The third annual Polynesian Bowl high school football all-star game will be held Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019 at Aloha Stadium.
Former Oregon Ducks head coach Mike Bellotti and former Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn will serve as head coaches.
More than 80 players have already been selected to the game. Current Hawaii high school players who have been chosen are Kapolei OL Julius Buelow, Punahou K Tim Horn, OL Duke Clemens and LB Maninoa Tufono, Kahuku OL Enokk Vimahi, Saint Louis DT Faatui Tuitele and Kaimuki DT Sama Pa’ama.
Making a homecoming for the game are Thompson (Ala.) QB Taulia Tagovailoa, Bishop Gorman linebacker Treven Ma’ae, Carlsbad (Calif.) athlete Asa Turner and Plant (Fla.) OL Will Putnam.
Over the next nine weeks, 18 more Polynesian Bowl All-Stars from Hawaii will be chosen. Each Thursday, Hawaii Prep World will release a selection online at 2 p.m. and Cover2: Hawaii High School Football Weekly will make public the other selection on its show airing Thursday nights on KHON2 at 9:30 p.m. starting tomorrow.
Which players from Hawaii deserve to be selected? Feel free to make your suggestions in the comments selection below.
For now, here’s the complete list of players currently committed to the game.
2019 Polynesian Bowl roster
Updated: Jan. 13, 2019| FIRST | LAST | HS | HT | WT | POS | Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miki | Ah You (INJ.) | Kahuku | 6-1 | 205 | LB | Washington |
| Tupu | Alualu | Moanalua | 6-2 | 310 | DT | |
| Hoku | Arias | Kamehameha | 6-0 | 205 | LB | |
| Akili | Arnold | Mission Viejo (Calif.) | 5-11 | 170 | CB | Utah State |
| Marquez | Beason | Duncanville (Tex.) | 5-10 | 177 | WR | Illinois |
| Jahleel | Billingsley | Wendell Phillips (Ill.) | 6-4 | 216 | TE | Alabama |
| Kyle | Bilodeau | Woodberry Forrest (Va.) | 6-5 | 238 | TE | Purdue |
| Diwun | Black | Osceola (Fla.) | 6-3 | 216 | ILB | Florida |
| Kupono | Blake | Kamehameha | 6-3 | 265 | DL | Air Force |
| Khris | Bogle | Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.) | 6-3 | 200 | WR | |
| Colby | Bowman | St. John Bosco (Calif.) | 6-3 | 190 | WR | Stanford |
| Branson | Bragg | Crandall (Tex.) | 6-4 | 308 | C | Stanford |
| Jirehl | Brock | Quincy (Ill.) | 5-11 | 195 | RB | Iowa State |
| Julius | Buelow | Kapolei | 6-8 | 320 | OT | Washington |
| Steele | Chambers | Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.) | 6-2 | 215 | RB | Ohio State |
| Brendon | Clark | Manchester (Va.) | 6-2 | 217 | QB | Notre Dame |
| Duke | Clemens | Punahou | 6-3 | 268 | OG | UCLA |
| Jacob | Conover | Chandler (Ariz.) | 6-1 | 205 | QB | Brigham Young |
| Jeremiah | Criddell | Mater Dei (Calif.) | 5-11 | 188 | S | Oklahoma |
| Gunner | Cruz | Casteel (Ariz.) | 6-4 | 205 | QB | Washington State |
| Evan | Davis | Crest (N.C.) | 5-9 | 167 | K | Toledo |
| Sean | Dollars | Mater Dei (Calif.) | 5-10 | 185 | RB | Oregon |
| D'Von | Ellies | McDonogh (Md.) | 6-2 | 280 | DT | |
| Nalu | Emerson | Kahuku | 6-1 | 180 | S | |
| Ethan | Erickson | Kahuku | 6-5 | 220 | TE | BYU |
| Tamatoa | Falatea | Punahou | 6-0 | 190 | WR | |
| Leif | Fautanu | Pac-Five | 6-3 | 300 | OL | |
| Tausili | Fiatoa | Kahuku | 6-2 | 230 | DE | BYU |
| Devyn | Ford | North Stafford (Va.) | 5-11 | 195 | RB | Penn State |
| Kyle | Ford | Orange Lutheran (Calif.) | 6-2 | 212 | WR | USC |
| Isaiah | Foskey | De La Salle (Calif.) | 6-5 | 233 | TE | |
| Mase | Funa | Mater Dei (Calif.) | 6-2 | 245 | OLB | Oregon |
| Ryland | Goede | Kennesaw Mountain (Ga.) | 6-7 | 235 | TE | Georgia |
| Isaiah | Hazel | Dr. Henry Wise (MD)) | 6-1 | 190 | WR | Maryland |
| Siotame | Haunga | St. Francis | 6-1 | 280 | OL | |
| Daniel | Heimuli | Menlo-Atherton (Calif.) | 6-2 | 225 | ILB | |
| DeMarcco | Hellams | DeMatha Catholic (Md.) | 6-1 | 203 | S | Alabama |
| Stephen | Herron Jr. | Trinity (Ky.) | 6-4 | 220 | DE | Stanford |
| Elijah | Higgins | Bowie (Tex.) | 6-3 | 214 | WR | Stanford |
| George | Holani | St. John Bosco (Calif.) | 6-0 | 193 | RB | Boise State |
| Timothy | Horn | Punahou | 6-3 | 200 | K | Washington |
| Siaki | Ika | East (Utah) | 6-3 | 351 | DT | LSU |
| Giles | Jackson | Freedom (Calif.) | 5-8 | 175 | RB | Michigan |
| Austin | Jones | Bishop O'Dowd (Calif.) | 5-10 | 190 | RB | Stanford |
| Nathaniel | Kalepo | Rainier Beach (Wash.) | 6-6 | 329 | OT | Washington |
| Jackson | Lampley | Montgomery Bell (Tenn.) | 6-5 | 275 | OG | Tennessee |
| Jack | Landherr | Chino Hills (Calif.) | 6-2 | 220 | LS | UCLA |
| Lolani | Langi | Bingham (Utah) | 6-2 | 223 | OLB | |
| Laiatu | Latu | Jesuit (Calif.) | 6-4 | 237 | DE | Washington |
| Sataoa | Laumea | Eisenhower Senior (Calif.) | 6-4 | 305 | OG | Utah |
| Devonta | Lee | Amite (La.) | 6-2 | 212 | WR | |
| Logan | Lee | Orion (Ill.) | 6-5 | 225 | TE | Iowa |
| Marist | Liufau | Punahou | 6-2 | 196 | DB | Notre Dame |
| Treven | Ma'ae | Bishop Gorman (Nev.) | 6-4 | 240 | DE | Oregon |
| Kaulana | Makaula | Punahou | 6-3 | 195 | DB | |
| Austin | McNamara | Highland (Ariz.) | 6-4 | 165 | P | |
| Arasi | Mose | Saint Louis | 6-4 | 358 | OL | Hawaii |
| Darius | Muasau | Mililani | 6-1 | 225 | LB | Hawaii |
| Puka | Nacua | Orem (Utah) | 6-2 | 190 | WR | USC |
| Peni | Naulu | Kapolei | 6-3 | 220 | LB | Washington State |
| EJ | Ndoma-Ogar | Allen (Tex.) | 6-3 | 328 | OG | Oklahoma |
| Moa | Ngalu | Menlo-Atherton (Calif.) | 6-2 | 280 | DT | Washington |
| Sama | Pa'ama | Kaimuki | 6-5 | 335 | DT | Washington |
| Joshua | Pakola | St. Francis (Calif.) | 6-3 | 267 | DE | Stanford |
| Trey | Palmer | Kentwood (La.) | 6-0 | 179 | WR | LSU |
| Peter | Parrish | Central (Ala.) | 6-1 | 200 | QB | LSU |
| Orin | Patu | Rainer Beach (Wash.) | 6-4 | 200 | OLB | California |
| Lokahi | Pauole | Kamehameha | 6-4 | 295 | OL | |
| Simote | Pepa | Bingham (Utah) | 6-2 | 295 | DT | |
| Tiger | Peterson | Kamehameha | 6-1 | 195 | DB | Hawaii |
| George | Pickens | Hoover (Ala.) | 6-5 | 199 | WR | Auburn |
| Mycah | Pittman | Calabaas (Calif.) | 5-11 | 195 | WR | Oregon |
| Noa | Pola-Gates | Williams Field (Ariz.) | 6-2 | 180 | S | |
| Matthew | Pola-Mao | Chandler (Ariz.) | 6-2 | 295 | DT | |
| Sua'ava | Poti | St. John Bosco (Calif.) | 6-3 | 285 | DT | Oregon |
| Gino | Quinones | Saint Louis | 6-4 | 280 | DE | USC |
| Ethan | Rae | Orange Lutheran (Calif.) | 6-4 | 240 | TE | USC |
| Jason | Rodriguez | Oak Hills (Calif.) | 6-6 | 326 | OT | USC |
| Isaiah | Rutherford | Jesuit (Calif.) | 6-0 | 174 | CB | Notre Dame |
| Logan | Sagapolu | Skyridge (Utah) | 6-3 | 340 | C | |
| Simon | Samarzich | Upland (Calif.) | 6-0 | 220 | LS | Washington State |
| Trey | Sanders | IMG Academy (Fla.) | 6-0 | 214 | RB | Alabama |
| Josh | Sanguinetti | Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) | 5-11 | 171 | S | |
| Alexx | Schmidt | O'Dea (Calif.) | 6-2 | 275 | OL | |
| Eddie | Siaumau | Leone (Samoa) | 6-2 | 210 | S | Arizona |
| Tristan | Sinclair | San Ramon Valley (Calif.) | 6-1 | 202 | ATH | Stanford |
| Ishmael | Sopsher | Amite (Calif.) | 6-3 | 334 | DT | |
| Donte | Starks | John Ehret (La.) | 6-1 | 225 | LB | LSU |
| Ryan | Sulifau | JSerra (Calif.) | 6-2 | 285 | OL | |
| Junior | Tafuna | Bingham (Utah) | 6-3 | 220 | OLB | Utah |
| Taulia | Tagovailoa | Thompson (Ala.) | 5-11 | 203 | QB | Alabama |
| Marist | Talavou | St. John Bosco (Calif.) | 6-3 | 316 | OG | Utah |
| Jonah | Tauanu'u | Narbonne (Calif.) | 6-5 | 317 | OL | Oregon |
| Kardell | Thomas | Southern U. Lab (La.) | 6-3 | 356 | OL | LSU |
| Henry | To'oto'o | De La Salle (Calif.) | 6-2 | 230 | OLB | |
| Titus | Toler | Saint John Bosco (Calif.) | 5-11 | 180 | S | Wisconsin |
| Maninoa | Tufono | Punahou | 6-3 | 225 | ILB | USC |
| Faatui | Tuitele | Saint Louis | 6-4 | 299 | DT | Washington |
| Alphonzo | Tuputala | Federal Way (Wash.) | 6-3 | 240 | ILB | Washington |
| Asa | Turner | Carlsbad (Calif.) | 6-4 | 215 | ATH | |
| Elijah | Unutoa | Kapaa | 6-4 | 265 | OL | Brigham Young |
| Sione | Vaki | Liberty (Calif.) | 6-0 | 190 | S | |
| Lincoln | Victor | Union (Wash.) | 5-10 | 165 | QB | |
| Enokk | Vimahi | Kahuku | 6-4 | 281 | OL | |
| Caedan | Wallace | Hun (N.J.) | 6-5 | 307 | OG | Penn State |
| Stacey | Wilkins | Camden Fairview (Ark.) | 6-6 | 271 | DT | Oklahoma |
| Jameson | Williams | Cardinal Ritter (Mo.) | 6-1 | 169 | WR | Ohio State |
| Mykael | Wright | Valencia (Calif.) | 5-11 | 180 | CB | Oregon |
| Milton | Wright | Christian Academy (Ky.) | 6-3 | 200 | WR | Purdue |
Looks like the number/percentage of players from HI continues to diminish. Less than a quarter of the players will be represented?
A minimum of 25 Hawai`i players will be selected to the 2019 Polynesian Bowl. As stated in the article, the majority of HI players will be selected starting tomorrow. Aloha!
Additionally, several Hawai`i born players will be participating.
Miki Ah You
Nalu Emerson
Tausili Fiatoa
Tuia Tupuola
Wes Alo-Maiava
Toalei Lefau
Ethan Erickson
Awesome to see the Polynesian Hall of Fame game trying to get the top players throughout the country! Of course anyone who follows football realizes that the 50th State do produce top notch talent. I’ve had the opportunity to attend the past four Poly Hall of Fame weekends and have thoroughly enjoyed the festivities. Thank you to Founders Jesse Sapolu and Ma’a Tanuvasa, as well as all of the legendary coaches, players and contributors. Marcus Mariota and his Motiv8 Foundation has been major contributors along with a long list of Colleges and Corporations. Mahalo and Fa’afetai Lava.
I cannot believe I didn’t see Lokahi’s name on that list! I say Julius Buelow got dominated by a much small player from Kamehameha. The Kamehameha kids tossed him all over the place and film doesn’t lie. Hernandez has to quit over hyping their big kids who cannot play football. Lokahi is clearly the best lineman in Hawaii and again the Hawaiian get no love from the selection committee. It’s about time somebody say something cause Kamehameha kids are always the last to get pick. Just because their head coach is a class act and don’t over hype his kids doesn’t mean we ignore the fact that they a baller and need to be recognized. You ask any of the coaches who have played against Kamehameha and they will straight out tell you that the best OL in Hawaii is Lokahi Pauole! Again the Hawaiian got left Behind!
Toalei Lefau of Kahuku is an absolute force. Top FB in the state, the kid is a truck and has been running over top tier competition (D1 commits) all season. Be prepared – this dude is by far the best blocker in the state and runs the ball just as hard.