Top talent travels to Hawaii for all-star event
The inaugural Hawaii Prep Football Classic will feature more than 100 of the best senior football players from Hawaii, America Samoa and the Continental United States, and Rivals.com will be there to cover the event from start to finish.
Advertisement
The doubleheader games on Friday, Dec. 12, are presented by the Hawaii Union Builders Foundation in conjunction with Football University. They will feature more than 100 of Hawaii's top players in the 18th Annual Hawaii Goodwill Senior Bowl at 5 p.m. and the new Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl at 8 p.m.
The Mainland roster includes some of the nation's most-heavily recruited players.
Five-star prospects Randall Carroll of Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral, Morgan Moses of Richmond (Va.) Meadowbrook, Dorian Bell of Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway are part of a 40-man roster that head to Hawaii on Monday and will practice until Friday's game in Aloha Stadium.
"This is an amazing opportunity," Carroll, a USC commitment, said. "How often do you get to go to Hawaii? I know it's going to be a fun trip, but I know we're going to go out there and represent the Mainland by giving it our all against a very talented Hawaii and Polynesian squad."
The Mainland offense will be led by quarterbacks Bryn Renner of West Springfield, Va., and Zach Mettenberger of Watkinsville (Ga) Oconee Co. They'll be handing off to two of the nation's best running back prospects in Michael Ford of Leesville, La., and David Wilson of Danville (Va.) George Washington.
The quarterbacks should have plenty of top-flight targets to throw to, too.
Along with Carroll and Thomas, also playing in the game are Jemari Roberts of Long Beach (Calif.) Woodrow Wilson, Shaquelle Evans of Inglewood, Calif., Korvic Neat of Hallendale, Fla., and James Green of Tallahassee (Fla.) Leon.
The offensive line features plenty of household names, along with Moses. Lineman Charles Siddoway of Eugene (Ore.) Sheldon is the top player in Oregon. Terry Alletto of Parker (Colo.) Ponderosa is heading to BYU, and Michael Schofield of Orland Park (Ill.) Sandburg is heading to Michigan.
The defensive line features six players that have already made up their minds and one highly coveted prospect from the Midwest.
At defensive end is Apple Valley (Minn.) Eastview defensive end Matt Garin, a Minnesota pledge, Texas commit Alex Okafor of Plugerville, Texas, and Montez Robinson of Avon, Ind. Robinson, a Rivals250 prospect, was recently committed to Auburn but backed out of it when Tommy Tubberville left.
Defensive tackle is guided by four-star stud Dillon Quinn of Pawling (N.Y.) Trinity Pawling and other talented players like Chris Henderson of Dallas Carter and Jordan Stepp of Indianapolis (Ind.) Ben Davis. Henderson is committed to Texas A&M, and Stepp is Cincinnati bound.
Linebacker is also loaded. Along with Bell, some major prospects include Notre Dame commitment Zeke Motta of Vero Beach, Fla., Tennessee commit Jerod Askew of Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith and Notre Dame bound Carlo Calabrese of Verona, N.J.
Defensive backs are highlighted by Oklahoma commitment Marcus Trice of Mesquite, Texas, Ohio State commit Corey Brown of Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway, Adam Hall of Tucson (Ariz.) Palo Verde Magnet and South Florida commit Ricardo Dixon of Hallandale, Fla.
Not to be outdone the Hawaii/Polynesia roster features some major prospects also.
The top name is five-star linebacker Manti Te'o of Punahou, Hawaii. But he's joined by national recruits, Stanley Hasiak of Kapolei, Hawaii, John Martinez of Provo (Utah) Cottonwood and Xavier Su'a Filo of Provo (Utah) Timpview. All in all, the Hawaii/Polynesia roster has 13 players that have already made college commitments, including four players that are Pac 10 bound.
Rivals.com will be covering the Hawaii Prep Football Classic all weeklong with staff members reporting live from Hawaii. Expect full coverage that includes notebooks, video interviews and live updates from practice every single day on the Rivals.com Football Recruiting Board.
[rl]