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WILDCATS TOP STALLIONS ON THURSDAY, AS SHARKS RULE IN CLASH OF TITANS

This past weekend the Wildcats and the Stallions finished off the evening with a close game, leading up to the “Clash of the Titans”  — the rivalry game between the Leone Lions and the Samoana Sharks, which saw the Sharks going home victorious again from last seasons preview of the Sharks and Lions rival game.

Saturday’s match up was between the Warriors and the Vikings “Battle of the Toa’s”, with Samoa News reporting on the Battle of the Toa’s rival game tomorrow.

“Huddle” coverage of the 2012- 13 ASHSAA football season is brought to you by Coca-Cola and Powerade, distributed exclusively by GHC Reid & Co. Ltd. ‘Oloa O Leala’, Your Family of Fine Beverages.

JUNIOR VARSITY DIVISION

LEONE 18 – SAMOANA 8

The Samoana Junior Varsity indeed felt the presence of AYFS MVP Folasa Vili, who chose to play for the Lions this year, after a splendid season with the Crusaders last year.

Folasa racked up stats on both offense and defense, and stood out playing both sides of the ball throughout all four quarters of the game. Being a marked competitor, Samoana drew their attention to Vili’s side, but he wasn’t the threat in the first quarter, when Mark Tagaleo’o QB for the Lions, threw a 64-yard reception out to Quinn Solo Chanel who had double coverage, and was still able to catch that pass when both Samoana defenders failed to swat it. Chanel took it all the way to the house for Leone’s first touchdown of the game.

Throughout the game, Samoana brought a decisive defensive attack lead by Brandon Mauga and Jamie Tago to hold Leone to their lone touchdown throughout the first half of the game.

Suddenly with just 8:27 remaining in the fourth quarter of the game, Leone playing a second down situation on the Sharks 15-yard line, Folasa Vili playing quarterback sends a perfectly executed pass out to Kapisi who scored another touchdown situation for the Lions.

Not too long after that, Samoana going out after a three and out situation on offense, they were pinned deep on their own 3-yard line for a punting situation. Logan Tago failing to kick that ball out, paid the price when Vili recovered it on the Sharks 1-yard line, bringing Leone’s offense onto the field to send Vili again up the middle for another Leone touchdown, sending the Lions on top with an 18-point lead.

1:12 remaining in the ball game, and Samoana pushes their offense to the limit, trying to score a touchdown for their season record, and indeed they did with a second down situation on Leone’s 1 yard line. Wayne Filiga muscles his way through the middle with a counter hand off that spotted Samoana’s first touchdown of the game and with the two-point conversion by West, Samoana came back to trail the Sharks by a ten points. But it was a late spark for the Sharks, as Leone won their JV Season Opener with an 18 – 8 victory.

SAMOA NEWS JV PLAYER OF THE GAME: Folasa Vili

Samoa News chooses Freshmen AYFS MVP from the village of Vailoa, who played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and outside linebacker for the Lions this past Friday evening racked up 4 solo tackles for losses, 2 sacks, 9 assists, 1 touchdown, and averaged 6 yards per carry.

VARSITY DIVISION

WlLDCATS 18 – STALLIONS 14

Felise Enoka of Nu’uuli sure didn’t make the same mistakes from their season opener against the Lions, in their game against the Stallions last Thursday, which saw Nu’uuli almost recording their second loss of the season, but with the toughness of the Wildcats defense, they were able to perform like an unstoppable team late in the fourth quarter.

Peter Ofoia sent Nu’uuli to their first touchdown conversion during a red zone drive, and a counter hand off from Enoka, assured Nu’uuli’s lead in the first quarter of the game. Not too long after that, with just 6:14 remaining in the first quarter, and the Stallions gets pinned deep inside their territory for a punting situation, that went sour for Kanana Fou when the Stallions punter Kalio, dropped the ball in the end zone, and Pita Ili of Nu’uuli immediately dropped on the ball to secure another astounding Wildcat touchdown, sending Nu’uuli on a 12-point lead into half time.

6:12 in the third quarter, and the Stallions were able to regroup and come back for a striking opportunity. Their second down and goal situation on the Wildcats 12-yard line, and Kanana Fou goes for a reverse hand off, something that Nu’uuli never expected to see, when Pale Filoiali’i took that in for the Stallions first touchdown of the game.

Here comes the exciting quarter of the game, the Stallions down by six points and with just 6:56 remaining in the game, the Stallions come back with a stunning counter play on the Wildcats 45-yard line that saw Pale Filoiali’I breaking through the middle, and out to the sideline for the race, and then turning up his boosters to bring the Stallions back to tie the Wildcats 12 – 12.

But a tie wasn’t what Kanana Fou were looking for. Their two-point conversion was another reverse hand off, this time to Bruce Scanlan who assured the Stallions comeback to lead the game 12 – 14.

Coming back to shaving time off the clock, was Nu’uuli with their running game, keeping their pace and running out the time as they had an atomic play that would send them home with the win, but that’s not what Kanana Fou had in mind after they stopped Nu’uuli with a short of a first down situation inside Kanana Fou’s red zone.

But hold everything said Head Official Sagele Siloi, when he called a personal foul on Kanana Fou, sending Nu’uuli to a very fortunate first down situation half the distance to the goal, and Ricky Atonio playing quarterback for the Wildcats, snuck in behind his blockers for another Nu’uuli touchdown with just a minute and ten seconds remaining in the game, securing the Wildcats a 18 – 14 victory.

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SAMOA NEWS VARSITY PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ma’alona Mataiumu

Our choice is the Nu’uuli VocTech Senior Defensive Tackle from the village of Malaeloa who recorded 4 sacks, 3 solo tackles for losses, and 9 assists helping Wildcats’ defense to victory.

CLASH OF TITANS — LEONE 7 – SAMOANA 12

Elama Lefiti the smallest player that went to represent Amerika Samoa in Texas sent Leone to their first touchdown situation, with just 1 second remaining on the clock for the first quarter of the game, when Asofa’afetai Olo sent Lefiti off with a sweep play that assured Leone’s lead. Their field goal conversion by Petaia Ricky Tanielu was good enough to spot the Lions on top 7 – 0.

Trailing the Lions wasn’t what new Head Coach Silasila Samuelu had in mind for their first rivalry game of the season. 6:13 in the second quarter, and Samuelu demanded a touchdown situation for the Sharks, when they played a second down situation on the Lions 43-yard line, and Tafatafa Sataua decided to air out a quick slant pass out to Ronnie Mase who led Samoana to their first touchdown of the game, but with Samoana’s field goal attempt failing to convert, they trailed the Lions by a point.

The fourth quarter came and the points were still in favor for the Lions with their one point lead, but that favor quickly turned against them during their second down situation on their own 26 yard line, when Olo went to toss the ball out to Rudy Steffany, but he failed to pick it up, leading to a fumble that was quickly picked up by Ieti Manu, another Amerika Samoa representative to the Texas game earlier this year. Manu turned that fumble recovery into a touchdown, sending the Sharks on top for the first time with a 7-12 lead, and securing Samoana’s win with that play, as Leone lost their second game of the season 7 – 12.

SAMOA NEWS VARSITY PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ieti Manu

Our choice is the All Star player, who went to Texas this past Summer and made a name for himself and  came back to play for the Sharks. He racked up 3 tackles for losses, 7 assists and a touchdown conversion that made the difference in their first rival game of the season. Ieti Manu is now a Senior at Samoana High School and is from the village of Vatia.