Local players relish bowl experience

The culmination of an eventful Polynesian Bowl week on Oahu was the main event, a showcase for the top players in the state of Hawaii as well as the nation.

By the end of Team Makai’s 31-14 victory over Team Mauka on Saturday night, players took on an even bigger appreciation for their cultures and the opportunity to compete with the best.

Some players anticipated the week for months while being selected during the prep football season, while others were wondering if they would ever get the chance. That’s why the experience was so special for Konawaena quarterback Austin Ewing, who was invited just two weeks ago as a late replacement.

“Oh, it was the greatest thing ever. Picking up that phone call, knowing it was coach Rich Miano calling, I had tears of happiness,” he said. “It was so great to know that I made it. My family told me to just keep pushing, keep my head up and if I did get to make it, just have fun out there.”

Ewing started the second half for Makai, going 2-for-4 for 40 yards with two rushes for 8 yards. It was his first time taking the field since a 75-69 loss to Lahainaluna in the Division II state championship game in November.

“My first game over here, we came out here with a loss. That was a tough one,” Ewing said. “But to end my high school career with a win is the greatest thing ever, especially with all these players, playing with the best out here. Oh man, it was amazing to get a win with them.”

Also taking the field at Aloha Stadium under different circumstances was Kamehameha’s Jonah Kahahawai-Welch, who flipped his commitment from Navy to Hawaii on Dec. 20’s National Signing Day.

Kahahawai-Welch had one of Makai’s two sacks as part of a pass rush that stifled Mauka’s three quarterbacks the whole night. He said afterward that playing for both his state and his new school added fuel to his performance.

“It’s like a target on your back now. People are gonna be asking you questions, but I decided to stay home and it was the best thing I did for myself and nobody else,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing you gotta remember and people have to understand.

“Just that pride to be staying home, it’s something you can’t let up.”

On the Mauka side, Saint Louis senior and Star-Advertiser offensive player of the year Chevan Cordeiro got the starting nod, beating out the likes of UCLA commit Dorian Thompson-Robinson and North Carolina State signee Devin Leary.

Cordeiro was sharp and confident despite playing in the pouring rain, finishing 4-for-6 for 57 yards. He also added 10 rushing yards on three carries. Like Kahahawai-Welch, it was his last game on his future field before it becomes his home field. Unlike Welch, he didn’t come out with the win.

“Next week I will start training already,” Cordeiro said. “I think it’s a wake-up call for me knowing I can do better and have to push harder, and get faster. Have to learn new reads and get better.”