Team Stanley wins Polynesian Bowl [1]
Tuesday, January 24, 2017 - 19:28. Updated on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 - 15:17.
Team Ronnie Stanley have won the Inaugral Polynesian Bowl after defeating Team Marcus Mariota 9 - 7 at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii on Saturday January 21. Team Stanley grabbed the win in the dying seconds of the game with a field goal.
Both teams were made up of 84 star high school football players from around the United States, 75% of the players are of Pacific Islander descent. The teams were named after NFL players Ronnie Stanley (of Tongan descent) and Marcus Mariota (of Samoan descent).
The game was tightly contested with both teams scoring a touchdown each. With 39 seconds left in the game, a succesful 20-yard field goal by Jeff Chan sealed the victory for Team Stanley.
A.J. Epenesa from Team Stanley told the USA Today “It’s a huge honour to come back to your roots, learn about your culture and learn about your people,
"You realize there is a bigger picture than yourself and to see the land as itself. Being on this island is a big opportunity for a lot of these guys and me especially, growing up in the Midwest. To be able to take in everybody and everything has been huge.”
The exhibition match was organised by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame established in 2013 by former football players Jesse Sapolu and Ma’a Tanuvasa. The organisation honours Polynesian players, coaches and contributors. It also provides educational support for Polynesian youth through scholarships and other educational programs.