Wyoming's Mike Purcell All MWC

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Mike Purcell

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Wyoming

Sapolu scores with new book

BY JERMEL-LYNN QUILLOPO / Special to the Star-Advertiser
Winter in Hawaii means getting to do what I love best during cold weather — snuggling in bed under warm covers while reading an interesting book.
My latest find? “I Gave My Heart to San Francisco,” a new memoir by retired NFL star Jesse Sapolu. I was able to catch up with the four-time Super Bowl champion during a book signing event at Barnes and Noble Ala Moana on Saturday. I met him once before while on assignment; he was such a kind man back then and hasn’t changed a bit.
Through his own words, Sapolu’s new book tells the story of his personal and professional journey to the National Football League. He said he was encouraged to share his story with the world after the death of his friend and fellow NFL player, Junior Seau, and the death of 19-year-old Fred Thompson, an athlete who was a teammate of his youngest son.
Born in Western Samoa to parents who were ministers, Sapolu’s family moved to Los Angeles when he was a young boy. In the book, he recalls the mixed emotions he felt over leaving everything he had ever known behind in Samoa, but also realizing the new opportunities that would be available in the United States. In 1971, the Sapolu family arrived in Kalihi, settling into public housing at Kuhio Park Terrace.
Sapolu said playing sports helped him adjust and make friends. He attended Farrington High School and said growing up in one of Oahu’s most troubled areas helped shape him. A desire to play college football in front of his extended family led him to the University of Hawaii, where he was a standout offensive lineman for the Rainbows and won numerous awards. He represented UH in the 1983 Hula Bowl, and soon after was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.
During his successful 15-year career, however, Sapolu battled a dangerous health condition — a torn aortic heart valve. While on the field, Sapolu admitted that playing with that type of health condition was dangerous and that sharing his story will help teach others to be proactive when it comes to their health.
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Jesse Sapolu: 4-Time Super Bowl Champ Reflects On How Samoan Culture Shaped His Career

Jesse Sapolu played 15 NFL seasons, winning four Super Bowls with the 49ers and earning two trips to the Pro Bowl. He did this despite a torn aortic heart valve, a dangerous condition that left him short of breath at times. In his new book, I Gave My Heart To San Francisco, Sapolu reveals this secret and recounts his journey to the NFL. Born in Samoa and raised in Hawaii, Sapolu has special appreciation for the success he achieved in pro football when he knows that so many others had the more typical American upbringing. In this excerpt, Sapolu writes about how his heritage helped define him as a football player and a person.
When I chose the University of Hawaii over schools from the Pac-10 and the Big Ten, one of the most important factors was the ability to play in front of my extended family.
In my mind I knew that when I chose my school, I would not only be playing for Farrington High School and my little town of Kalihi, but I would be representing the entire state every single time I strapped on my helmet. The pride of representing the people I grew up with far outweighed playing in the spotlight of the Pac-10 and Big Ten.
Being of Samoan ancestry and raised in Hawaii, I feel very blessed and honored to be part of two proud cultures. The two cultures are similar in that RESPECT and HUMILITY are of utmost importance. It is a high priority to represent yourself, your family, and your people with humility which in return earns you respect. I understood early with both cultures that it doesn't matter what your accomplishments might be, if you’re not humble, accomplishments mean absolutely nothing to them.
It is a thought that never left me. Whether it was winning a Super Bowl or simply stepping on a field for practice; everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Represent your family and your people in a way that would make them proud, win or lose.

My three sons (Luke, London and Roman) have heard me say many times during training sessions, "Be humble. You don't have to be loud to carry a big stick, just be loud when you buckle up your chinstrap." It is what Coach Tony Dungy calls "quiet strength."

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NCT Prep Football Elite 11

TOFI PAOPAO
Oceanside, QB
Class: Senior
Height, weight: 6-2, 210
All about Tofi: After a successful sophomore season, Paopao's numbers dipped last year as a junior. Still, he has thrown for 4,133 yards and 29 touchdowns in two seasons and appears primed for a big senior season. "He had an incredible offseason," Oceanside coach John Carroll said. "I thought he dominated in the summer passing games and tournaments, and was as good or better than any quarterback I saw this summer." Other coaches commented on Paopao's play this summer. "I noticed how athletic he is for how large he is," one head coach said. A couple of his top performances included going 15-for-19 for 178 yards and a score in a 14-0 win over El Camino, and 11-for-14 for 176 yards in a 31-19 win over Temecula Chaparral. Paopao stands out for his ability to throw the ball deep downfield on a line.

TOSHAUN POUMELE
Cathedral Catholic, LB
Class: Senior
Height, weight: 6-1, 205
All about Toshaun: Poumele was a key cog in a defense that shut out all three opponents in the CIF San Diego Section Division III playoffs, surrendering an average of 85 yards in total offense and just three first downs per game. Last year, the other inside linebacker was Eastern League defensive player of the year Russell Reeder. As a junior, Poumele was credited with 33 tackles and 84 assists for 117 total tackles, second on the team to Reeder (119). He also had two sacks, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. In the CIF San Diego Section Division III championship game victory over Olympian, he led the team with five tackles and two assists. Poumele was a first-team All-CIF pick and third-team All-State Junior selection in 2011. His first name is pronounced (tuh-SHAWN).

Polynesian players flocking back to Utah State

Logan • Al Lapuaho always wanted to play in the Pac-12.

Whether it was at Granger High or at Snow College, it was all he dreamed about. So when Washington State offered the defensive tackle a scholarship, he pounced on it like it was a running back.

Only it didn’t work out. The campus was cool. The competition was top-notch. The coaching staff and the players were accommodating and friendly. But the sense of family wasn’t there when Lapuaho visited. He went back to Snow, hesitant about Washington State. He de-committed. Then he called coach Gary Andersen and pledged to USU.

“I wasn’t happy,” Lapuaho said. “The Polynesian culture means a lot to me. And that’s what eventually swayed me to Utah State.”

Yes, the Polynesian culture, which puts a premium on loyalty and a sense of family. When Andersen took over the head coaching job at Utah State three years ago, he promised to remake a roster that was devoid not only of Polynesians, but of homegrown recruits in general.

Three years later, the Aggies boast 22 players of Polynesian descent on their roster. A bunch of them are in-state recruits. And a good number of them are poised to make an impact.

Philip Gapelu, D.J. Tialavea and Kyle Whimpey will all play a lot offensively. Lapuaho and Bojay Filimoeatu are starters on the defensive line. Evan Huahulu, a transfer from SMU, will play a lot as a nose tackle. Nate Needham has carved out a role as a long snapper.

For Andersen, there may not be a better sight. He considers USU’s Polynesian players one of the foundations of his program. He has worked diligently to improve their numbers, and now he stands to reap the benefits.

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Las Vegas Sun preseason team

Anu Solomon / QB / Junior, Bishop Gorman
Solomon has passed for 4,445 yards and 60 touchdowns in his first two season as the Gaels’ signal caller. He needs 1,559 yards and 17 touchdowns to become the large-school division’s all-time leading passer.

Cedrick Poutasi / OL / Senior, Desert Pines
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound tackle is one of the valley’s most sought-after college prospects, impressing recruiters with his strength, mobility and relatively lean frame. At a scouting event this spring, he showed his sheer strength in lifting 185 pounds 27 times — well above the national average.

PJ Taeao / DL / Senior, Liberty
A force on both sides on the line, the 6-foot-1, 335-pound Taeao is a significant reason why Liberty will be in position to make another deep playoff run.

Trajan Pili / LB / Junior, Centennial
Pili was a key cog in Centennial’s team that advanced to the Sunset semifinals last year. One of the area’s best younger prospects, he’s already verbally committed to BYU after shining this summer at the Cougars’ camp.

Jared Tuilagi / LB / Senior, Liberty
Liberty’s defense will be big and physical, with players such as Tuilagi leading the charge for the defending Sunrise Regional champions.

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Polamalu picks Naval Academy

By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com

LOWER POTTSGROVE — Maika Polamalu discovered at a very young age it was a whole lot easier to block, tackle and run on a football field than it was to block out the comparisons, tackle the expectations and run away from all the gossip he heard off the field.

    Everyone throughout the Pottsgrove neighborhoods as well as around the country, for that matter, knew his last name.

    Understandably so. His father, Aoatoa Polamalu – better known as Al – made quite a name for himself as the starting nose guard for Penn State when the Nittany Lions won the national title in 1986. His uncle, Kennedy Polamalu — who shortened his name to Pola — was an outstanding fullback at USC and later, as he is now, the running backs coach for the Tennessee Titans in the NFL. And, of course, his cousin – Troy Polamalu – went from two-time All-American at USC to All-Pro safety with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    “It was very hard at first,” he said when asked about growing up with such a distinguished last name. “It actually was difficult in the beginning, difficult to live up to. It was tough because a lot of assumptions were made, and there were a lot of expectations.

    “I think probably by my junior year (in high school) is when I got used to it. From that point on it didn’t really bother me.”

    For good reason, too, because by then Maika Polamalu had already begun making a name for himself, as a running back and defensive back — not to mention outstanding academic student — at Pottsgrove High School.

    And Wednesday morning, during a press conference in the school’s administration offices, Polamalu continued to establish his own identity by signing his national letter of intent to continue his academic and athlete careers at the U.S. Naval Academy.

    The 6-foot, 205-pound Polamalu, who had received a number of offers from schools around the country, narrowed his choices to Navy, Temple and Villanova. However, he admitted, there was no passing up what Navy offered.

    “I know there’s a lot of discipline (in attending an academy),” Polamalu said. “But it’s worth it in the long run. When I visited there the players took me in. I thought they were good people. Plus the (football) program is very stable.

    “The degree you get from there also holds a lot of weight. (Navy’s) liberal arts program is one of the top educational programs in the country. That offers a great opportunity in the future.”

    Polamalu made quite a name for himself on the football field at Pottsgrove. He was a four-year starter, running for 4,388 yards and scoring 63 touchdowns overall. He was a three-time All-Pioneer Athletic Conference selection, a two-time all-state pick, and a big, big reason – on offense as well as defense -  why the Falcons won back-to-back PAC-10 championships in 2008 and 2009, earned four straight appearances in the District 1-AAA playoffs, and won the school’s first district title in 2009.

    However, even those impressive numbers and accolades pale in comparison to what he achieved off the football field and in the classroom. He carried a 3.6 grade-point average before completing all his high school academic requirements two months ago. And he’s doing that well, if not better, while attending classes for the second straight semester at Montgomery County Community College.

    At Navy, Polamalu plans to study mechanical engineering and, eventually, get into the academy’s post-grad program.

    “Maika has made a great choice,” head coach Rick Pennypacker said. “But he’s to be congratulated not only for what he’s given us in our football program, but for putting himself in the position he’s in today … going to the Naval Academy. A lot of kids dream about going there.

    “His parents stressed academics from the beginning, and Maika accepted that challenge. He’s going to get an excellent education and play for a high-caliber college football team, and I think he’ll be a mainstay for (Navy).”

    The 18-year-old Polamalu, who will report to Annapolis, Md., on June 30, has played in a pair of all-star games since Pottsgrove season-ending setback to Strath Haven in the District 1-AAA final. He scored a touchdown in the inaugural Chesapeake Bowl down in Va., two months ago, and the Polynesian All-Star Game out in Los Angeles last month.

    At Navy, he will play for head coach Ken Niumatalolo, the first Samoan head coach at any level in college football. He’ll join a team that was 10-4 a year ago, capping its season with an appearance in the Poinsetta Bowl.

    Recruited as a running back, he’ll be part of an option offense similar to what he was such a big part of at Pottsgrove. And because there is no red-shirting at any of the country’s academies, he hopes to be a part of the Midshipmen’s offense sooner rather than later.

    “That won’t be much of a factor,” Polamalu said about learning a new system. “It’s definitely a good thing knowing the (offense) pretty well, though. It’ll definitely help me a lot.”

    One of Navy’s offensive weapons – slotback John Howell, a graduate of Lansdale Catholic – was helpful during Polamalu’s visit.

    “I actually stayed with John when I was down there,” Polamalu said. “We talked a lot, and he was straight-up with me on a lot of things. He was a big help.”

    Perhaps not as big a help as dad and mom, Christine, who sat alongside their son during Wednesday morning’s press conference.

    “We’ve told Maika that it’s a life choice he’s making,” said his father. “There are no guarantees in life, but (the Naval Academy) offers a good education and five years on the job. After that, you’re coming out of a program where you’ll be leading men and women. Who wouldn’t want that type of person?

    “It’s going to be hard at Navy. Be we’ve reminded Maika that he’s making a life choice, not a football choice.”

    “There certainly will be a lot of challenges,” Polamalu added. “But I don’t feel there is anything I can’t handle.”

MaxPreps California Division IV All-State Football Team

First Team
OL - Freddie Tagaloa, Salesian (Richmond), 6-7, 318, JrSan Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Team... Contra Costa Times All-East Bay Team.

DL - Micah Seau, Bishop's (La Jolla), 6-3, 225, SrAll-Coastal League... 122 tackles.

Polynesian pride celebrated on the football field

By BOB PADECKY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Makana Garrigan and Sam Atoe stood there at midfield Saturday, facing the stands at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles with 59 other Pacific Islanders, all of them in a single line, in football uniform, the game just moments away, when they began the Haka.

In unison, they stomped their feet, vigorously crossed and uncrossed their arms, chanted, stuck out their tongues in an exaggerated style, opened their eyes wide. As pregame shows go, it doesn’t get any more distinctive or personal. Think of the baritone voice of James Earl Jones propelled with great vigor through a megaphone.

“There was so much energy,” said Garrigan, a wide receiver/safety from Casa Grande. Now, days later, Garrigan admitted, he still gets goose bumps just from the re-telling of it.
The Haka is a posture dance, its origins from the Maori of New Zealand. It can be used as a welcoming gesture or as a ceremonial rite. Most commonly, it is displayed before a football game by Polynesians.
“To intimidate our opponents,” said Atoe, the running back/linebacker from Maria Carrillo.
This time, however, it was done not to intimidate but to celebrate a culture. This was the First Annual Polynesian All-American Classic football game, a collection of the best senior high school talent in America with Pacific Island heritage. And it was quite a collection, 61 players from nine states. At least 23 of them have verbally committed to Division I NCAA universities.
Atoe was one of them, having verbally committed to San Diego State on Sunday before last.
Garrigan has been offered a full ride to both Fresno State and UC San Diego, is being pursued heavily by others, and will wait just before National Letter-of-Intent Day on Feb. 2 to make a decision.
It’s a wise decision, considering what happened on the fifth play of Saturday’s game.
Atoe took a pitch from the quarterback and took off to the right as if to run. Garrigan, at wide receiver, blocked his cornerback for three seconds and then released downfield on a streak. Atoe’s pass found him perfectly.
“I felt someone behind me and so I changed direction,” Garrigan said. “A bit later I felt someone else behind me and changed direction again.”
Garrigan made it 50 yards before being tackled. He caught five passes for 75 yards. You would think that 50-yarder would be the game’s highlight for him. It wasn’t. It was being with his brothers, 60 of them, 61 kids with that same island DNA in them, 61 kids that really needed no introduction, an island culture, small in numbers, strong in shared identity.
“It was like I had known everyone for at least five years,” Garrigan said.
“It all happened so fast,” Atoe said of his five days in L.A. “I wasn’t ready to go home.”
How could Atoe? At halftime, Hawaiian reggae star J Boog was singing on the sideline. Within seconds a dozen players from the Black and White team gathered at midfield, formed a circle and began dancing. Atoe was one of them.
“It was so cool,” Atoe said.
It was so cool when 49ers guard Mike Iupati met with the players on Thursday, the player with Samoan heritage who told them to go to college, get an education and be proud of who they are, be proud of their origins, be aware of who they represent.
Like Iupati had to say anything at all. The pride of an Islander who plays football is like the eternal flame, it never goes out. Probably because it never can. Not after everything that’s happened. Not after the reputation they have earned in both college and pro football. Pacific Islanders make up just 0.3 percent of the American population. Yet 63 of them are playing in the NFL and at least 200 of them are on NCAA D-I rosters. ESPN statisticians calculate that a kid growing up in American Samoa is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a kid growing up on the mainland.
“When I talk to college scouts,” said Casa Grande football Trent Herzog, “it’ll come up in conversation: ‘I got a player who has the blood.’ The college guy will just nod, smile and ask me for some tape. Everyone in college football knows what ‘they got the blood’ means. It means a player who is respectful, honest, tough, with the heart of a warrior, who will do anything for you.”
Sounds like the perfect definition of a football player, when phrased like that.
“Yep,” Herzog said.
To get a sense of that engine that drives a Pacific Islander in football, a simple image can bring it into quick clarity.
“When I step on the field,” Atoe said, “I feel it.”
The surge. The electricity. The hot wire. The feeling of being plugged in, of belonging nowhere else. The feeling of home, actually.
“It’s indescribable, really,” Garrigan said. “It’s like something inside me just clicks on.”
As a Pacific Islander once said, “We grew up loving rugby but football pays better.” Contact, the tie that binds.
“When I hit someone,” said Rancho Cotate defensive end Mike Tuaua, who will play for SRJC this fall, “I don’t feel a thing.”
Or to put it another way: “I’ve always been more aggressive than anyone else,” Garrigan said. “I know I can lay someone out. It doesn’t matter how big they are. When I played in high school, there were some players who took plays off. Not us (Pacific Islanders). We go 100 percent all the time. That’s why Saturday was so much fun. You knew everyone was playing the same way, smashmouth. It’s like the sport is made for us.”
Not to mention their bodies.
“There weren’t any little kid bodies out there Saturday,” Garrigan said.
College and pro football are becoming aware of Polynesians playing football the way Major League Baseball first became aware of the talent in the Dominican Republic. That was the purpose for the all-star game Saturday, to raise awareness. It was the brainchild of George Malauulu, a former University of Arizona quarterback. And with that talent came certain assumptions.
“I thought everyone was going to be cocky,” Garrigan said.
Then Garrigan realized where he was, who he was with, as best illuminated by Atoe.
“We are a humble people,” Atoe said. “That’s how we are raised. To respect everyone. For me to disrespect someone, I would be ashamed. It would be embarrassing. If I did that, I couldn’t look that person in the eye. I am always aware of the people I represent.”
Would it feel like betrayal of his culture?
“Yes,” Atoe said. “Betrayal.”
Atoe offered his response to success, a response you wish could spread among all cultures, one that does not have a strut to it or a Sharpie signing a football.
“After games this year,” Atoe said, “people might come up to me and congratulate me on a good game. I wouldn’t know what to say. It’s like I don’t deserve it, like I know I could do more. I’d blush.”
Blush, after a compliment?
“Yes, I would,” Atoe said.
That’s why Atoe and Garrigan loved last Saturday. No one betrayed the culture. No one took plays off. Everyone did the Haka. Everyone knew this was a flashpoint unique to anything they ever experienced.
“A bunch of us were talking,” Garrigan said, “and we all came to the same conclusion. If this was a high school team, we’d be state champions.”
And then some.

2010 All Orange County Football Team

First Team
Butch Pauu Servite 5-11, 215, Jr. Linebacker
Highlights: Pauu showed his potential in 2009 when he earned all-sophomore state honors from Cal-Hi Sports. This year, he lived up to that honor. Pauu, known as The Butcher, was selected first-team All-Trinity League for the second consecutive season. Pauu always seemed to be around the ball, delivering a big hit and making life miserable for the opposition. He returned an interception for a touchdown against La Habra (Sept. 17). He turned in one of the best performances in the Pac-5 final as he recorded 10 tackles, one for loss and two pass breakups in the 41-27 victory over Mission Viejo.

Second Team
LB – David Tafuna, Villa Park, Sr.
LB -- Andrew Faraimo, Los Alamitos, Sr.
All-purpose – Howard Gauta, Loara, Sr.


Third Team
OL – Faitele Faafoi, Tustin, Sr.
OL – Ryan Lefotu, Orange Lutheran, Sr.
OL – Kyle Peko, La Habra, Sr.

Arizona High School Football Coaches Association Big 25 Team

Moon Valley (Phoenix) offensive lineman Vi Teofilo and Perry (Gilbert) defensive lineman Mo Latu were named All State by the AZFCA.

For this Polamalu, expectations are nothing new

By Lou Rabito

Inquirer Columnist

By Lou Rabito

Maika Polamalu was about to enter the small room just off the football practice field at Pottsgrove High School.

I awaited the onset of some serious hair envy.

He has the Polamalu name.

He plays the Polamalu game.

He has to have, I thought, the Polamalu mane.

In walked a muscular 18-year-old with a full head of hair - full by average standards. But by Polamalu standards, the barometer set by his first cousin, Pittsburgh Steeler and proud Samoan Troy Polamalu?

Let's just say the Head & Shoulders people won't be calling Maika anytime soon.

"People always ask me why I don't have that kind of hair, and what happened," Maika Polamalu said. "My dad was one of the only few out of his brothers and sisters not to have thick, curly hair. So then, when I'm only half-Samoan, I'm definitely not going to get it."

As a young player in a family filled with football tradition, Maika Polamalu is used to comparisons to relatives, as well as expectations that might be off the mark by, well, more than a hair.

His father is Ao Polamalu, a defensive lineman for Penn State in the mid-1980s. An uncle, Kennedy Polamalu, played for USC and is the Trojans' offensive coordinator.

Then there's Troy Polamalu, safety and cornerstone, shampoo-commercial star, and subject of a million-dollar insurance policy on all that hair. His mother is Ao and Kennedy's sister.

Maika, a running back who also plays several positions on Pottsgrove's defense, will be the next Polamalu in college football. A 6-foot, 210-pound senior and a Division I prospect, he has scored seven touchdowns in the Falcons' four games this season, gaining 475 yards on 55 carries.

Being a Polamalu has its privileges. But along with that comes pressure.

"The positives are he gets himself looked at a little quicker than other people," Pottsgrove coach Rick Pennypacker said, referring to recruiting. "For a lot of colleges, a lot of coaches, that name is pretty well known throughout the country. He has gotten a lot of glory, a lot of attention because of that name.

"The negatives, I think, far outweigh the positives. I feel bad for the kid because every college, every high school kid, every fan, every coach that comes in, every opponent, every opponent's fan think that he has got to be Troy Polamalu. And there's only one Troy Polamalu."

Maika, he said, has handled the expectations well, and the player concedes that he deals with them a lot better than he once did. He used to hear the talk and try to be a player that he wasn't. With some maturity and advice from his father, he said, he learned to be "my own person."

He and Troy don't communicate daily, but Maika says he sends the Steeler a text message once in a while and sees him occasionally. Troy says they rarely talk about football. The 29-year-old defensive back also says that his success shouldn't place pressure on his cousin.

"I never felt pressure because I have uncles and cousins that played at pretty elite levels of college," he told Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It all depends on the parenting. Some parents can put a whole lot of pressure on [their children], and some don't. His parents definitely don't do that."

Maika Polamalu wants to make his college decision in the next month. He said that he has received offers from Temple, Villanova, Navy, and James Madison. He hopes to get more offers after he starts sending out more game film this week.

"He's a big, strong running back, but he's not a speed-burning running back," Pennypacker said.

"He's not one of those shifty, quick, little scatbacks that they're looking for nowadays. He's more of a straight-ahead, downhill running back. . . . So a lot of teams are holding on to see his senior year."

That senior year might end sooner than most.

Polamalu, who has a 91 average, is taking five classes at Montgomery County Community College in Pottstown as part of a dual-enrollment program that the school district and college have. If all goes well, he plans to graduate in December, enroll in college for second semester, and play spring football there.

"He's a tremendous student," Pennypacker said. "He's a tremendous kid, and I can't say enough good things about the kid."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/sports_breaking/20100925_For_this_Polamalu__expectations_are_nothing_new.html#ixzz10icU3900
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Seattle Times preseason all-state football team

OL Danny Shelton
Auburn, Sr., 6-3, 300
Huskies would like to add the state's top offensive line prospect to an already impressive recruiting class.

ATH Tana Pritchard
Clover Park, Sr., 6-3, 201
Brother of former Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard frequently works out with former NFL quarterback and WSU legend Jack Thompson.

DL Taniela Tupou
Archbishop Murphy, Sr., 6-2, 275
CBS recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said Tupou could be a "devastating defensive tackle" at the next level.

DL Jarett Finau
Juanita, Sr., 6-3, 235
UW commit can play either defensive end or linebacker and lines up at tight end on offense.

Lucky 13: Players to Watch in KingCo 3A/2A

LB/TE Jarrett Finau, Sr., Juanita
Finau, a 6-foot-3 University of Washington recruit, transferred to Juanita this season after playing last year at Marysville-Pilchuck. The big kid has a motor that doesn't stop along with 4.65 40 speed. KingCo coaches will wish he stayed in Marysville.

RB Jeremiah Laufasa, Sr., Juanita
Laufasa is a beast in the backfield who rarely gets taken down by just one defender. With a solid line of big bodies in front of him, defenses are in for a rough night when they take on the Rebels. Laufasa showed great speed last year as well.

Tacoma News Tribune Preseason All State Team

OL Danny Shelton 6-3 280 Sr. Auburn
Two-time member of TNT All-Area team is the best player in the SPSL North and draws triple-teams as a defensive lineman

 

DL Jarett Finau 6-3 235 Sr. Juanita
Transfer from Marysville-Pilchuck has already committed to Washington

DL Taniela Tupou 6-2 260 Sr. Archbishop Murphy
Strong-side defensive end is a dominant force; committed to Washington

Read more: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/preps/2010/08/24/football-preseason-all-state-team/#ixzz0zlIYjJIK

Top Area Linebackers

In Part 6 in the "Searching 4 Superstars" preseason special, WYFF High School Playbook examines the top area linebackers. Rather than featuring these players merely on recruiting status, WYFF has made a conscious effort to feature them by their on-field accomplishments in the high school realm.

Adam Ah Ching (jr.), Greer The rising star of the Yellow Jackets possesses NFL blood with relatives Junior Seau and Troy Polamalu, but injuries have prevented him from collecting the stats he is capable of attaining. In only seven games in 2009, Ah Ching averaged 12.7 tackles per game and led the Yellow Jackets in unassisted tackles and tackles for loss. Last summer, Ah Ching received plenty of attention in summer camps, and since then has received three Division I offers. Greer continues to gain experience and the team will need Adam Ah Ching to stay injury-free so he can lead this talented defense. If Adam Ah Ching can continue on the pace he set last season, his final two years of high school football could be worth remembering as he embarks on the quest for NFL greatness like his Samoan kinsmen.

Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Stars (Sac-Joaquin)

First Team Offense/Defense
OL Nate Falo (Inderkum, Sacramento) 6-1, 280, Sr.
RB Drake Tofi (Monterey Trail, Elk Grove) 5-9, 165, Sr.

DL Puka Lopa (Grant, Sacramento) 6-3, 255, Sr.
DL Viliami Moala (Grant, Sacramento) 6-2, 326, Sr.
LB Darryl Paulo (Grant, Sacramento) 6-2, 240, Sr.

Second Team
MLB/FB Phillip Laufiso (Stagg, Stockton) 6-2, 220, Sr.

Asi leads Killeen linebackers as they move from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense

By Kevin Posival
Killeen Daily Herald

When Royce Asi was a running back, he ran through holes and over defensive linemen and linebackers. The hits he delivered he said, were why coaches at Harker Heights and Killeen moved him to defense.

Back then, the move frustrated him.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Killeen junior linebacker liked having the ball in his hands and just running through holes, meeting whoever was there with a welcome pop.

Asi still has a knack for filling those holes with a pop but only now he does it as an all-state linebacker instead of as a running back.

Asi's grown into the position since he and Demetrius Ballard were sophomores on Killeen's state quarterfinal team in 2008. He's grown into a leader at the position with Ballard, Chad Ropati and Lawrence Lavan, all juniors.

"(Asi) taught me a lot," said Ropati. "He taught me to be humble, he taught me to play and just never get down on myself. Royce, he's a good kid.

"He's a big aspect to the defense. He was our star tackler last year. He encourages everyone, from the youngest freshman, he encourages everyone."

This season, the quartet of returning linebackers are at the center of the Kangaroos switch to a 3-4 defense to compensate for a lack of big bodies and numerous holes to fill on the offensive and defensive lines.

"I wish we could've done it last season. I think it would it would've helped a lot," said Asi. "... (Killeen head coach Sam Jones) used to switch all of us out, but we're all talented."

As they rotated in and out last season as part of Killeen's defense, they return this season as four the Kangaroos' top-six returning tacklers. The defensive switch makes it easier for the four to be a better brotherhood of leaders, Ballard said.

"It's great, actually ... We read each other, we play better with each other. We know what each other's thinking," said Ballard, who was team's No. 3 tackler with 112 total, 60 solo, last season. "You know you have to be on your stuff ... make sure you make the right decision. You can't mess up and make him (Jones) look bad because he did this for us."

Added Lavan, who had 85 total tackles last year, "It's better to have all of them on the field than to just have three and switching them out.

"... It's pressure, but after we learn it, it should be pretty easy.

"We all know what we're doing and we all can make a play when we need to."

Killeen had District 25-4A's fifth-ranked defense last season, allowing almost 350 yards per game, but had a district-best 32 takeaways.

They also surrendered 47 points and less than 550 total yards of offense in their two playoff games — a disappointing end for a team that shouldered expectations of a much longer postseason.

"We let the year before us, the team before us, we let them down. We didn't make it that far. This offseason, we're just working harder," said Ropati, who had 38 total tackles last year after moving from California to Killeen last spring.

"I gradually grew a strong bond with them throughout the season," Ropati said. "I was just out there. I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't know anybody but Royce. It's a good feeling now. I feel more comfortable with the team and I feel like we're a stronger family."

When Asi switched from running back to linebacker as a sophomore, he used to just run through a hole and the running back would go the other direction, that could've made him get down on himself.

But, that's when running backs frustrated him and linemen just got in his way.

"It just feels great making that stop, it makes you feel good. "I was reading the play right, recognizing the play makes me feel good about it. And, of course, the hitting part, I'm looking for that pop. That's what everybody likes to see and I like that, too."

Alta LB Toloa'i Ho-Ching commits to BYU, will go on church mission first

Just got a phone call from Alta High linebacker Toloa’i Ho-Ching.
The senior said he has committed to play football for BYU.
Ho-Ching chose the Cougars over Wisconsin, having narrowed his choices to those two schools the last few months.
He also had offers from Utah State, Stanford and Wyoming.
Ho-Ching said he met with BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall this afternoon and made the commitment then.
Ho-Ching, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound all-stater, said he will go on an LDS Church mission before enrolling at BYU.
He turns 19 in February of 2011, but said he will not play next fall.
“BYU is a place I need to be at at this point in my life,” he said, when asked why he chose the Cougars.
Ho-Ching missed two games his senior season with a knee injury, but still helped Alta make it to the 5A state semifinals, where the Hawks lost to Bingham.

Seattle Times All Area Football Team

John Kanongata'a

Bellevue, LB, 6-0, 210, Sr.

Considered the heart of the Wolverines' defense, Kanongata'a was named the KingCo 3A/2A Defensive Player of the Year. He makes up for lack of size with a motor that sends him flying all over the field.

Danny Shelton

Auburn, OL, 6-2, 320, Jr.

A blend of size and speed with a motor that never quits, Shelton is on the radar as one of the nation's best recruits for 2011. Voted the SPSL North's Lineman of the Year on both offense and defense as Trojans returned to the 4A state quarterfinals.

Taniela Tupou

Archbishop Murphy, DL, 6-3, 250, Jr.

It's crazy to think that this two-way All-Cascade Conference selection has another year remaining at the 2A school in South Everett. Tupou helped the Wildcats rush for more than 3,000 yards while allowing only 12.3 points per game.