The inaugural Polynesian Bowl, a high school all-star game, will provide plenty of reasons for football fans from the state of Utah to tune in.
There will be 11 state of Utah high school players participating in the game. Also, several of these athletes have either BYU, Utah or Utah State firmly in contention for their recruitment, with the Feb. 1 Signing Day quickly approaching.
Here's a look at 18 players to watch for in this weekend's game:
Game information
Saturday, Jan. 21
9 p.m. MST
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii
Live stream: ESPN3
Team Mariota
• Andrew Aleki, No. 42, ILB, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Aleki announced via Twitter on Jan. 15 he had received a scholarship offer from Utah. According to Scout, the three-star recruit will choose between the Utes and San Diego State, with an official visit to Utah set for Jan. 27.
• Lorenzo Fauatea, No. 52, DE, Hunter High
Fauatea, a one-time Oregon State commit, has reopened his recruiting and lists BYU, Utah, Oregon State and Utah State as his top four schools. He is a consensus three-star defensive end recruit.
• Sione Lund, No. 25, RB, Brighton High
Lund verbally committed to Stanford in November 2015. The consensus four-star recruit was a Deseret News first-team all-state selection as a junior and rushed for 1,221 yards and nine touchdowns in 2016.
• Mata Hola, No. 54, OLB, Alta High
Hola is seriously considering offers from instate schools BYU and Utah State, along with Boise State and Oklahoma State. The consensus three-star recruit had 52 tackles and 13.5 sacks as a senior.
• Langi Tuifua, No. 49, DE, Bingham High
Tuifua, a consensus four-star recruit who had 69 tackles and 15.5 sacks in 2016, will announce his decision on a college choice during the first quarter at the Polynesian Bowl, according to USA Today. He was once verbally committed to Utah and later to Oregon, though BYU appears to be the frontrunner in his recruiting race.
• Mo Unutoa, No. 68, OT, Kapa’a, Hawaii
Unutoa, rated a three-star recruit by Scout, Rivals and 247 Sports, is strongly considering BYU and Utah. According to Scout, he also has Washington State, Oregon State and Virginia in his top five.
• Aliki Vimahi, No. 91, DT, Kahuku, Hawaii
Vimahi, a consensus three-star recruit, is strongly considering Utah as a college option. He is rated as the top defensive end prospect from Hawaii and also has USC, UCLA, Georgia Tech and Virginia among the contenders for his services, according to Scout.
Of note: East High DE Jordan Lolohea appears on the Polynesian Bowl roster, designated to wear No. 79 for Team Mariota, but the Deseret News has learned he will not be in attendance.
Team Stanley
• Chaz Ah You, No. 3, S, Timpview High
BYU is one of Ah You’s final four schools, along with Pac-12 schools UCLA, Stanford and Washington. The consensus four-star recruit has an official visit to BYU on Jan. 27 and had 41 tackles and two interceptions in 2016.
• Levani Damuni, No. 55, OLB, Ridgeline High
Damuni, rated a four-star recruit by Rivals and three stars by the others, will announce his decision on a college choice during the second quarter at the Polynesian Bowl, according to USA Today. He’ll decide between Utah, Stanford and Virginia, according to Scout. Damuni had 63 tackles, 10 sacks and an interception in 2016.
• Noah Elliss, No. 92, DT, Parker, Colo.
The son of former Ute great Luther Elliss is strongly considering Utah. Rivals, Scout and ESPN list him as a four-star defensive tackle recruit. Other schools under consideration for his services include the Colorado, Alabama, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Nebraska, according to Scout.
• Mango Finau, No. 60, OT, Kihei, Hawaii
Finau reportedly verbally committed to BYU in December, according to The Maui News. Oregon State also made a late charge for the consensus two-star recruit, according to the News, but “I’ve always wanted to go to BYU.”
• Cyrus Habibi-Likio, No. 3, RB, San Jose, Calif.
Habibi-Likio is rated a four-star recruit by Scout and three stars by the other services. According to Scout, he is still considering Utah, Oregon, Cal and Boise State. He also holds a scholarship offer from BYU.
• Charles Moku Watson, No. 25, S, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Watson will announce his decision on a college choice during the fourth quarter at the Polynesian Bowl, according to USA Today, and the race for his services has come down to BYU and Oregon State. He is a consensus three-star recruit and, according to ESPN, he tested at 4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
• Isaac Rex, No. 9, TE, San Clemente, Calif.
Rex verbally committed to BYU in March 2016 and is one of five tight ends in the school’s 2017 recruiting class. He is the son of former BYU tight end Byron Rex and is rated a three-star recruit by Scout, Rivals and 247 Sports.
• Nephi Sewell, No. 22, CB, Desert Hills High
Sewell — rated a two-star recruit by Scout, Rivals and 247 Sports — announced on Jan. 13 via Twitter that he had verbally committed to Nevada. While he played both offense and defense, Sewell’s listed as a defensive back on recruiting sites and had seven career interceptions in high school.
• Miki Suguturaga, No. 8, DE, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Suguturaga, a consensus three-star recruit, is strongly considering Utah. He has the Utes among his top five schools, according to Scout, along with Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington State and Hawaii. Scout reports he’ll visit Utah on Jan. 27.
• Alden Tofa, No. 51, DE, West Jordan High
Tofa has narrowed his final four college choices to a pair of local schools, BYU and Utah, as well as Oregon and UCLA. He is rated a consensus three-star recruit and had 56 tackles and three sacks in 2016.
• Nami Tuitu’u, No. 67, OG, Gilbert, Ariz.
Tuitu’u verbally committed to Utah State, according to a Jan. 2 story from the Arizona Republic. He is rated a two-star recruit by Scout and 247 Sports and was coached in high school by Kap Sikahema, the brother of former BYU star running back/returner Vai Sikahema.