The weather wasn’t much better for the second Polynesian Bowl than the first.
The offense, however, finally got things going.
Running back Toa Taua, who announced his commitment to Nevada in the third quarter, celebrated with two touchdown runs after that to lead Team Makai to a rain-soaked 31-14 win over Team Mauka in th e 2018 Polynesian Bowl high school football all-star game on Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
Tanner McKee threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Blue Smith and defensive back Kyler Gordon added a 49-yard interception return for a score for Team Makai, which nearly doubled the total score of the first Polynesian Bowl (Team Stanley 9, Team Mariota 7) by itself in the win.
A crowd of 4,792 watched McKee, who is uncommitted, win offensive most valuable player honors while Gordon, a Washington signee, earned the defensive honor.
“I think all of the quarterbacks were pretty successful throwing the ball,” said McKee, who finished 5-for-6 for 38 yards and a score. “I feel like the receivers ran their routes right and we all remembered our plays and so I felt like we were pretty successful.”
McKee, who will go on a two-year church mission, played only one drive. Starter Devin Leary, a North Carolina State signee, was 7-for-8 for 70 yards.
Konawaena’s Austin Ewing, a late addition to the game, finished things up going 2-for-4 for 40 yards.
Saint Louis quarterback Chevan Cordeiro started for Team Mauka and was 4-for-6 for 57 yards with three rushes for 10 yards.
His first play of the game was a 23-yard pass to tight end Tuni Faletau Fifita, who fumbled on a hit by Gordon that was also recovered by the Archbishop Murphy (Wash.) four-star recruit.
Cordeiro completed his next three throws, but Team Mauka settled for a 37-yard field-goal attempt that was missed.
“I think I could have done better. I made some bad reads, but now I can train and get ready for UH,” said Cordeiro, who signed with Hawaii. “It meant a lot to start and play in front of my family and be a captain too.”
Gordon added a 49-yard interception return for a score to give Team Makai a 17-0 lead at the break after it was 3-0 with less than a minute to go.
Team Mauka got the ball first in the second half and drove into Makai territory, but Kamehameha’s Kalamaku Kuewa intercepted a deep ball from Brevin White near the Makai sideline.
“I was just knowing what I was supposed to do,” said Kuewa, who intercepted a pass in seven of the eight games he played last season. “I was at the free safety spot and just looking at the quarterback. I just read his eyes and got there just in time.”
Team Mauka finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when a short punt bounced right to Paul Moala, a Notre Dame commit who was supposed to block on the play. Instead Moala took it 57 yards for a score to cut Makai’s lead to 17-7.
Taua bookended his touchdown runs for Team Makai around a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Snead.
Snead scored after Waianae’s Rico Rosario caught an 18-yard pass to the 1-yard line.
Kamehameha defensive end Jonah Kahahawai-Welch, another UH signee, recorded a sack of quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a UCLA commit from Bishop Gorman, in the fourth quarter.
Kapolei’s Dylan Toilolo and Kahuku’s Fatu Atuaia had six tackles apiece and Kahuku’s Samson Reed had two tackles for loss and a sack for Team Mauka.
Kahuku running back Enoch Nawahine started at running back for Team Makai and was charged for a loss of 21 yards on the first play, a busted reverse attempt. He managed to finish with 39 yards on his next nine carries.
