Puka Nacua didn’t start his prep career in Hawaii, but he closed it in style at the Polynesian Bowl in leading Team Makai to a 27-7 win over Team Mauka on Saturday at Aloha Stadium.

The University of Southern California commit and Orem (Utah) senior took home offensive MVP honors a day after winning Co-Polynesian High School Player of the Year, sharing the award with Thompson (Ala.) star and former Kapolei quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

Nacua finished with a game-high 93 receiving yards with six receptions and a touchdown, capping off a week that will take him back home with plenty of hardware.

“It’s been great. When I first got the invite to come out here to Hawaii, I was just excited to get out of the snow in Utah. To win the co-player of the year award with Taulia, I mean it was great,” Nacua said. “To put Polynesians on a platform to help raise awareness of our skill to play football, I think everyone knows. But we’re coming up and making strides to have equality in each position. Being in Hawaii was a great experience.”

Mauka received to start the game, with Tagovailoa getting the starting nod behind center. However, the offense went three-and-out on the game’s opening possession and struggled to find any rhythm throughout.

Punahou’s Tamatoa Falatea got Makai on the board first by hauling in a 20-yard touchdown from Casteel (Ariz.) quarterback Gunner Cruz with 4:27 left in the first quarter.

“It was a great experience. It was a great week to come out and compete against the best,” said Falatea, who doesn’t have any offers but turned heads all week. “The main thing was just having fun and spending my last high school game in front of all my family in the state I grew up in. I’m very blessed.”

Tim Horn, another Punahou product, kicked the extra point and added a 33-yard field goal with 13:20 to go in the second.

With 10 seconds left in the first half, Nacua made an acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone, managing to keep both his feet in. The 29-yard pass from Chandler’s (Ariz.) Jacob Conover was originally ruled incomplete, but the call was overturned after a review of Nacua’s nimble footwork, drawing some oohs and ahhs from the Aloha Stadium crowd.

“After I caught it, I told the ref ‘I dragged my feet as hard as I could.’ I thought I had it,” Nacua said. “I didn’t know they were gonna do reviews since it’s high school football, but then they did the review and they called the touchdown. I was so happy to see that.”

Horn’s 22-yard field goal with 7:41 left in the third stretched the Makai lead to 20-0.

Mauka finally got on the board when Tagovailoa tossed a 20-yard touchdown to Lincoln Victor with 3:28 left in the third.

Makai put the game out of reach when Quincy (Ill.) running back Jirehl Brock rushed for a 19-yard touchdown for the game’s final score.

Mauka’s Daniel Heimuli took home defensive MVP honors after recording 3.5 tackles for loss and six in total.

In total, Tagovailoa completed 13 of his 24 passes for 166 yards and two interceptions.

“Their defense, it’s an all-star game so they’re all good,” Tagovailoa said.

With the end of the game signaling the end of the jam-packed week for the players fortunate enough to be selected, Nacua says the lessons he’ll take back from outside the field outweigh any awards on it.

“It’s been great. Going to the Polynesian Cultural Center, I think it was eye-opening for some of the boys who haven’t gotten to know what our culture is about, what Polynesians stand for and what we were built on,” Nacua said. “We had a great time out there and it reminded me of my ancestry and what my grandma did to come here.

“It’s a struggle but it’s what helps build the inside of us Polynesians — strength, hard work, discipline and love.”