DJ Uiagalelei, Puka Nacua and Alabama commit DeMarcco Hellams lead the list of candidates.
Video: MaxPreps Polyneisan Bowl Player of the Year nominees DJ
Uiagalelei, Puka Nacua and Henry To'oto'o lead the nominees.
The
2018 high school football season is nearing an end so that means we
will be releasing our All-American teams and awards in the next few
weeks.
Up first is the MaxPreps Polynesian Bowl Player of the Year award and the only players eligible are guys selected for the
2019 and
2020 Polynesian Bowl.
We will be announcing the winner on Dec. 18 from these 10 nominees (in alphabetical order).
MaxPreps Polynesian Bowl Player of the Year nominees
The
2019 Iowa State commit was named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the
Year winner for a reason. The 4-star running back rushed for 2,100-plus
yards and 33 touchdowns adding another four touchdowns receiving. He was
also a big-time player on defense. He averaged 215.5 yards per game and
better than three rushing touchdowns a night.
Conover
will go down as one of the winningest quarterbacks in Arizona state
history. He capped off his senior season winning his third consecutive
6A state championship and ended his postseason career 12-0. He finished
2018 with over 3,000 yards passing and 38 touchdowns. The most
impressive stat about the 2019 BYU commit is what he did during his
playoff career — 3,241 yards passing and 37 touchdowns.
The
2019 Alabama commit was an impact player on all three phases for the
DMV power in 2018. Hellams ended the year with nine interceptions and
eight touchdowns for DeMatha during his senior campaign. He was a Hail Mary away from bringing home a WCAC title to Hyattsville and expect
to see his name on the All-American team when it drops in early
January.
Jarrett
is one of two players selected from the Class of 2020 to make the cut.
He is one of the most explosive playmakers in high school football and
made a bunch of big plays for St. John's in 2018. The Cadets played one of the
toughest schedules in the country and the 4-star wide receiver balled
out in every big game and helped lead the D.C. power
to a spot at No. 13 in the Top 25.
The
2019 USC commit had one of the best single-seasons for any wide
receiver in high school football history. He set Utah state records in
receptions (103), yards (2,336), and touchdowns (26) in 2018. The 4-star
playmaker ended the year fifth all-time in most receiving yards in a
season and also led Orem to its second consecutive 4A state
championship.
The
5-star defensive tackle is one of the top recruits from the Class of
2019 for a reason. He is an absolute beast. Sopsher has been the leader
for a big-time defense and is impossible to block for opposing lineman.
Amite has shutout eight of its last 12 opponents and are one win away
from winning the Class 2A state title.
The
2019 Alabama commit led Thompson to its first state championship game
appearance since 1982 and even though they fell short of bringing home
the state title that doesn't get in the way of the monster senior
campaign Tagovailoa had. He ended the 2018 season with nearly 4,000
yards passing and 35 touchdowns. The 4-star quarterback also had over
400 yards rushing and six more scores. It was announced earlier today
too his older brother Tua Tagovailoa is one of the
five finalists for the 2018 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.
The
4-star linebacker has been much more than just a defensive player
during his high school career. He has been a big-time running back for
the Northern California power over the last two seasons and is one of
the best leaders in the country. He has been a vital piece for the
Spartans leading them to their 27th North Coast section title and has De
La Salle in the CIF Open Division state championship with a matchup
against No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) awaiting on
Saturday at Cerritos College (Norwalk).
St.
Louis had one of the best defenses in high school football this season
and one of the main reasons why was because of its 4-star defensive
tackle — Tuitele. The 2019 Washington commit is one of the top
defensive players in the country and is easily one of the best leaders
in high school football. He led the Crusaders to a 12-0 record, third
consecutive state title, and a spot at No. 7 in the Top 25.
The
top-rated quarterback from the Class of 2020 had a monster junior
season and was just named the California Gatorade Player of the Year
winner. He threw for nearly 3,500 yards and had 48 touchdowns to only
seven interceptions. The 5-star recruit also rushed for 300-plus yard and
six more scores leading St. John Bosco to a 13-1 record in 2018 and a
spot at No. 3 in the Top 25 rankings.