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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Ma'afala will join Warriors

By stephen tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor

An offensive lineman from one of Hawai'i's most prominent football families has accepted a scholarship from the University of Hawai'i.

Benson Ma'afala Jr. of Mililani High said he notified the UH coaches of his decision yesterday.

"I wanted to stay home and play in front of my family," Ma'afala said.

By choosing the Warriors, Ma'afala is turning down offers from Washington and California.

His father, Benson Sr., was an all-star quarterback at McKinley High who went on to be a UH punter.

One of his uncles, Nick Ma'afala, was a standout defensive lineman at McKinley and UH. A knee injury cut short his Warrior career after two years. In 2001, "Big Nick" died of complications from leukemia. He was 33.

Another uncle, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, attended Saint Louis School and the University of Utah. Fuamatu-Ma'afala was a running back in the National Football League, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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