Magnum Mauga to BYU

Former AIGA Foundation Combine participant Magnum Mauga and Grossmont College Defensive Lineman has made a verbal commitment to play at BYU in 2007. Mauga's brothers Dallas and Rainbow Mauga will play at San Diego State this fall.

Mauga makes '07 commitment to BYU

East County Sports.com
PROVO, Utah (6-14-06) -- Less than two months after losing former Helix High receiver TODD WATKINS in the National Football League draft to the Arizona Cardinals, Brigham Young University is reloading on its share of talent from the Highlanders.

On Friday (June 9), Cougars head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced a verbal commitment from MAGNUM MAUGA, a 6-foot, 265-pound defensive end prospect who played a variety of positions for Grossmont College as a freshman last season, helping the Griffins capture both the state and national community college football titles.

"BYU is the right place for me," Mauga recently told The Total Blue Network. "It has what I need to become a better person and achieve my football, spiritual and academic goals. It has everything. I love the coaches, the players, and just everything about BYU, and that's why I committed while on my trip."

Mauga filled in at defensive tackle and middle linebacker for Grossmont, while also playing a touch at fullback. However, Mauga is penciled in at defensive end for the 2007 Cougars after he concludes his playing career with the Griffins this season.

According to the website CougarBlue.com, among others, Mauga was recruited by Washington State, Auburn, Arizona, Florida, Boston College, Nebraska, UCLA, Colorado, Colorado State, Kansas State, Oregon State and SDSU. In addition to BYU, Mauga received scholarship offers from Arizona, Washington State and Auburn.

In other words, Mauga is a hot commodity.

Mauga was a consistent force for Grossmont College last season, including a 6-tackle performance against El Camino in the Southern California semifinals, and a season-high 8 tackles in the regular season home finale against Victor Valley.

Mauga was also a turnover maker, grabbing a key interception to help the Griffins rally from 21 points downs to upend Chaffey for the Foothill Conference title, and caused an important fumble which ignited a 31-6 rout of Southwestern.

Mauga also returned an intentionally short kickoff, racing 25 yards to setup a touchdown against Mt. San Jacinto.

During the current offseason, two of Mauga's brothers -- defensive lineman DALLAS and fullback RAINBOW -- committed to play for Sacramento State.

Duke Soph LB: Michael Tauiliili

I just found out that there is another Samoan playing in the ACC besides Joe Anoa'i of Georgia Tech, Michael Tauiliili, who recently changed his last name from Brown. Tauiliili was also named First Team Freshman All American last season by FWAA.

From Brown To Tauiliili

Courtesy: Duke Sports Information

Release: 04/05/2006

Courtesy: Duke Photography Michael Tauiliili Duke’s veteran radio announcer, Bob Harris, was sitting in the media room in Cameron Indoor Stadium when he learned that he wouldn’t be calling the name of Michael Brown for hard hits, quarterback sacks, and fumbles forced by the Blue Devil linebacker. Harris took the news in stride and asked the informant, “Pronounce it again, please?” “Tauiliili.” (tau-EE-lee-EE-lee) Harris pondered the name for a moment, then repeated it slowly. “Tauiliili. Got it.” Rumors began circulating that the Brown-to-Tauiliili switch was part of a conspiracy to frustrate Harris with a Duke defense that already included the likes of Ayanga Okpokowuruk, Vince Oghobaase and Greg Akinbiyi. Not true. Rather, Tauiliili decided on the change to pay respects to his Samoan heritage. “My mom is from Samoa,” Tauiliili explained. “Tauiliili is basically our family name. That is where it originated. In the country of Samoa you have four high chiefs and my great, great, great grandfather, Tauiliili, was one of them. The way Brown came into it was my mom took on her stepfather’s name. When I went back to Samoa and talked to my family, I felt that as I got older and more mature and understood my heritage it was necessary to embrace it to the fullest.” A group of 10 islands in the South Pacific, Samoa was first inhabited by humans over 3,000 years ago and hosts a traditional society with a distinctive Polynesian cultural heritage. Two islands – Upolu and Savaii – account for approximately 96 percent of the land area while the total population is near 180,000. Samoa gained its independence in 1962 after New Zealand held administrative control for the previous 48 years. Tauiliili has come to respect the family values set forth by his ancestors. “I’m very proud of the type of environment,” he said. “When you go to Samoa it is different from the States. It is very peaceful. The people are real close. The island isn’t that big so everybody knows each other and everybody looks out for one another and I like that. I like the pride. I was too young to understand but as I got older, I realized all the Samoans in Houston or around the area are still close.” Duke fans can be assured that the name on the back of the jersey won’t affect the energy, prowess and determination that Tauiliili displayed as a true freshman in 2005 when he led the Blue Devils in total tackles with 92. Thrust into the starting lineup in week two following an injury to Codey Lowe, the 5-11, 235-pound middle linebacker went on to post three double figure tackle games – including a season-high 15 stops versus Wake Forest – and led all rookie linebackers nationally in tackles, tackles for loss (10.0) and caused fumbles (3). The Houston, Texas, native received First Team Freshman All-America and ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year accolades from The Sporting News. “Michael had a good, productive first season,” said Duke head coach Ted Roof. “He has put in hard work during the offseason, and hopefully that will pay off as he aims to be a more consistent player. He has a fire about him that wants to be successful and, more importantly, help this team succeed.”

Article on Utah Strength Coach: Doug Elisaia

A nice article on Utah Strength Coach Doug Elisaia.

Deseret Morning News, Monday, June 05, 2006

Strong leadership

First-year strength coach has confidence of U. staff

By Mike Sorensen
Deseret Morning News

Today is the start of the 2006 Utah football season.

The University of Utah's Doug Elisaia is in his first year as the head strength coach. He was promoted to the post in January. Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News

Wait. You're probably thinking it begins in early August, not early June.

Not these days. Nearly all of Utah's football players are in town and will get down to business today getting in proper shape for the upcoming season in the weight room. It's an important time, perhaps the most important for the players to get fit.

Over the next two months, the players will get in the optimum condition that will have them ready for falls drills and the season beginning Sept. 2.

That's why the strength program is so important at Utah and other college campuses and why it is so vital to have a "strong" person leading the program.

The Utes think they have the man in Doug Elisaia, who took over the program in January.

Elisaia is known as a coach who has the blend of personality, knowledge and experience for the weighty job.

He took over for Barry Johnson, whose contract wasn't renewed after one year. Ute football coach Kyle Whittingham has nothing negative to say about Johnson, just that a change was made and he's thrilled to have Elisaia leading the program.

"He's fantastic, I can't say enough about him," Whittingham said. "I wanted a certain type of strength coach and Doug is the perfect fit. Our players are completely sold on him. He has a great rapport with the players."

"He's awesome," added Morgan Scalley, a former Ute who will serve as a graduate assistant this year.

One of the reasons it's so important to have a competent strength coach who is respected and liked by the players is because of the amount of time he spends with them.

Once a kid arrives on campus to play college football, it's not the head coach or assistant coaches who spend the most time with the individual players, it's the strength coach.

"If you tallied up the hours, he spends more hours with the players than anyone else, even the assistants," Whittingham said.

Doug Elisaia is working to stabilize a strength program that has seen three coaches in three years. Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News

Elisaia agrees, saying, "I'm basically around these athletes more than anybody else for four or five years."

Elisaia was born in America Samoa and came to the United States to play football for a small college in Iowa. After college, he stayed in the Midwest, becoming a defensive line coach at McPherson College in Kansas before moving to Wayne State in Michigan. His last three years before coming to Utah were spent at the University of Kentucky.

He was coaching and overseeing the strength program in his last three jobs, so when the opportunity came to work in the strength program at Utah, he jumped at it. Just a year later, he was promoted to the top job.

"I needed to see my kids a little more," said the father of three. "This gives me the opportunity to work with the athletes, which is what I love the most, even more than when I was a coach."

He still puts in 12 hours days from about 6 in the morning to 6 at night, but it's not quite the absurd hours that the coaches put in.

Elisaia has a staff of five, including three full-time assistants and a graduate assistant. He delegates the various 14 sports at the U. out to them while overseeing everything. He spends most of his time with the football team and men's basketball team.

He's says the training has to be tailored to each sport, for the men and women, but says the basics are the same for all sports.

"For the most part, it's the fast-twitch muscles that are focused on," he said. "We also focus on the speed component and the explosion component in the weight room as well. We try to do what the coaches want and what the athletes need."

The only month he doesn't coach the athletes is May, when he can only supervise and answer questions for any athletes who may be around. He's not allowed to do any organized lifts. Most athletes are gone during the month, anyway, before the football players return in June.

Elisaia divides football training into three phases with a couple of sub-groups.

The first is winter conditioning, which he calls the "base of what we're doing in the summer." He calls spring practice 1-A, when there's more practice and not as much training.

The second phase is the summer conditioning.

"That's when we hit it the hardest as far as our strength levels and intensity levels," he said.

He calls fall camp 2-A, when training tapers off and a balance must be met between training and practicing.

The third phase he calls "bowl preparation," which is the month or so after the final regular-season game and (hopefully) a bowl game.

"We need to get the strength level back after the season," he said. The week or two leading up to the bowl game he calls 3-A, similar to 1-A and 2-A.

Any coach can work athletes out hard. But there's more to it, according to Whittingham.

"It's 25 percent what you're doing and 75 percent how you do it," Whittingham said, adding that Elisaia does it the right way.

After having three strength coaches the last three seasons, the Utes hope there aren't any changes in the near future.

"We hope to keep Doug around awhile," Whittingham said.

And Elisaia feels the same way.

"My wife and I love it here," he said. "It was a big deal for us to have the opportunity to come out here. Coach Whittingham has a great staff to work for and Chris Hill and the administration has been very supportive of where we're headed and what we need to do."

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E-mail: sor@desnews.com

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© 2006 Deseret News Publishing Company

Hans Philipp & Bryson Beirne Verbal to Arizona

Hans Philipp, the younger brother of Arizona Defensive Lineman Paul Philipp recently verballed to Arizona. He will be joined by Bryson Beirne of Pac-5 (Mid-Pacific Institute) of Honolulu. Philipp and Beirne were recruited by Mike Tuiasosopo.

UA Football: QB, defensive lineman will be Cats

The Arizona football team picked up its first two commitments of the 2007 recruiting class, going to Hawaii for a quarterback and using family ties to land the other.

The Wildcats received verbal commitments Tuesday from quarterback Bryson Beirne of Mid Pacific Institute in Honolulu, and defensive tackle Hans Philipp of Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino, Calif.

Both players decided after attending coach Mike Stoops' football camps this week.

"It was an easy decision," Beirne said. "I really like Arizona a lot and I like what they can do for me now and in the future, and get me to where I want to go."

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Beirne was somewhat off the recruiting radar after tearing his ACL early in his junior season, but he was starting to get plenty of recruiting attention again. UA used current starting quarterback Willie Tuitama as a recruiting tool."I am a big fan of Willie Tuitama. I talked to him and he told me all about the school, coach Stoops, (offensive coordinator Mike) Canales, the offense, what the team has done for him, and I want to be a part of it," Beirne said.

Beirne, who has been playing quarterback only since his freshman season, is a big, strong player who showed an impressive arm with good accuracy at Stoops' elite camp on Sunday.

He has been medically cleared and he appears ready to go, but realizes he will be behind Tuitama for the time being.

"There are a lot of things I think I can do," Beirne said. "The mental part of the game is big for me. I love to watch film and break defenses down and pick them apart."

Other schools looking at him were Oregon State, Washington, Colorado, Washington State, California, Hawaii and Utah.

Arizona has had the upper hand on Philipp for the last four years because the Wildcats signed his older brother, Paul, a senior defensive tackle who is expected to start this season for UA.

"I've wanted to be a Wildcat ever since Paul got there," Hans said. "(Paul) was trying to convince me to play for Arizona, but it didn't really take much. I love coach Stoops and the D-line coach (Mike Tuiasosopo). They made me feel really good. As soon as they offered, I told them right away that I wanted to be a Wildcat."

The younger Philipp brings with him a tenacious attitude along with his 6-foot, 267-pound frame. He is on the top-50 list of tackles nationally by Fab50 Recruiting."I'm quick and I'm light on my feet and I love to hit," he said. "I think I can make it a better pass rushing team and a stronger run team.

"That is what I hope to do. I try to do it all."

Hans said he had been hearing from Oregon State, Nevada, USC and UCLA.Paul will be in his final season in 2006, and will be gone by the time Hans begins his career for the 2007 campaign."That's all right. I'm very excited my little brother is now going to be a Wildcat," Paul said. "That is something I've wanted him to be. We are starting to turn things around here, and I want him to be part of that, and to be part of something special here."

Hans Philipp (right) of Arroyo Valley High School in San Bernardino, Calif., says he will join the University of Arizona football program in 2007.

'I've wanted to be a Wildcat ever since Paul got there.'

HANS PHILIPP, referring to his brother, Paul Philipp, a senior defensive tackle at UA

'Aiea HS Lofa Li'ili'i

Aiea’s Liilii turns heads

By Paul Honda
phonda@starbulletin.com

Aiea's explosive offensive weapon, Lofa Liilii, hasn't been silent in the offseason.

In fact, the elusive wide receiver wowed college recruiters at combines in Honolulu and San Antonio. His 4-second-flat time in the shuttle at the combines were part of the reason why Oregon State is interested.

"I played for Mike Riley," Aiea coach Wendall Say said. "He saw Lofa at both and he knows the times are legit. He's ready to offer him a scholarship."

Liilii, a Star-Bulletin All-State selection, saw a bit of action at quarterback late in the season. A former junior varsity QB, Liilii had reps at the position in the spring.

"If I had to decide right now, he'd be our guy," Say admitted. "You want the ball in the hands of your best guy."

Liilii said after last season that he prefers receiver, but has also played some running back. He said he'd play anywhere his coach asked him to. At just 5-foot-8, he's not the biggest offensive player around, but his skills and savvy make up for it.

2006 Team AIGA at the Cal Berkeley Full Contact Football Camp

2006 Team AIGA at the Cal Berkeley Camp

Jeff Mueller, Carson, FS, 6', 155

Sean Enesi, Carson, OG, 6'1", 285

Matt Cobos, Fillmore, DE, 6'1", 200

Phillip Tamase, Fillmore, DT, 6', 235

Jeru Tupai, Grant (Sacramento) 5'10", 225

Aviata Toma, Grant (Sacramento) 6', 220

Christopher Smith, Helix, WR, 6'3", 190

Luis Rosas, Kennedy (San Fernando), OL, 6'4", 311

Jeff Fischer, Lakewood, QB, 5'11", 180

Elias Azar, LA Baptist, OL/DL, 6'2", 355

Matthew Agaiava, Lynwood, DE, 6'2", 265

D'Vaughn Jones, Lynwood, LB, 6', 215

Phillip Gapelu, Lynwood, OG, 6'2", 310

Havlok Pomele, Milpitas (San Jose), RB, 5'8", 200

Steven Fanua, Milpitas (San Jose), OLB, 6'1", 195

AJ Ulutu, Mira Mesa (San Diego), DL, 6'2", 308

Christian Leau, Monrovia, LB, 6', 234

David Potts, Monrovia, QB, 6'3" 180

Joape Pela, Mountain View, LB, 6'3", 290

Niko Iosefa, Oak Grove, LB, 5'10", 255

Maurice Patterson, Oceanside, WR, 6'3", 190

Josh Harrison, Rio Mesa, 5'10", 255

Eric Roberso, San Diego, RB, 5'8", 200

Jonathan Velasquez, Savanna, WR/S, 5'11", 160

Apiata Tuihalamaka, Serra (Gardena), RB/DE/LB, 6'4", 210

Josh Arevalo, St Bonaventure, DE, 5'10", 235

Angel Morales, St Bonaventure, S, 5'11", 190

Josh Aguirre, St Bonaventure, DL/NG, 6'1" 300

Raphael Washington, St Bonaventure, TE, 6'4", 250

Talofa & Congratulations,

Muamua ona si'i le fa'afetai i le Atua: I would first like to give thanks to God.

This is faith based organization that gives Him all the glory.

AIGA is a word for family in the Samoan language. It is upon this word that our members and volunteers build our network to assist our youth. The 2006 Cal Berkeley Football Camp is the next stop for AIGA. Coach Feta Afuola will be coaching the 30 man roster from the State of California. These student-athletes will be participating in a 3-day camp on the campus of Cal Berkeley starting on June 16th (Fri.) and will conclude on June 18th (Sun.). For more information regarding the camp please click on the following link:

http://calbears.cstv.com/camps/football-2005-enrollment.html or contact Coach Feta at 408.690.1762.

We look forward to successful camp and wish you all well in Berkeley.

God bless,

Coach Feta Afuola