The best of the best in high school senior football players from Hawaii, American Samoa and the continental United States, including Leesville High School running back Michael Ford, have been chosen for the first-ever Hawaii vs. Mainland All-Star Game, taking place at 8 p.m. Friday in Hawaii’s Aloha Stadium.
The Hawai'i/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl is produced by Football University, an invitation-only camp for elite-level youth and prep players, in conjunction with the Hawaii Union Builders (HUB) Foundation.
Football University executives said the impetus was to showcase the great football talent and culture of Hawaii to other top prep athletes and sports fans across the nation. Football University is owned and operated by SportsLink.
"Hawai'i has one of the best football cultures in the world, a true warrior mentality, and continually produces top football talent. The state isn’t recognized like a Texas, California or Georgia, but deserves more of the spotlight,” said Rich McGuinness, president of Football University. “Hawai'i is a hotbed for gridiron talent and we are pleased to be involved with an event that can create an opportunity for more Hawai'i high school senior players to showcase their skills.”
The Hawai'i/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl will highlight 40 of mainland U.S.A’s top prep football players competing against a Hawaii team comprised of 38 players from across the State, three players from American Samoa, and nine mainland players with Hawaii ties.
The mayor of Honolulu, Mufi Hanneman, was a leading advocate of bringing a national high school game to Honolulu. The mayor and other associations have been in discussions with Football University executives during the past few months to solidify the agreement.
Hanneman, a Harvard-educated leader and former star athlete, considers sports a vital and important part of his community’s development and actively engages in many of his region’s youth and high school sports activities.
"We are thrilled to play host to such a unique and elite competition,” said Hannemann. “The people of Hawai'i have a long and passionate affair with football and we look forward to showcasing our athletic talent, as well as our rich culture, with the rest of the nation’s top athletes. The game will provide opportunities for our young men from Hawai'i, as well as some from American Samoa and the continental U.S., to prove they have the ability to play at the next level.”
Athletes from the mainland arrived Monday and are practicing all week, as well as participating in many island activities, such as boat tours, snorkeling, surfing and enjoying a luau.
The game will be broadcast nationwide on FOX West Prime Ticket (blacked out in Hawai'i) and in other select regions from around the country.
Ford wrapped up his career at Leesville High second on the school's all-time career rushing list, with 4,971 yards. He also finishes with 52 career rushing touchdowns and 56 total, all second on the all-time school list.
Ford rushed for 2,953 yards on 340 carries his senior season with 29 rushing touchdowns and 31 total scores. His rushing total is second on the school's all-time list for a single season and is the fourth best season ever recorded by a Louisiana running back in history.
He broke six Leesville High School rushing records this season, including consecutive 100-yard games (20); consecutive 200-yard games (5); most 200-yard games in a single season (9), single-game rushing yards (443) and single game rushing TDs (6).
Ford committed to LSU early in 2008 and is a member of the Rivals.com Rivals100, in addition to being listed among the top 100 recruits by Scout.com as well.
Recently, Ford was named to the Tom Lemming High School All-American team, one of four running backs to make the squad nationally.
Football University, an invitation-only camp for elite-level youth and prep players, travels the nation to more than 30 cities to train elite players. Although it’s invite-only, athletes are eligible to nominate themselves at our website for a chance to attend. For more information or to nominate someone, please visit www.footballuniversity.org.
SportsLink, which started in 2000, is a sports-marketing and management company that produces and oversees many sporting events and properties, including the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Football University and the Football University Youth All-American Bowl. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is the nation’s premier high school football game, featuring the best 90 players in a classic East vs. West match-up. Reggie Bush, Adrian Peterson and Tim Tebow all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans.
WHARTON, N.J. —
