Warner Shaw’s life story has been about patience and appreciation — two equally invaluable virtues that have shaped his collegiate career path to the Pacific University football team. ADVERTISING Warner Shaw’s life story has been about patience and appreciation —
Warner Shaw’s life story has been about patience and appreciation — two equally invaluable virtues that have shaped his collegiate career path to the Pacific University football team.
The 2012 Kamehameha graduate had to wait his turn before taking over full time at quarterback in his senior season in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
It’s been the same thing for the Boxers, a Division III team in Forest Grove, Ore., where Shaw sat behind not one but two QBs in T.C. Campbell and P.J. Minaya.
In the fifth game of the season Oct. 18 at home, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior had a career-best performance against No. 18 Pacific Lutheran. In a 31-28 win, Shaw was 21 of 24 for 244 yards with three touchdowns and no picks.
It was Pacific’s first victory over the Lutes since 1972, and the first 3-0 start in the Northwest Conference in the school’s history.
Shaw’s near perfect day earned him the NWC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week.
A week later on the road against George Fox, Shaw was efficient again. He was 11 of 17 for 168 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions last Saturday.
It wasn’t 88 percent passing like against the Lutes, but a 65 percent completion rate against the winless Bruins (0-6, 0-4) was nothing to sneeze at.
Pacific (4-2, 4-0 NWC) next plays at Lewis & Clark (0-7, 0-5) on Saturday, another favored game with a shot to make more Boxer history.
What Pacific coach Keith Buckley liked most was how Shaw came of age in his career performance against Pacific Lutheran.
“Warner really showed his growth as a game manager against PLU. He made smart decisions throughout the game and made big throws on third down (Pacific was 11 of 15 on third down) to move the chains,” Buckley said. “He has continued to gain confidence with every experience and with that growth has come an ability to be a leader on offense.”
That was nice praise from Buckley, but what he said next about Shaw’s character would be a much prouder moment for his parents, Warren and Amelia Shaw.
“Anyone who knows Warner can attest to the fact that he is a great young man who cares about the people around him,” Buckley said.
Instead of viewing Campbell from Oahu’s Kamehameha-Kapalama and Minaya from Pac-Five via Hanalani mainly as competition, Shaw embraced them as mentors.
“They’re kind of like my older brothers,” said Shaw, a business administration major, who has a 3.0 grade-point average. “They’re both up here. P.J. is coaching and T.C. is working and in grad school. We still keep in contact. Sitting behind them showed me what it takes when it was my turn to step into the role. They led by example, and carried themselves so well.
“They taught me so much, especially the importance of the little things: footwork, finishing my throws. They both took me under their wing, and made sure after they graduated I was ready to step into the role.”
There’s an old saying that patience is a virtue. It’s a great quality for a fisherman, but for a college quarterback with a four-year window it might make someone antsy.
Instead, Shaw looked at sitting and waiting for his turn from another point of view: self-reflection.
“It was bittersweet. Of course, I wanted to play,” Shaw said. “But you have to look at yourself in the mirror and say that you’re not ready, and the coaches see something where you’re not fully developed from a leadership or fundamental point.
“You have to step back and take care of any loose ends. Then the rest of the team will look at you and say that this guy is ready.”
Now, it’s Shaw’s turn to play the role of mentor. He and Kamehameha senior quarterback Micah Kanehailua are close and talk on the phone. Shaw is a Boxer teammate and back home Waimea neighbor of Brandon Howes, a 2014 Konawaena graduate.
Kanehailua beat out Howes for the starting job after Shaw graduated. There’s a possibility that there could be a Kamehameha QB alumni club because Pacific has offered a scholarship package to Kanehailua.
Shaw’s aloha spirit doesn’t stop there.
Also under his wing at Pacific are 2013 Kamehameha graduate Kennon Quiocho, an offensive lineman, and 2014 Kamehameha graduate Ina Teofilo, a linebacker.
“It’s nice to have continued friendships with all the guys I went to high school with,” Shaw said. “Kennon has started at right guard. Brandon and I live a street apart. When Kona’s season was done, he’d come to my house and train in the offseason. I didn’t play with Ina, but having him here has been awesome. Micah is a kid I’ve watch progress when I was up at Kamehameha. It’s really nice seeing all the guys up here doing great together.”
