Polynesians in Rivals Top 250 2013 Prospects

#5 Su'a Cravens DB 6'1 205 Vista Murrietta (CA)

#67 Reeve Koehler OL 6'3 280 St Louis (Honolulu, HI)

#132 Jarrett Solomon QB 6'0 202 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV)

#155 Isaac Savai'inaea LB 6'3 225 Punahou (Honolulu, HI)

#196 Sefo Liufau QB 6'4 215 Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, WA)

#244 Lowell Lotulelei DT 6'2 290 Bingham (South Jordan, UT)

AIGA Foundation 2013 Polynesian All American Watch List

Alaska
QB Amu Aukusitino Service (Anchorage)
DB Jaramie Augafa South (Anchorage)
QB Philip Fenumiai Juneau-Douglas
DB Matthew Ilailo Service (Anchorage)
DT Eric Pili Service (Anchorage)
DL Falema'o Tosi East (Anchorage)

Arizona
OL Devin Finai Hamilton (Chandler)
DL Fa'asauga Tinoisamoa Dysart (El Mirage)
OL Aaron Tukuafu Mesquite (Gilbert)

California
OL Luke Aiono South Hills (Covina)
DL Celester Asuega Silverado (Victorville)
LB Su'a Cravens Vista Murrieta
LB Justice Faaiu Cabrillo (Long Beach)
DL Mane Fale Mission (San Francisco)
DL Ritisoni Fata Redlands Valley East
OL Anthony Fotu San Leandro
LB Rocky Fuga Helix (San Diego)
DL Andrew Fuimaono Armijo (Fairfield)
OL Leo Fuimaono Torrance
OL Jakeem Hingano Burbank (Sacramento)
TE Elijah Iakopo Deer Valley (Antioch)
LB Shaune Katoa Monterey
LB AJ Latu Rancho Cucamonga
LB Viliami Latu Rancho Cucamonga
DL Justin Lepisi West Hills (Santee)
DL Paulo Lepua Narbonne (Harbor City)
LB Tui Lopa Grant (Sacramento)
OL Kiola Mahoni Woodside
DL Mote Maile Pittsburg
OL David Maka Tustin
LB Fia Malepeai Junipero Serra (San Mateo)
LB Aulalo Manu Burton (San Francisco)
DL William Milo Helix (San Diego)
WR William Moa Castlemont (Oakland)
OL Poasi Moala Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley)
LB Joey Naotala Army-Navy (San Diego)
WR Francis Owusu Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
OL Benji Palu Burlingame
QB Tofi Paopao Oceanside
LB Young Potasi Lincoln (San Francisco)
LB Toshaun Poumele Cathedral (San Diego)
QB Joseph Sagiao Marshall (San Francisco)
DL AJ Samataua Del Campo (Sacramento)
DB Taliuaki Suliafu Moreno Valley
RB Nate Tago Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita)
OL Leroy Tanoai Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
DB Jacob Te'o Vacaville
OL Pu'e Togia Carson
DL Tua Tuavai Highland (Palmdale)
OL Jonathan Tuiolosega Seaside
LB Peter Tuipulotu Junipero Serra (San Mateo)
DL Vita Vea Milpitas
OL Aaron Ve'e Encincal (Alameda)
RB Tiapepe Vitale De La Salle (Concord)


Colorado
DL Tuli Laulu Sand Creek (Colorado Springs)

Hawaii
OL Michael Boyd Farrington (Honolulu)
OL Mitchell Boyd Farrington (Honolulu)
OL Kamalei Correa St Louis (Honolulu)
QB Keelan Ewaliko Baldwin (Wailuku)
OL Tuafale Fa'atoafe 'Aiea
DL Titus Failauga Pac 5 (Honolulu)
DB Kawehena Johnson Kahuku
OL Reeve Koehler St Louis (Honolulu)
DL Scott Pagano Moanalua (Honolulu)
DL Ualesi Sale 'Aiea
OL Charles Sataraka Farrington (Honolulu)
LB Isaac Savai'inaea Punahou (Honolulu)
WR Jeremy Tabuyo St Louis (Honolulu)
RB Tyler Taumua Farrington (Honolulu)
LB Johnny Tapusoa Kahuku
DL Tovia Tufaga Kahuku
DL Kennedy Tulimaseali'i Wai'anae
OL John Wa'a Kahuku
RB Aofaga Wily Kahuku

Idaho
LB Koa Kane Hillcrest (Idaho Falls)

Nevada
OL Dallas Foe-Seui Valley (Las Vegas)
OL Lott Haia-Kahalewai Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
RB Niko Kapeli Liberty (Henderson)
LB Trajan Pili Centennial (Las Vegas)
QB Anu Solomon Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
DT Allen Vaiao Desert Pines (Las Vegas)

Oregon 
DL TJ Hufanga Santiam Christian (Salem)
LB Derek Turituri Crater


Texas
DE Vili Levini LD Bell (Hurst)
OL Daniel Mafileo Mesquite
DL Samiuela Tevi Trinity (Euless)
DL Gaius Vaenuku Trinity (Euless)

Utah
RB Francis Bernard Herriman
WR John Fakahafua East (Salt Lake City)
WR Isaiah Fiso Mountain View (Orem)
DL Levi Fiso Highland (Salt Lake City)
RB Gabe Hosea Cottonwood (Salt Lake City)
DB Faimafili Laulu Pututau Mountain Crest (Hyrum)
OL Sione Lea'aetoa East (Salt Lake City)
WR Inoke Lotulelei Cottonwood (Salt Lake City)
OL JJ Mahe Brighton (Cottonwood Heights)
DB Uaea Masina Brighton (Cottonwood Heights)
TE Filipo Mokofisi Woods Cross
LB Patrick Paliau East (Salt Lake City)
RB Atunasia Palu Mountain View (Orem)
LB Albert Tai Riverton

Washington
OL Nicholas Aumua Mountain View (Auburn)
OL Albert Havili Federal Way
RB Darrin Laufasa Juanita (Kirkland)
QB Sefo Liufau Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma)
DL Titus Makasini Inglemoor (Kenmore)
OL Diamond Pedro Washington (Tacoma)
OL Desmoun Thompson Kennedy Catholic (Burien)
LB Mikey Tupou Inglemoor (Kenmore)
RB Kai Van Sickle Capital (Olympia)

SPARQ stars emerge in Honolulu

HONOLULU -- The 2012 Nike Football SPARQ Combine tour kicked off Saturday at St. Louis School in Honolulu as over 450 participants were tested while competing for potential berths to The Opening under sunny skies. The headline performers coming in did not disappoint, led by Punahou (Honolulu) linebacker Isaac Savaiinaea.
The 6-foot-3, 231-pound Savaiinaea, who was an all-state selection this past season as a junior, posted the combine's top SPARQ Rating at 110.82. The skilled linebacker returned two kickoffs for scores as a junior and flashed his athleticism on Saturday as he clocked a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.14 shuttle, threw the power ball 38 feet and jumped 31 inches in the vertical.
"I think I could have done a little better in the vertical jump," said Savaiinaea afterwards, "but overall I'm pretty happy with my results."
The ESPNU 150 Watchlist prospect reports offers from Stanford, Hawaii, Arizona and Colorado.
"I'm open to everybody right now," said Savaiinaea, "but Stanford stands out because they've already offered, but USC and Oregon are two other schools I'd definitely like to hear more from."
Right behind Savaiinaea in terms of an eye-opening outing was Waianae (Hawaii) defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimaseali'i, a 6-foot-1, 300-pounder who stunned onlookers by clocking a 4.99 40-yard dash on his way to a 98.25 SPARQ Rating.
An all-state selection in each of the past two seasons, Tulimaseali'i also threw the power ball 43 feet, good for second-best at the event. He stood out in the linemen 1-on-1 drills with his quick burst off the line, and physically looks like a fullback or linebacker, not a 300-pound defensive tackle.
"Right now I don't have any offers yet," said Tulimaseali'i, "but I'm hearing from Hawaii, Colorado, Alabama, Florida State, UCLA and some others."
"I'm going to try and get to the mainland in the summer for some college camps," said Tulimaseali'i, "I'm totally open to any school regardless of location."
St. Louis (Honolulu) standout Reeve Koehler was the top player on the offensive side of the ball in drills and also tested well, finishing with an 89.43 SPARQ Rating. Koehler says he is hearing from all of the Pac-12 except USC and has offers from Washington, Utah, Washington State and Hawaii.
Kamehameha School's (Honolulu) Shaun Kagawa was probably the top skill player in attendance, as the wide receiver/defensive back clocked a 4.53 40 and finished with a 109.56 SPARQ Rating, good for second-best at the combine. He also impressed in 1-on-1 drills as a receiver; running crisp routes and using his speed to create consistent separation.

Continue

PRESS-TELEGRAM FOOTBALL DREAM TEAM: Making an Impact

Salamo Fiso had a lot to live up to playing football at Poly High, what with all the terrific defensive players that have donned a Jackrabbits uniform over the years.
To say the senior outside linebacker did that would be an understatement. He amassed 127 tackles on a Poly team filled with defensive standouts. He also had 42 sacks and one interception.
For his stellar season, Fiso is the Press-Telegram Dream Team Defensive Player of the Year.
Mention the name Bryce Treggs to anyone knowledgeable in prep or college football, and the eyes get big. That's because Treggs has eye-opening talent. Get him the ball, and his speed and run-after-the-catch ability make him a threat to score every time.
Treggs, playing for St. John Bosco, caught 70 passes for 1,377 yards and 11 touchdowns. For his sparkling campaign for the Braves, he is the Dream Team Offensive Player of the Year.
Fiso has verbally committed to Arizona State. If he signs with the Sun Devils this week, they will be getting quite a player who takes a concentrated approach to the game so as to maximize his success.
"All I'm thinking about is the game plan, but I'm not trying to think of it too much because I study it throughout the whole week," Fiso said. "So when I hit the field, it's just instincts.
"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about the next guy in front of me, whoever is next to me. That's what you do as an o-linebacker.
"You control the defense, you call every call and of course, lead. And that's my attitude on the field, lead."
Like all terrific players, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Fiso is a perfectionist, never resting on his laurels.
"I'm kind of never pleased with what I do because there's always room for improvement," he said. "I looked back at the Santa Margarita film and there are some things I could have done to help my team. I still look back to it like I could have done better."
Fiso helped Poly to the Moore League championship with an undefeated 6-0 record. The Jackrabbits, who finished 10-2 overall, lost to eventual Pac-5 Division champion Santa Margarita in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
As for this award, Fiso was stoked.
"It actually means a lot," he said. "... It's an honor."
It's quite an honor just to watch Treggs perform his magic on a football field. If he caught the ball and had any room at all to run, he was likely to get far with his splendid post-reception moves.
Interestingly, Treggs was quite young when he realized he might have something special.
"Probably when I was about 10 years old because that's when we really started throwing the ball in Pop Warner because up until then you just used to run the ball most of the time; we didn't throw it that much so I was basically a decoy playing receiver," he said. "But when I was 10 we started passing the ball more and I was pretty good at running routes and that's when I really knew that I was going to be pretty good."
Treggs has verbally committed to Cal, but he said last week he is also considering UCLA and USC. The first day of the signing period is Wednesday, and he said he will call the coaching staff of the team he selects Tuesday night.
Whichever school he chooses will be getting quite an offensive player, one who knows the score.
"On offense you have to know that you've put in the work and you have to trust your training so you can have a special confidence about yourself when you go out there and play," Treggs said, "because if you know you're going to win before the ball is even snapped, then you have basically won half the battle."
Treggs, who is 6-foot and 175 pounds, is also very jazzed about this award.
"I mean, it's a great honor," he said. "It's a tribute to not only me, but my teammates because I couldn't have done it without them and also my offensive coordinator (Chad Johnson). Without him calling the plays, I probably wouldn't even be here."
robert.morales@presstelegram.com

2012 Bay Area Cream of the Crop: Top 20 capsules

2. Freddie Tagaloa

OL 6-8 300 Salesian

Tabbed by some coaches as the player in this year's class most likely to play on Sundays. "He's not polished yet, but you can't teach a guy to be that big, that agile and that good," a Pac-12 scout said. Athleticism is a major plus. Also plays basketball for Salesian. Could end up at either tackle spot. "I think he's had offers since he was eight years old," said a Big Sky scout. Suitors included Stanford, Oregon and USC.

College: CAL

19. Leo Koloamatangi

OL 6-5 260 Sacred Heart Prep

Versatile lineman could end up on either side of the ball in college. Rated a two-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout. Size, strength magnified by good footwork. Still could add height, weight. Strong mentally. "He can change your locker room from a leadership standpoint," one Big Sky recruiter said. Committed to Hawaii in early January and was first oral commitment for new coach Norm Chow.

College: Hawaii

Shaun Nua Named Assistant Football Coach At The Naval Academy

Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo announced today that Shaun Nua has joined the staff as an assistant coach and will assist Dale Pehrson in coaching the defensive line. Niumatalolo also announced that Justin Davis will move from the defensive line to assist Tony Grantham at outside linebackers. Nua replaces Napoleon Sykes, who left Navy in January to coach at UNC-Charlotte.
Nua comes to the Naval Academy from Brigham Young, where he assisted for the past three seasons. He is a 2005 graduate of BYU where he received his bachelor's degree and is currently pursuing his graduate degree.
Over the past two seasons, Nua helped the Cougars achieve the nation's 24th-best total defense in 2010 and the 13th-ranked defense in 2011. BYU won its bowl games both years while finishing the 2011 season ranked No. 25 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll with a 10-3 record.
"Shaun is a bright and enthusiastic coach and I'm very excited to have him join our staff," said Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo. "He is a man of character and coaches with a great deal of passion. I went to BYU last spring to watch a couple of spring practices and he immediately caught my attention with the way he coached. He will be a great asset."
"I am very excited to be at Navy," said Nua. "I have so much respect for these young men and what they do here at the Naval Academy and what they are going to do after graduation. I am fired up about having a role in helping these young men progress on the football field and I am very grateful that Coach Niumatalolo has given me this opportunity." "Shaun is an exceptional coach and an exceptional person," said Brigham Young head coach Bronco Mendenhall. "He has an outstanding defensive mind blended with great optimism, and he is an excellent teacher who cares for the players in his charge. Our players and coaches are sorry to see him leave, but excited for him and his opportunity at Navy. Shaun has a very bright future in the coaching profession." As a player, Nua was a 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive end at BYU from 2002-04 before being drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nua played four years in the NFL, three seasons with Pittsburgh and one in Buffalo, including a winning trip to the Super Bowl with the Steelers his rookie year in 2006.
Nua earned All-Mountain West Conference Second-Team honors as a senior. He played in all 23 games of his BYU career, appearing in 12 games his junior season in 2002 and 11 games as a senior in 2004 (redshirted in 2003 due to an injury). He totaled 54 tackles in his two seasons, including 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. His four sacks were second on the team behind longtime NFL veteran Brady Poppinga his junior season, while his six sacks led the Cougars his senior year.
Born on May 22, 1981, Nua is a native of Pago Pago, American Samoa. He transferred to BYU from Eastern Arizona Junior College, where he earned junior college All-America honors. He prepped at Tafuna High School in Tafuna, American Samoa where he was an all-league performer as a defensive end.

Cal-Hi Sports 2011 All State Football Team

First Team
OL Freddie Tagaloa (Salesian, Richmond) 6-8, 310, Sr. First catching our attention on the basketball court in his freshman year as a player off the bench for Salesian’s CIF Division IV state championship team, this big man is an impressive athlete in football as well. He helped the Pride go 14-0 and capture the North Coast Section Division IV championship. He has committed to Cal, which is where former Salesian running back Jahvid Best also played. Tagaloa isn’t quite yet done with basketball, either, as he starts for a Salesian team currently No. 33 in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings.

LB Su’a Cravens (Vista Murrieta, Murrieta) 6-3, 210, Jr. A finalist for Mr. Football State Player of the Year, he was named our Junior Player of the Year over fellow first-teamer Johnny Stanton after an impressive season on both sides of the ball. Known more for his play on the defense, Cravens recorded 96 tackles and 11 sacks while making three interceptions. On offense, he rushed for 673 yards and 15 touchdowns while also catching 20 passes for four touchdowns. Cravens already has also been chosen as Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Times and Riverside Press-Enterprise. He led Vista Murrieta to a 14-0 record on the field (not counting forfeits) and the CIFSS Inland Division title.

DB Randall Goforth (Long Beach Poly, Long Beach) 5-10, 165, Sr. A cover corner who also returned kicks and could catch passes, Goforth was named the team MVP for the 10-2 Jackrabbits. He ended with 79 tackles, four interceptions and was a main reason Poly’s defense was one of the best in the state. Goforth committed to Arizona State with four other teammates before the start of the season. 

LB/TE Butch Pau’u (Servite, Anaheim) 6-0, 220, Sr. Some colleges may wish he was taller but there is no doubting his talent and his hard hitting ability after three impressive seasons starting for the Friars. Pau’u was named the Trinity League Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-Orange County for the second year in a row. Before the season started, he gave a verbal to BYU but that hasn't stopped teams like Nebraska and Colorado to also offer in hopes of getting him to change his mind. He also played tight end on offense and repeatedly opened holes for Servite’s various running backs. When the team played Bishop Gorman of Nevada in an ESPN TV game, there were many who thought Pau’u was the best player on the field.

Fourth Team
TE Jeremiah Valoaga (Channel Islands, Oxnard)
OL Leo Lafaele (Centennial, Corona) 
DL Aaron Leauma (Mission Hills, San Marcos)
LB Salamo Fiso (Long Beach Poly)
QB/RB Christian Tago (Highland, Palmdale) 

MaxPreps California Division III All-State Football Team

First Team
OL - Freddie Tagaloa, Salesian (Richmond), 6-7, 315, Senior
San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Team... Contra Costa Times All-East Bay Team.

OL - Leo Koloamatangi, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton), 6-5, 255, Senior
All-San Mateo County Team.

RB - John Wiernicki, Liberty Ranch (Galt), 5-11, 185, Senior
Sacramento Bee All-Metro Team... 254 carries, 2562 yards, 40 touchdowns.

Second Team
OL - Fine Latu, Monterey, 6-4, 275, Senior
Salinas Californian All-County Team... Monterey Bay League Lineman of the Year.

California All-State Football: Medium Schools

First Team
OL Fine Latu (Monterey) 6-4, 275, Sr.
DL Pio Vatuvei (Patterson) 6-2, 275, Sr. 

Second Team
DL Tavita Faaiu (South San Francisco) 6-3, 230, Sr.