Earlier this month at Westminster High School in Westminster, California, a mash of culture and pigskin was a recipe for success in the first-ever Island’s Best Polynesian Youth All-Star Game.
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The games, on January 9th, were hosted by Island’s Best owner AJ Tuitele and Les Fifita of Eastbay and featured many of the top youth football prospects in Los Angeles taking on the top prospects in Orange County. With Tuitele serving as the Los Angeles Team Director and Fifita serving as the Orange County Team Director, there was no shortage of swag in terms of uniforms or swag in terms of confidence in the players.
The event held games in the 9U, 10U, 11U and 12U age groups. The main event of the night happened as the 14U game took place under the lights and featured several of the top 8th grade football prospects in the nation.
While each game featured some very special players, the 14U game was the headliner and featured many athletes who you will see receiving division 1 attention within the next few months, if they haven’t already. The coaches, Nicholaus Iamaleava (Los Angeles) and Pat Dubar (Orange County) had rosters full of talent, but here are the players who really stood out on the 14U level.
Los Angeles
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Gary Bryant – WR
A slippery WR prospect who has a knack for making big plays, Bryant was all over the field in the Island’s Best Polynesian Youth All-Star Game. After a tremendous season with the Paramount Pirates youth football team, his talents continued to impress in this game. His ability to move his body like a rubber band had the capacity crows drooling for more.
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Kobe Pepe – LB/DE
A raw defensive athlete, he has all the athletic ability to be a next-level player when his time comes. At 6’2 and in the 250-pound neighborhood his combination of size and speed was a lot for Orange County to deal with. Look for him to escalate once he hits the HS level.
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Tyus Poyer – WR/S
By all accounts he was an athlete that both players and coaches alike enjoyed having around. About Poyer, coach Iamaleava said, “[Poyer] was one of the main contributor's on and off the field. He was a pure leader by helping everyone out with their plays and routes. I had a great time coaching him.”
Also standing out for Los Angeles in the game were QB DJ Uiagalelei, WR/S Bam Thompson, RB Desmond Taua and OL/DL Isaac Tinoisamoa.
Orange County
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Zion Alefosio – WR/DB
Alefosio is no stranger to making big plays on the national stage. Just days before taking part in this game, he was in Orlando, FL. and scored one of the best touchdowns in the history of the AYF All-Star Game. Ranked the top player in the class of 2020 in the country last August, Alefosio had another strong season for the IE Ducks and deserves the all-star game nods.
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Chris Street – RB
Destined to be one of the next great athletes to come out of the IE Ducks program, Street again proved just how dominate a player he can be with a strong performance in the Island’s Best Polynesian Youth All-Star Game. A thick, muscular kid who runs low to the ground and with speed, Street was a pill for Los Angeles County all game long.
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Logan Loya – WR
A product of the Tustin Cobra’s Pop Warner program, Loya had a tremendous touchdown catch in the game, skying high in the air to pull down a pass in the back of the endzone. At only 5’11 he plays much taller than he actually is, and was one of the many weapons for the Orange County team.
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Darion Greene-Warren – CB
Yet another IE Duck product to have a solid game, Greene-Warren had a beautiful interception for Orange County and returned it deep into Los Angeles territory. He’s another kid with speed and agility far advanced for only an 8th grader. He’s a big time prospect to watch through the years.
Other standouts for Orange County’s team include QB Ala Mikaele, LB/RB Peteli Mikaele and OL/DL Ray Luetele.
In the end, Orange County came out on top with a 21-7 victory in the 14U game. However, the real winners were the kids, coaches, sponsors and spectators who got to watch some of the best young talent in America.
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Alan Popadines @Youth1Football 6 years ago