom and we'll work our way up."

Section 8 has won two of the three Super Games so far. Kiesel-Kauhane won last week by being able to sit with his back against a wall -- without a chair and with a weight in his lap -- the longest.

"We've got more battles and we look forward to beating them. We're going to win the rest of the events, so I'm not worried about Adam's team," Elimimian said.

"Here's my prediction," Leonard said. "We'll win basketball, too."

Next week's event is tug of war.