Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te'o Selected 2012 Walter Camp Player of the Year

New Haven, CT - University of Notre Dame senior inside linebacker Manti Te'o (Laie, HI) has been selected as the 2012 Walter Camp Player of the Year. Walter Camp Football Foundation President John Marks made the presentation tonight during ESPN's 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year is voted on by the nation's 124 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors. Other finalists for the Walter Camp 2012 Player of the Year award included Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, USC wide receiver Marqise Lee and Oregon running back Kenjon Barner.
The 46th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, Te'o is the third defensive player to earn the honor. Former Pittsburgh defensive end Hugh Green (1980) and Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson (1997) each won the award.
Te'o is also the fourth Notre Dame player - tight end Ken MacAfee (1977), wide receiver Tim Brown (1987) and wide receiver Raghib Ismail (1990) - to be selected Player of the Year.
"Manti Te'o's performance on and off the football field has made him an outstanding recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award," Marks said. "His consistency, leadership, and perseverance have been trademarks of the Fighting Irish's outstanding 2012 season."
The 6-foot 2, 255-pound Te'o is a Walter Camp First Team All-America selection after leading the Fighting Irish defensive unit that ranks first in the nation in scoring defense (10.3 points allowed per game) and sixth in total defense (286.8 yards allowed per game).
Through 12 games this season, Te'o has totaled a team-best 103 tackles (8.6 tackles per game) and is tied for third in the nation with seven interceptions. Te'o has played a role in 11 of Notre Dame's 23 turnovers this year (7 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 pass hurries that directly led to interceptions).
Top-ranked Notre Dame (12-0) will play second-ranked Alabama (12-1) in the BCS National Championship Game on January 7.
Te'o has appeared in 50 career games and amassed 427 tackles (209 solo). He is the second Notre Dame player - joining two-time Walter Camp All-American linebacker Bob Crable - to register at least 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons. A graphic design major, Te'o has a 3.32 cumulative grade point average and is scheduled to graduate this month.
Te'o, along with members of the Walter Camp 2012 All-America team, will be honored at the organization's national awards banquet on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
The Foundation is offering a "Holiday Ticket Promotion" for the National Awards Dinner. Buy two tickets for $400 (you save $150) before December 31. Please call (203) 288-CAMP (288-2267) for more information.
Walter Camp, "The Father of American football," first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp - a former Yale University athlete and football coach - is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation - a New Haven-based all-volunteer group - was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit http://www.waltercamp.org for more information.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. Visit http://www.ncfaa.org.
Walter Camp Player of the Year Recipients 2012 - Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

Manti Te'o Wins Maxwell Award

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o has won the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's most outstanding player.
Te'o was presented with the award Thursday at the Home Depot College Football Awards show at Disney World. He beat out finalists and quarterbacks Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M and Collin Klein from Kansas State.
He is the first defensive player to win the award since 1980, ending a string of nine straight quarterbacks.
It's the sixth national award that Te'o has won since the end of the regular season. The Fighting Irish senior has also has won the Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award and Walter Camp national player of the year award.
Te'o is also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented on Saturday.

Manti Te'o Wins Bednarik Award

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o has won the Bednarik Award, given to the nation's most outstanding defensive player.
Te'o was presented with the award Thursday night at the Home Depot College Football Awards show at Disney World. He beat out finalists Jadeveon Clowney from South Carolina and Georgia's Jarvis Jones.
The leader of the nation's top-ranked scoring defense, the senior had 103 tackles and seven interceptions this season. He is the first linebacker to win the Bednarik since 2008.
It's the fifth national award Te'o has received since the end of the regular season. He already has won the Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award and Walter Camp national player of the year award.
The Fighting Irish play Alabama on Jan. 7 in the BCS national championship game.

Sporting News 2012 All-American Team

LB: Manti Te’o, Sr., Notre Dame
Why is Te’o the defensive superstar of college football? His seven interceptions—four more than any other non-defensive back has—are a big part of the explanation. But Te’o means so much more to the Irish than can be quantified. He’s a Tebow-like leader on the other side of the ball. That good enough?

CB: Jordan Poyer, Sr., Oregon State
There’s zero question who has been the Beavers’ best player throughout their return from the abyss of 2011 to true relevance in 2012. Poyer locks receivers down, plays wickedly hard and has a nose for the football—seven interceptions should make that abundantly clear.

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Manti Te'o Takes Home Rotary Lombardi Award

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - University of Notre Dame senior linebacker Manti Te'o won the Rotary Lombardi Award on Wednesday as college football's best lineman or linebacker. He is the second player in college football history to capture the Butkus, Nagurski and Lombardi awards in the same season.
Te'o recently became Notre Dame's 186th first-team All-America selection (AFCA). A National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation, Te'o also is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Bednarik Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Lott Trophy.
If Te'o were to receive any three of the following five awards - Maxwell, Bednarik, Walter Camp, Heisman or Lott - he would take home an unprecedented six major college football awards.
Former Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson captured five awards in 1997 (Bednarik, Nagurski, Thorpe, Walter Camp and Heisman).
The Maxwell, Bednarik and Walter Camp will be announced during Thursday's 2012 Home Depot College Football Awards show which will air on ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
Te'o is the fifth Notre Dame player to capture the Lombardi - joining defensive end Walt Patulski (1971), defensive end Ross Browner (1977), nose guard Chris Zorich (1990) and offensive tackle Aaron Taylor (1993).
Te'o leads the Irish with 103 tackles. He is the second Notre Dame player to ever collect at least 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons (Bob Crable, 1979-81). Te'o is the third player in Irish history to record 400 career tackles and currently ranks third in school history with 427 stops.
Te'o has recorded seven interceptions in 2012, which is tied for second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total interceptions. He has set a Notre Dame single-season record for most interceptions by a linebacker. In fact, no FBS linebacker in the past 11 seasons has collected more single-season interceptions than Te'o. He has generated nine total turnovers (seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries), which is tied for the most of any FBS player. Te'o has actually played a role in 11 of the 23 turnovers forced by Notre Dame's defense in '12. In addition to the seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries, he has hurried two quarterbacks on plays that directly resulted in interceptions.
Te'o has started 48 career games at Notre Dame, including each of the last 47 contests. That is the longest streak of any linebacker in the nation and fourth longest of any defensive player in the country.
Top-ranked Notre Dame will play second-ranked Alabama on January 7, 2013, for the BCS National Championship.

Heisman win for Te’o would be historic for Pacific Islanders

By Christopher Kamrani

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Dec 06 2012 11:18 am • Last Updated Dec 07 2012 05:55 pm

Bountiful High assistant football coach Alema Te’o was still marveling at the moment from his Southern California hotel room, one night before undefeated and top-ranked Notre Dame was to wrap up its unforgettable season against rival USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Alema’s great-nephew, Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te’o, had just gotten off a plane after flying in from South Bend, Ind., with the rest of the team, but he still found time to gather with family members who had poured into L.A. for the big game.

"He could have said, ‘I’m tired, I need to go to my room,’ but he didn’t," Alema Te’o said of Manti. "He stayed the whole time with family members, talked to them about working hard and doing what’s right."

If there is a face behind the resurgence of the most storied college football program in the country, it’s Te’o, the Herculean heart of the Fighting Irish defense who also showcases a million-dollar smile and a big-hearted attitude that has helped Notre Dame reach the BCS National Championship game against No. 2 Alabama on Jan. 7.

Teo’s role in helping restore Notre Dame to prominence also has resulted in another pinnacle. He will be in New York on Saturday as a Heisman Trophy finalist, along with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein.

This is mostly foreign territory for a linebacker — Charles Woodson is the only defensive player to ever win the Heisman, and he won it largely as a return specialist. But it is a potentially history-making moment for the Pacific Islander community in Utah, the rest of the U.S. and abroad. No college football player of Polynesian descent has ever won a Heisman, or even been invited to the award ceremony.

"No doubt if he wins it was destiny," said Alema Te’o, who created the popular All-Poly Football Camp 14 years ago. "If Manti wins it, I can honestly believe that this will be the first step in elevating the effort level for the next generation [of Polynesian players] to come up. Everybody and their dog is going to want to be like Manti. They already do."

Utah defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake noted that the Sitakes and the Te’os are old family friends and he and Manti Te’o even hail from the same hometown in Hawaii. It was Sitake who drew the job of recruiting Te’o to Utah four years ago, but Utah’s defensive coordinator said he is proud of the way Te’o carved out a niche for himself in South Bend.

"He represents himself and Notre Dame the right way," Sitake said. "He’s always giving credit to his roots and his family and his faith, and when you have a guy like that people are going to flock to him whether they’re Polynesian or not. There’s T-shirts out here in Utah that say ‘Manti for Heisman.’ He’s a dynamic young man."

Saia Saltiban, who will be a senior outside linebacker at Bingham next season, said Te’o’s collegiate career is epitomized by his ability to think for himself and make the most of his decision to go to Notre Dame.

"I just think he’s a different player because he chose his own path. As a Polynesian, you’re supposed to stay at a West Coast school, but he went to an [eastern]," Saltiban said. "I’d rather have him win the Heisman Trophy because I think it’d be a bigger attribute for the Polynesian football community. He’s going to have a great career in the NFL, and he’s going to be a legend in college football history."

Alema Te’o said his nephew has an innate ability to simplify things when the circumstances may seem gargantuan to others. That night before the Fighting Irish defeated the Trojans 22-13 to punch their ticket to the BCS title game, Manti Te’o talked to every last one of his cousins who took different treks to Southern California to visit their hero.

"He’s already got his next group of cousins wearing his jersey and walking and talking just like him," Alema Te’o said.

No longer overlooked

Cyrus Coen didn't receive any offers coming out of Pearl City, but the sophomore has turned into star linebacker at Washington State

By Billy Hull

The first thing to stand out from this year's All-Hawaii Grown team is the defense.

Seven of the 11 members chosen to the team still have a game to play as the bowl season kicks off next weekend.

All 11 ended the season as starters at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, with seven doing so at BCS schools.

But unlike Manti Te'o, the Heisman Trophy finalist from Notre Dame who was destined for greatness from the moment he arrived on the Punahou campus as a sophomore, some have come out of nowhere.

One of those guys is Washington State sophomore linebacker Cyrus Coen, a 2011 Pearl City graduate.

Coen had no scholarship offers coming out of high school. A broken foot cost him the final month of his senior season and he was left with few options.

"Probably not," Coen said when asked if he thought he'd play football in college. "One of my uncles used to go here and he called me and told me to give (walking on at WSU) a shot."

His "uncle" is Jack Thompson, known to many as the "Throwin' Samoan."

Thompson was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals after playing college ball at Washington State.

He convinced the now-previous coaching staff to give Coen a look as a walk-on and it took exactly one year before Coen earned a scholarship.

Coen responded with a tremendous season, finishing with 60 tackles. Twelve of them went for a loss. Coen also had three sacks and three interceptions as WSU's do-everything linebacker.

"You know what? I kind of surprised myself," Coen said. "I just thank the coaching staff for giving me the chance, and the one thing they always tell us is to work hard and do what you're supposed to do and I've been able to kind of stick to it and it's worked out."

Coen's first year as a full-time starter didn't go so well in terms of wins and losses, but it couldn't have ended any better.

Instead of finishing winless in the Pac-12, the Cougars pulled out a stunning overtime win in the Apple Cup against cross-state rival Washington.

"Oh man, it was one of the best experience's I've ever had," Coen said. "Ending on a good note … I'm excited for next season."

The win made a lot of the disappointments of coach Mike Leach's first season in Pullman fade away quickly.

Although the team isn't playing in a bowl game, Coen works out every morning with his teammates and again in the afternoon.

Next year's season opener is at Auburn on Aug. 31.

"If we can pick up where we left off, everything is uphill from there," Coen said. "We can't wait to get back out there. We're excited."

Eight of the 24 players selected to the All-Hawaii Grown team, including Coen, are freshmen and sophomores.

Coen edged out Eastern Michigan's Bryan Pali, a 2008 Kamehameha-Maui alumnus, for the final spot at linebacker.

Pali played in nine games for the Eagles and finished 41st in the country with an average of 9.22 tackles a game.

ALL-HAWAII GROWN FOOTBALL TEAM

Team selected from Hawaii athletes at mainland colleges

 

Boise State's Jeremy Ioane All MWC

Honorable Mention
Jeremy Ioane, a redshirt sophomore safety from Honolulu, finished second on the team in tackles with 65 (38 solo). He intercepted two passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Ioane also broke up two passes, forced a fumble and record two TFLs

UH's Paipai Falemalu All MWC

Second Team

Paipai Falemalu, a preseason all-MW pick, tied for the team-lead with 56 tackles, including 10.0 for loss, which is tied for 11^th in the MW. The senior from Hau'ula, O'ahu also had five sacks, which is tied for ninth in the MW, and has two fumbles recovered.

Honorable Mention
Tavita Woodward, a junior from Honolulu, played in all 12 games as at defensive end and tackle and was sixth on the team with 38 tackles. He also ranks sixth in the MW in sacks with 5.5 and had one interception and three quarterback hurries. 

UNLV's John Lotulelei All MWC

First Team All MWC
Lotulelei (Kihei, Hawaii), announced yesterday as the Rebels' Defensive Most Valuable Player for 2012, currently ranks third in the Mountain West and 39th in the nation with 9.2 tackles per game and his total of 120 was the 10th-highest in UNLV single-season history. A team captain, he turned in a career-high 19 total tackles vs. Nevada, Reno and grabbed his first interception vs. Washington State.

Iolani's Foy, Punahou's Savaiinaea head ILH all-stars

Iolani quarterback Reece Foy was named Offensive Player of the Year and Punahou linebacker Isaac Savaiinaea was named Defensive Player of the Year for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, according to the league's website.

Punahou's Kale Ane was named Coach of the Year.

INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE OF HONOLULU ALL-STARS
Offensive Player of the Year: Reece Foy, QB, Iolani
Defensive Player of the Year: Isaac Savaiinaea,, LB, Punahou

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Manti Te'o Captures Butkus Award

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - University of Notre Dame senior linebacker Manti Te'o was honored with the 28th annual collegiate Butkus Award® Monday. The announcement came in a surprise telephone call by legendary linebacker and award namesake Dick Butkus and his son Matt. A presentation is planned for December 17 on the Notre Dame campus as part of an "I Play Clean" workshop series.
Te'o was selected by a panel of 51 coaches, recruiters, scouts and journalists coordinated by Pro Football Weekly.
"Manti Te'o embodies the toughness, intensity, competitiveness and on-field demeanor of a throwback performer like Dick Butkus himself," said Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly. "Te'o was the first ever High School Butkus winner (2008), and he has lived up to all the expectations and positioned his team for a chance at the national championship. He has been an inspiration to his team and community, and serves as a model citizen."
Te'o finished with 83 points in the Butkus Award voting system. Finishing second was Jarvis Jones of Georgia (54 points) and third was C.J. Mosley of Alabama (21 points). Kevin Minter of LSU and Dion Jordan of Oregon were tied for fourth.
Te'o leads the Irish with 103 tackles. He is the second Notre Dame player to ever collect at least 100 tackles in three consecutive seasons (Bob Crable, 1979-81). Te'o is the third player in Irish history to record 400 career tackles and currently ranks third in school history with 427 stops.
Te'o has recorded seven interceptions in 2012, which is tied for second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total interceptions. He has set a Notre Dame single-season record for most interceptions by a linebacker. In fact, no FBS linebacker in the past 11 seasons has collected more single-season interceptions than Te'o. He has generated nine total turnovers (seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries), which is tied for the most of any FBS player. Te'o has actually played a role in 11 of the 23 turnovers forced by Notre Dame's defense in '12. In addition to the seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries, he has hurried two quarterbacks on plays that directly resulted in interceptions.
Te'o has started 48 career games at Notre Dame, including each of the last 47 contests. That is the longest streak of any linebacker in the nation and fourth longest of any defensive player in the country.
Te'o already became Notre Dame's 186th All-American first team selection (AFCA). A National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation and finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Nagurski Award, Lombardi Trophy, Maxwell Award, Bednarik Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Lott Trophy.
Notre Dame will play Alabama January 7, 2013, for the BCS National Championship.

Manti Te'o Wins Nagurski Award For Top Defensive Player

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Manti Te'o got a call from Dick Butkus on Monday morning, letting him know he was voted the nation's best linebacker. A few hours later, the Notre Dame star accepted the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player.
Oh yeah, he also picked up a trip to New York as one of the finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
Not a bad day at all.
The energetic senior from Hawaii helped put Notre Dame back in the spotlight this season, leading the top-ranked Fighting Irish to an unbeaten regular season and a date with Alabama in the BCS championship game Jan. 7.
Te'o says being mentioned along with former Nagurski winners such as Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Warren Sapp and Champ Bailey is "something very special to me."
Te'o led the nation's top-ranked defense with 103 tackles and seven interceptions.
He beat out four other finalists: South Carolina end Jadeveon Clowney, Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner and Florida State end Bjoern Werner.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly was on hand as the event's keynote speaker at a downtown Charlotte hotel Monday night and said it's impossible to describe what Te'o has meant to the program.
"It takes time to move from not being part of the national championship discussion for over 20 years to be right at the point of being able to be a national champion," Kelly said. "You need somebody that can galvanize the team and somebody to get them to believe that they can do it. His actions, the way he played and the way he led did incredible things for our football program."
Te'o said this will be a season he'll never forget, but first he'd like to see the Fighting Irish get one more win.
"It's something that you dream of when you're a little kid," Te'o said. "You never think it could happen, then it finally hits you in the face and it's a dream come true."
When asked what he'd rather win - a national championship or the Nagurski Award - Te'o smiled and laughed as if it's the easiest question he's ever answered.
"Hey, all these awards are great, but football is a team sport," he said. "If you ask people who the Butkus Award or the Bednarik Award winners are, or even the Heisman Trophy winner some years, they probably don't remember them. But they remember who won the national championship. They remember that. That's the trophy everybody wants."
Te'o said he's anxious for the BCS title game, although it's still a month away.
As for the 45-day layoff, he doesn't believe it will be a factor once the game begins.
"It can be good or bad, depending on the player and team," Te'o said. "It depends on how badly you want it. You can approach those 45 days as a pro. But if you just want to be in the national championship game and that's enough, you're obviously in trouble. Alabama has obviously been there a lot recently. You've got to act like you've been there, even if we haven't."
Kelly said he doesn't see the Fighting Irish losing focus as long as Te'o is in the locker room leading the way.
"He's a great student and he's really been a role model for everybody in our program," Kelly said. "When you put all of those things together he's more than just a football player and I'm blessed that I had an opportunity to coach him."

Manti Te'o Named Heisman Trophy Finalist

NEW YORK - Notre Dame's Manti Te'o was selected as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday, along with Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Te'o, the only non-quarterback among the finalists, provided strong senior leadership for a Notre Dame club that ran the table and is playing for its first national championship in the BCS era.
Te'o had seven interceptions and 103 tackles for the Irish (12-0), who will take on Alabama in the Discover BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Miami.
Te'o is trying to become the first defense-only player to win a Heisman and the eighth player from Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have had seven Heisman winners, tied for the most, but none since Tim Brown in 1987.
Te'o, who has already captured the 2012 Butkus Award, is also a finalist for the Nagurski, Campbell, Lombardi, Bednarik, Maxwell, Lott and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards.

OIA White All Star Team

Kaiser running back Kai Gonda was named O'ahu Interscholastic Association White Offensive Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, Radford lineman Helaman Kakiva was named OIA White Defensive Player of the Year.

Kaiser's Rich Miano was named Coach of the Year in his first season with the Cougars.

The all-stars were submitted by the OIA and were selected by the division's coaches.

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Oahu Interscholastic Association West All Star Selections

Polynesian All American Bowl selection Kennedy Tulimaseali'i of Wai'anae was selected OIA West defensive player of the year. Tulimaseali'i earlier this week make a verbal commitment to attend the University of Hawai'i.

Mililani quarterback Jarin Morikawa and Waianae lineman Kennedy Tulimasealii earned the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West's top honors as Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.
Mililani's Rod York was named Coach of the Year.
The all-stars were submitted by the OIA and were chosen by the division's coaches.

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Rare territory

Kahuku's Wily secures his place among Hawaii's all-time rushing leaders

Aofaga Wily jogged onto the Aloha Stadium turf like he was sauntering into a park for a picnic.

But this was no picnic.

This was fourth and goal from the 1 in the OIA Red football semifinals against Leilehua on Friday night. Score knotted at 7.

It was after a timeout. Big pressure.

No big deal for Wily, who chugged behind the big Kahuku linemen and pushed into the end zone for what turned out to be the winning touchdown.

"All I was thinking was don't give up," Wily said while clutching the game MVP trophy. "Just depend on the people in front of me."

That kind of trust is what the 6-foot, 202-pound running back has given to his blockers in three years of piling up prolific rushing yardage.

The soft-spoken and bright-eyed Wily passed Hawaii icon Mosi Tatupu of Punahou and Saint Louis' Pesafea Fiaseu for fourth all-time in the state in rushing yardage. With Friday's OIA final against Mililani and the state tournament remaining, he sits at 3,717 yards and is aiming to pass Damien's Kama Bailey (3,930) and Kahuku's own Mark Atuaia (4,146) into second place.

Passing ‘Iolani's Joe Igber, No. 1 on the list at 4,428, will be a much harder task.

"Nah!" Wily said emphatically at practice last week, when asked if he thought it was important to pass Atuaia for the school record. "To me, stats don't really mean much. It's about getting the ‘W.' "

He'll be fine looking up to Atuaia and at his stats.

"Mark has been an inspiration and a role model as a running back," Wily said. "He has kept me motivated, and it's great to know that he was one of the best running backs in the state."

Atuaia, who is the assistant athletic director at Brigham Young in Provo, Utah, and a family friend from Laie, has known Wily since he was born.

"There are some similarities between the two of us," Atuaia said in a phone interview. "We both started as sophomores and learned to get all the kinks out of the way then. And both of us have watched the team from the bench in the fourth quarter of (lopsided) games.

"These are great accomplishments for him and I hope he uses this to propel him forward and get a good education."

Wily would love to play college football, but not before going on his two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"He can run at the next level, for sure," Kahuku head coach Reggie Torres said. "He can make an impact at any Division I school."

Hawaii, Arizona, Brigham Young and Washington have been actively recruiting Wily, whose running style Torres likened to former NFL great Marcus Allen.

"He's a smooth runner, so graceful," Torres said. "He glides."

But not everything has been smooth for Wily.

"One time (as an underclassman), we ran a stretch play and I saw the biggest hole I've ever seen. I got so excited and I thought I had a touchdown, but I gribbled (fell) and people were cracking up in the stands."

Another undeniable attribute is Wily's toughness. What other running back carries the ball 41 times in a game? Wily did it for 190 yards in Friday's 14-7 win over Leilehua.

He appeared out of gas in the huddle after rushing attempt No. 38, when the Red Raiders were trying to run out the clock, but he wasn't about to sit.

"No matter what the score is, I keep fighting," said Wily, who likes the smash-mouth game Kahuku plays but has also been clocked at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. "Even if we were losing 100 to nothing, I would still be pushing. Giving up is not an option. I expect to get the ball and push on."

Torres especially loves Wily's toughness in the clutch.

"On our winning drive (in the OIA quarterfinals against Waianae), he ran it eight times out of the 12 plays," Torres said. "He gets big yards and makes big plays in the playoffs (175 against Waianae; 180 vs. Punahou in the state final a year ago) .

"He's a good athlete with a great work ethic," Torres said. "He's a great person and does great at school. Everything he does, he's great at."

Aofaga's older brothers, Micah and Josh, played for Kahuku's state championship team in 2005, and his younger brother, Salanoa-Alo, is a sophomore running back at Kamehameha.

Aofaga Wily has 41 career touchdowns in 29 games and has averaged 6.3 yards per carry. He helped the Red Raiders to a state title as a junior and is looking to add a second one.

But none of those accomplishments is the most memorable to Wily. Instead, he'll always remember what happened in 2010, when undefeated Kahuku forfeited the OIA title game because of eligibility questions and lost a chance to play in the state tournament.

"My sophomore year was tragic, especially for the seniors," he said. "But it showed everyone around the world how strong our community is. There were boycotts and people went out and found lawyers. What happened to us was bad, but it was a blessing how everyone came together for our North Shore high school. It really showed us how much we all love each other."

HAWAII’S ALL-TIME RUSHING LEADERS

	Yrs.	G	Car.	Yards	YPC	YPG	TD
Joe Igber, ‘Iolani	1996-98	30	651	4,428	6.8	147.6	56
Mark Atuaia, Kahuku	1988-90	29	527	4,146	7.9	143.0	51
Kama Bailey, Damien	2005-07	31	540	3,830	7.3	126.7	39
Aofaga Wily, Kahuku	2010-12	29	593	3,717	6.3	128.2	41
Mosi Tatupu, Punahou	1971-73	26	505	3,580	7.1	137.7	36
Pesefea Fiaseu, Saint Louis	1998-00	38	397	3,543	8.9	93.2	51

MIL 8-man football starts this week

Eight-man football kicks off this week in the Maui Interscholastic League. Molokai meets Seabury Hall on Thursday at War Memorial Stadium in the league’s regular-season debut. Two years of scrimmages and unofficial games provided the development.

“We’ve got 36 boys playing. There’s nothing else (besides cross country) going on, so they wanted to try it,” said Seabury Hall athletic director Steve Colflesh, who coached football in California years ago. “We made a commitment three years ago to do it. It’s a great opportunity for kids that didn’t have the opportunity before.”

Hana and St. Anthony are also playing, and with four schools, the MIL recognizes eight-man as an
official sport. Hana has 25 players, motivated in part by NFL summer camps in the East Maui town.

St. Anthony has as many as 21, while Molokai has roughly 30 to 35 players.

Colflesh hopes it gains popularity statewide. Several ADs from smaller schools in the ILH have shown
keen interest.

On Hawaii island, eight-man has been slow to stir interest. At Kohala, AD Laurie Koustik said there are 23 players on the football team.

“Some schools could do it, but I don’t know if there’s enough drive or education. It would be nice to see what it looks like,” she said.

NFL Poly Opening Week Rosters/Depth Chart

Arizona 
Senio Kelemete 2nd Team Left Guard

Baltimore
Haloti Ngata 1st Team Defensive Tackle
Ma'ake Kemoeatu 2nd Team Nose Tackle

Carolina
Amini Silatolu 1st Team Left Guard
Louis Murphy 2nd Team Wide Receiver
Kealoha Pilares 1st Team Kick Returner, 3rd Team Wide Receiver
Sione Fua 2nd Team Nose Tackle

Chicago
Stephen Paea 1st Team Nose Tackle
Matt Toeaina 2nd Team Nose Tackle

Cincinnati
Domata Peko 1st Team Nose Tackle
Rey Maualuga 1st Team Middle Linebacker

Cleveland
Shawn Lauvao 1st Team Right Guard
Kaluka Maiava 1st Team Weakside Linebacker

Dallas 
Mana Silva 2nd Team Strong Safety

Detroit
Dominic Raiola 1st Team Center

Houston
Shiloh Keo 2nd Team Free Safety

Indianapolis
Samson Satele 1st Team Center
Fili Moala 1st Team Defensive Tackle
Martin Tevaseu 2nd Team Nose Tackle

Jacksonville 
Tyson Alualu 1st Team Defensive Tackle

Kansas City
Tony Moeaki 2nd Team Tight End
Ropati Pitoitua 2nd Team Defensive End

Miami
Ray Feinga 2nd Team Left Tackle
Paul Soliai 1st Team Defensive Tackle
Koa Misi 1st Team Outside Linebacker

Minnesota
Matt Asiata 3rd Team Running Back
Rhett Ellison 3rd Team Tight End

New England
Michael Ho'omanawanui 4th Team Tight End

New York Jets
Sione Po'uha 1st Team Nose Tackle
Josh Mauga 2nd Team Weakside Linebacker

Philadelphia
Stanley Havili 1st Team Fullback

Pittsburgh
Troy Polamalu 1st Team Strong Safety
Alameda Ta'amu 3rd Team Nose Tackle

San Diego 
Malcolm Floyd 1st Team Wide Receiver

San Francisco
Mike Iupati 1st Team Left Guard
Isa'ako Sopoaga 1st Team Nose Tackle
Will Tukuafu 2nd Team Nose Tackle

St Louis
Wayne Hunter 2nd Team Left Tackle

Tampa Bay
Roy Miller 1st Team  Defensive Tackle
Daniel Te'o Nesheim 2nd Team Defensive End

Tennessee
Al Afalava 2nd Team Strong Safety

Washington 
Roy Helu 2nd Team Running Back

HAWAII WEEK FOUR PERFORMERS

Saint Louis receiver Kainoa Abreu had six receptions for 96 yards and three TDs against Bishop Gorman (Nev.).
Pearl City WR Diaccori Briscoe had 9 receptions for 198 yards and 2 TDs against Nanakuli.
Kaiser WR Christian Clapp had 3 receptions for 117 yards and a TD against Roosevelt.
Kealakehe QB Jordan Cristobal passed for 216 yards and a TD and rushed for 99 yards and 2 TDs against El. Capitan (Calif.).
Konawaena WR Kenan Gaspar had 3 catches for 111 yards and a TD against Honoka'a.
Kaiser RB/DB Kai Gonda rushed for 90 yards, had 2 receptions for 31 yards, added a 72 yard kickoff return for TD and also had a 4 yard fumble return for TD against Roosevelt.
Kalani WR Enrique Gruver had 3 receptions for 158 yards and a TD against Anuenue.
Kealakehe WR Lennox Jones had 7 receptions for 110 yards against El Capitan (Calif.).
Moanalua QB Micah Kaneshiro passed for 172 yards and 4 TDs against Castle.
Konawaena QB Lii Karratti passed for 381 yards and 4 TDs against Honoka'a.
Kalani RB Gavin Kim rushed for 103 yards and 4 TDs against Anuenue.
Roosevelt RB Pono Kini rushed for 108 yards and a TD against Kaiser.
Saint Louis backup QB Ryder Kuhns passed for 247 yards and three TDs against Bishop Gorman.
Moanalua WR Donald Lambert had 7 receptions for 102 yards and 3 TDs against Castle.
Anuenue RB Malaeloa Liua rushed for 137 yards against Kalani.
Iolani DB Max Look had a 57-yard punt return for touchdown and a fumble recovery against Pac-Five.
Kalaheo RB Willie Lynch rushed for 200 yards and 4 TDs against Waialua.
Leilehua LB Keannu Kamakaiwi had 2 sacks and a forced fumble against Mililani.
Punahou WR Kanawai Noa had 7 receptions for 178 yards and a TD against Kamehmeha.
Kapolei RB Jacob Kukahiko rushed for 102 yards and a TD against Waianae.
Saint Louis RB Adam Noga rushed for 193 yards and two TDs, including one for 73 yards, against Bishop Gorman.

Waipahu AP Dylan Pakau had a 65-yard TD pass, a 55-yard TD catch and a 32-yard punt return for another TD against Campbell.
Nanakuli RB Khade Paris rushed for 64 yards and 3 TDs against Pearl City.
Campbell DE Amate Savusa returned two fumbles for touchdowns and a sack against Waipahu.
Farrington RB Abraham Silva rushed for 174 yards and 3 TDs against Kaimuki.
Campbell QB Justin Tago-Su'e passed for 251 yards and four TDs against Waipahu.
Kalaheo WR Shem Sukumaran had 4 receptions for 120 yards and a TD against Waialua.
Farrington RB Tyler Taumua rushed for 96 yards and 3 TDs against Kaimuki.
Kahuku DB Lasselle Thompson had a 99-yard kickoff return for TD against Kailua.
Pac-Five RB Keoni Tom-Millare rushed for 160 yards and a TD against Iolani.
Punahou RB Ryan Tuiasoa rushed for 156 yards and a TD and had two receptions for 59 yards and 2 TDs against Kamehameha.
Pearl City WR Tanner Tokunaga had 8 receptions for 148 yards and a TD against Nanakuli.
Anuenue RB Anuenue Tui rushed for 138 yards and a TD against Kalani.
Punahou QB Tui Tuileta passed for 363 yards and 3 TDs against Kamehameha.
Castle WR Kyle Urasaki had 7 receptions for 98 yards and a TD against Moanalua.
Kahuku RB Aofaga Wily rushed for 121 yards and 2 TDs against Kailua.