9 Feb 2016

Sport: American Samoa bag USA football schols

12:23 pm on 9 February 2016

22 high school seniors from American Samoa have been offered scholarships to colleges and universities in the USA to play American football.

All of the teenagers were members of the American Samoa Senior All Stars team that competed in the Junior Prep Sports Classic last month.

The Hawaii event replaced the annual Samoa Bowl in American Samoa, so more US coaches and recruiters would attend.

Tafuna High School pair Frederick Mauigoa and Edward Manase received eight and five offers respectively, while three students each received offers from four colleges.

The territory's Director of Education, Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin Finau, said it was a phenomenal result.

"20-plus receive offers - that's 50 percent of the 42 that went. That's the highest that we've ever had in the 12 years we've had Samoa Bowl."

Some of the USA-bound football players from American Samoa, with their parents.

Some of the USA-bound football players from American Samoa, with their parents. Photo: RNZI / Monica Miller