The Polynesian Bowl announced today its first 24 commitments for the 2019 Polynesian Bowl, including several five-star recruits.
Among the current high school juniors who committed Wednesday are a handful of five-star recruits, including Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) athlete Horace “Bru” McCoy, Amite (La.) defensive lineman Ishmael Sopsher, and Bishop Dunne (Dallas, Texas) safety Brian Williams. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) outside linebacker Henry To’oto’o and St. Louis School (Honolulu, Hawaii) defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele round out a robust group of five-star commits.
Five-star defensive lineman Ishmael Sopsher is among the first 24 commitments to the 2019 Polynesian Bowl. (Background Photo: Scott Cunningham, Getty Images)
The four-star recruits to commit to the game on Wednesday were defensive end CJ Alatini from Timpview (Provo, Utah), defensive lineman Antonio Alfano from Rahway (N.J.), quarterback Hank Bachmeier from Murrieta (Calif.) Valley, defensive lineman Jacob Bandes from Pittsburg (Calif.), offensive tackle Julius Buelow from Kapolei (Hawaii); running back Devyn Ford from North Stafford (Va.), wide receiver Kyle Ford from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, outside linebacker Mase Funa from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), quarterback Grant Gunnell from St. Pius X (Houston, Texas), outside linebacker Joshua Pakola from St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), defensive tackle Matthew Pola-Mao from Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), defensive tackle Sua’ava Poti from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), cornerback Chris Steele from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa from Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.), offensive guard Marist Talavoa from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), offensive tackle Jonah Tauanu’u from Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.), inside linebacker Maninoa Tufono from Punahou School (Honolulu, Hawaii), offensive tackle Enokk Vimahi from Kahuku (Hawaii) and cornerback Max Williams from Junipero Serra (Gardena, Calif.).
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“The Polynesian Bowl has become the most sought-after high school football all-star game invitation,” said 4-time Super Bowl Champion, Chairman & Co-Founder Jesse Sapolu. “Culture, football and paradise makes this an experience of a lifetime for the world’s best players.”
The game will be held Saturday, January 19, 2019, at Aloha Stadium on Oahu, Hawaii, as part of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week. Only 100 high school seniors will make the final roster, of which a majority will be of Polynesian ancestry. Additional Polynesian Bowl All-Stars will be named in the coming months.
The 2018 Polynesian Bowl is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 20, at Aloha Stadium.
Organized by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, the Polynesian Bowl is a premier high school all-star game that features the world’s best football players of Polynesian ancestry and other heritages. The game is played annually in January at Aloha Stadium. Bowl Ambassadors and team captains include Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuster, Seattle Seahawks DE Michael Bennett, Baltimore Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley, Cleveland Browns NT Danny Shelton and San Francisco 49ers DL DeForest Buckner. For more information, visit http://www.polynesianbowl.com/.
