Team Mauka, coached by former NFL head coach Marvin Lewis, jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but when the final horn sounded, Team Makai, coached by NFL head coach Mike Zimmer, won the 2024 Polynesian Bowl 28-17 at Kunuiakea Stadium.
Mauka jumped to the early lead on a 49-yard Pick-6 by Tyree Alualu of North Allegheny (Pennsylvania). Tyree is the son of current Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyson Alualu.
Nebraska-recruit Dylan Raiola, who’s father (Dominic Raiola) was an NFL offensive lineman for 14-years, got Team Makai started on its 28 unanswered points with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Mike Matthews of Parkview (Georgia). Raiola, who played at Buford High in Georgia, completed 7-of-15 passes for 111 yards.
LSU-recruit Caden Durham, from Duncanville (Texas), scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 10-yard run.
There were 12 turnovers in the game. Jayden Jackson and David Stone, who played at IMG Academy (Florida), both scored touchdowns on fumble recoveries for Team Makai.
Matthews, who is head to the University of Tennessee and Stone, an Oklahoma-recruit, were named game MVP’s.
There were 12 turnovers committed in the game, with Kaimuki defensive back Jeremiah White intercepting Punahou quarterback Ty McCutcheon for one of them in the second quarter.
White, who took the week off from playing on the Bulldogs’ basketball team as their leading scorer, also made three tackles.
“Just to compete out here with the best of the best and come out with an interception is just a blessing,” White said. “I just followed the quarterback and then he rolled to the right and I didn’t think he was going to throw it but he launched it and I saw it in the air and went running to grab it.”
Playing in the same game with as many as 13 five-star recruits and many more players headed to Power 5 schools, White held his own less than two weeks after being named to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State first team as a two-way utility player.
His time spent in the week leading up to the game was just as important.
“Just how fast and how quickly people can form relationships, because our team had a really good chemistry and not only that, we all hung after at the hotel and it was fun,” White said. “My senior year has been going by so fast. Just taking it all in.”
One of the three offensive touchdowns in the game was a 9-yard pass from Oklahoma State signee Maealiuaki Smith to Waipahu’s Jayden Chanel in the second quarter to put Team Mauka ahead 17-0.
Chanel, who transferred from Aiea for his senior season and won a Division I state title with the Marauders, finished with three catches for 23 yards.
“Today felt great. Getting to play for my culture and staying home and playing and having the opportunity to play on national TV was amazing,” Chanel said. “Getting selected meant a lot and mostly I’m going to take away all of the knowledge coaches poured into my brain. I’m going to take it to the next level.”
As quickly as it began Sunday when players first arrived to the hotel, the most talented group of players the Polynesian Bowl has assembled in its eight-year history will go their separate ways.
Some will head back to class, already enrolled in college. Others will return to high school, like White, who was planning to make it to watch Kaimuki’s game against Kahuku on Friday night until the game ran late.
Alualu is on an early flight out Saturday morning to eventually get to Detroit to see Pops play for a spot in the NFC Championship.
“Gotta catch that game. Yes, sir,” Tyree said.
Nebraska signee Dylan Raiola, who was born and raised in Hawaii until middle school, led Team Makai with 111 yards passing and a touchdown on 7-for-15 passing.
Hawaii freshman Micah Alejado, who started attending classes last week, was 3-for-4 for 38 yards with an interception.
Kamehameha senior Moe Passi, playing in his home stadium, matched Durham with the longest running play of the game on a 15-yard rush in the second quarter.
