This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • It's about this time of year that Brian Suite starts missing the islands.
The Hawaii native is more used to Logan's brisk fall weather now in his fourth year at Utah State, but he's ready to visit Hawai'i when the offseason finally comes. And he's got someone to commiserate with: Jeremy Ioane.
That would be Boise State safety Jeremy Ioane, an honorable mention on the All-Mountain West teams last year.
"When it gets chilly, we call each other, and talk about how we're going to hang out," Suite said. "It's what we look forward to."
Suite and Ioane will be on the same field Saturday, but you couldn't call it "hanging out." Boise State is visiting Romney Stadium for a scrap that will put one of the two in control of their own destiny for the Mountain Division's top spot. Each will be looking to knock the snot out of the other's offense.
They used to do it together, at Punahou High School. When Suite met Ioane in ninth grade, they got along famously. They ended up bonding through sports: as side-by-side starters at middle linebacker, as outfielders on the baseball team, as runners on the track team.
The teams the duo played on were some of the most successful in school history: The football team won it all in 2008 when they were juniors, and included future Notre Dame star Manti Te'o among nearly a dozen DI signees. The Blue and Buff also won baseball titles in 2008 and 2009.
In lieu of staying local to play for the Rainbow Warriors, both elected to go to cold-weather states in search of their football dreams. Years later, they still consider themselves close friends.
"We text each other after games, we talk about how we did," Suite said. "We talk about quarterbacks, about our teams. We stay in touch."
Success has followed both to their respective schools. Suite has 27 tackles and three pass break-ups this year while forcing and recovering a fumble as an entrenched starter this season. Ioane has 16 tackles, but has helped a defense that has been a turnover-generating force.
Although Suite and Ioane hope to chat after Saturday's game, they real fun will be back in Hawai'i. Both are outdoorsmen by nature. They go hiking together, camp, or just lay out at the beach. No surfing for them.
Even hard-hitting safeties have to unwind.
"Barbeques on the beach are more of our thing," Suite said. "We're more relaxed guys. We just want to enjoy the sun."
— Kyle Goonkgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @kylegoon