HONOLULU — The 2023 Polynesian Bowl promised a greater reach with its new prime-time national TV deal with the NFL Network. It featured its most talent, homegrown and imported, in its seven years of existence with a bevy of five- and four-star players.
And after Friday night’s 22-17 battle won by the Mauka team over the Makai squad, it had one of the best games played, too.
The Mauka squad came up with a stop of the driving Makai team as time expired in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,500-plus at Kamehameha’s Kunuiakea Stadium.
“Just a wonderful week of practice, festivities and pretty much all we could hope for really came to fruition in terms of a great game, great halftime show, a great crowd,” said Rich Miano, the game’s director of football operations. “Really couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
Hawaii-born players, making up nearly a third of the 100 all-stars on the combined rosters, had a say in the outcome after Tennessee-bound star quarterback Nico Iamaleava re-entered the game and led his team to the go-ahead score with 2:43 left.
Mauka cornerback Gavin Hunter, who is bound for Arizona out of Mililani High, was on the field to defend in the final sequence.
“I just live for times like that,” Hunter said. “When I knew I was coming on the field for the game-winning drive, I got hyped and I got ready like it was a championship game. And it was fun to be under the lights for Hawaii one last time.”
Kahuku’s Utah-bound star receiver Kainoa Carvalho, who at 5 feet 7 was dwarfed by nearly everyone else on the field, ran some deep routes and a storybook finish was in play if the local boy could snare a pass to help his team score, but the ball never arrived.
“I mean, I thought so, we had a special route for me and I was open, but the D-line got in (on the quarterback), so it’s fine,” said Carvalho, who caught two passes for 23 yards in the first half.
“(It’s a) deep tradition, deep legacy here in the Poly Bowl, and just being a part of it, representing it, I mean, it’s something special,” Carvalho added. “I grew up watching this game, and I was once a little kid just asking for gloves. Now I’m here in this game and it’s humbling.”
Many local players who spoke to Spectrum News after the game said experiencing the speed and competitiveness of the game would prove an asset as they prepare to play in college.
Aiea defensive end Logan Rouse, who is still figuring out what school he will attend, said the level of play was "on a whole different level than what they’ve got, usually, down here. Four- and five-star guys. Most of them aren’t overrated, so it was a good fight throughout the game."
Former Georgia coach Mark Richt coached Mauka while former NFL head coach Romeo Crennel led Makai.
The five-star prospect Iamaleava, from California, was named offensive MVP after throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown on 13-for-20 passing and running for 65 more yards. Linebacker Andrew Harris, a four-star player from Florida weighing his options between Maryland and UCF, was defensive MVP after posting 3.5 tackles, including two sacks, and a pass breakup.
Football notables of Polynesian ancestry like Jesse Sapolu, Manti Te’o and Troy Polamalu were on hand and introduced to the crowd to cheers.
Two-time defending state champion Kahuku High had a Polynesian Bowl-record eight players represented, although the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, linebacker Liona Lefau, came back to the islands from Texas as a spectator while rehabbing an injury. The Kahuku players sang the school alma mater together on the field as family and friends mingled.
Utah-bound Kahuku safety Brock Fonoimoana had a game-high five tackles and Oregon State-bound linebacker Leonard Ah You added three for Mauka. Saint Louis quarterback Kekahi Graham was 4-for-6 for 43 yards, backing up Iamaleava. Former Saint Louis receiver Trech Kekahuna caught three passes for 42 yards and Campbell's Mason Muaau caught a 21-yard ball.
For Makai, UCLA-bound Kapaa alumnus Solomone Malafu had four tackles, Kahuku cornerback Viliamu Toilolo had 1.5 tackles and a pass breakup, as did Campbell linebacker Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu, and UH-bound safety Ezekiel Rodrigues of Mililani had a pass breakup.
Farrington’s Oregon-bound offensive lineman, Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu, was present but sat out the action, as did Konawaena star running back Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosio, a Nevada signee.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.