Football
JPS brings senior game back to Oahu


Spencer Honda | ScoringLive
November 26, 2017, 10:05am

 


MILILANI — A week after three Hawaii high school football state champions were crowned to end the 2017 season, more than 150 senior student-athletes flocked to central Oahu for the inaugural Jr Prep Sports Senior Classic at Mililani High School.

Playing under modified rules with nine-minute quarters, the doubleheader featured a "Division II" game between teams Liberty Select and Freedom Select followed by a "Division I" showdown between Liberty Open and Freedom Open.

Liberty Select — coached by Pearl City coach Robin Kami — came out victorious in the first game, 26-23, while Freedom Open — coached by Castle coach John Hao — won the nightcap, 25-7.

       » JPS Senior Classic Rosters

For many players, the game was the close to their football careers with one final time to strap up in front of friends and family. For others, it was a last chance opportunity to garner more game film to send to college coaches in hopes of landing an offer.

But at its root, the game was a reward for the on-field performance of many outstanding players with a chance to have fun one more time playing — and swapping helmet decals — with their fellow seniors.

"I got about 16 new brothers added to my family and I just wanted to play my heart out for them," quarterback Braden Amorozo said, who along with nine Waipahu teammates were on Freedom Select, also being coached by Marauders coach Bryson Carvalho.

Freedom Select got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter with a scoring strike from Amorozo to Isaac Yamashita — something the two had done seven times in their varsity careers.

He also connected with another blue and gold teammate late in the game, hitting Alika Ahsing for a 2-point PAT conversion.

Amorozo said he has drawn interest from several NAIA and NCAA Division III schools such as the University of Puget Sound, George Fox University and University of Redlands among others.

Liberty Open/Waianae linebacker Kanai Mauga (right) tracks down Freedom Open/Damien quarterback Marcus Faufata-Pedrina (left). CJ Caraang | SL

The JPS Senior Classic was the first of several prep football bowls scheduled over the next few months in Hawaii.

JPS will also be hosting its third annual Paradise Football Classic in Jan. 2018, pitting two Hawaii squads against California and American Samoa teams.

While PFC preparations were being made earlier in September, JPS Hawaii president/CEO Robert Faleafine also brought up the idea of bringing back a senior bowl on Oahu after a three-year absence following the end of the 23-year Hawaii Union Builders Foundation Goodwill Senior Bowl in 2013.

"I thought it was important that the kids get to mingle and mix with the other kids they normally compete against," Faleafine said. "It's about bringing the kids together but still having a competitive game."

Saturday's doubleheader had an armed forces theme as a tribute to honor the military.

"Being an ex-military guy myself, I just thought it's important to show what the soldiers do for us each and every day is why we get to play this sport," Faleafine said.

Teams donned camouflaged-accented military green and khaki uniforms that did, however, prove to be difficult in identifying players — which Faleafine took responsibility for but said it was part of the learning process.

JPS also organizes youth tackle and flag football for the fall, winter, spring and summer seasons, and although Faleafine's only child — also named Robert, who played quarterback for Saint Louis before transferring to Mililani for his senior season — graduated from high school in 2014, the elder finds satisfaction in watching the kids grow up through the process from kids to adults.

"I love watching the kids play, first of all," Faleafine said. "I wanted to create a system that allows the kids to go from our product right onto the high school field and be able to play right away. I think that's why you see a lot of freshmen playing at the varsity level because they came from JPS."

Freedom Open/Mililani's Jalen Tuivaiave-Olomua is awarded the Open game's most outstanding senior trophy from JPS Hawaii president/CEO Robert Faleafine. CJ Caraang | SL

Other upcoming bowl games include the fourth annual Hawaii Football Club Life Champion Senior Bowl Dec. 2 at Vidinha Stadium on Kauai.

Also on Kauai will be the Rep 50 Sports Kauai Prep Football All-Star Showcase on Feb. 3, 2018, featuring players from Kauai schools in the classes of 2018–2020.

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame will host its second annual Polynesian Bowl Jan. 20, 2018 at Aloha Stadium, featuring top players from Hawaii as well as all over the U.S.

Polynesian American Sports & Education will also be hosting two bowls in 2018. The Kingdom Bowl USA will be Jan. 2 and is open only to players of Tongan descent or of Tongan influence.

They will also be hosting their third annual Samoa Bowl USA with a date to be announced at a later time. Like the Kingdom Bowl USA, the Samoa Bowl USA is open only to players of Samoan Descent or of Samoan influence. The previous two installments were played in California in early April.


Reach Spencer Honda at [email protected].




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