AFL China Set To Bid Aloha To Hawaii
Adam Markowitz
Saturday November 2, 2013
HONOLULU - It's been a project over a year in the making, but 38 players from the Arena Football League and from Hawaii are set to put toe to leather at Blaisdell Arena on Saturday, where the East and West will duke it out with one another at 4:00 p.m. HST.
The final rallying cry prior to one of the biggest games in the history of the sport of arena football came on Friday night from the founder of AFL China, Marty Judge. Judge exclaimed into the microphone at the Crown Bar & Grill his intentions of bringing this great game not only to Hawaii and not only to China, but to the rest of Asia and into Europe with time. The hope is there for arena football to eventually become an Olympic sport, where some of the best athletes from all over the world will want to play this game.
All of that promise is finally coming to fruition, and it will start when the ball is kicked off this afternoon. A seemingly overmatched side of West All-Stars received a heck of a lot of help on Friday, when DB Justin Hannah and QB Nick Davila both made it to Honolulu. Neither was able to get in any practice time and will likely be used sparingly at least in this game. QB Carson Coffman is going to start for the West under center.
The skill players for the West are formidable for sure. WR Marco Thomas, WR Jesse Schmidt, and 2013 NET10 Rookie of the Year, WR Mario Urrutia will be catching passes from Coffman and Davila. Head Coach Kevin Guy has a thin offensive line, including C Andy Ramos, who is a 6'2" 360 lb titanic Hawaiian. Ramos played in every game in the history of the Hawaiian Islanders of the af2 from 2002-2004.
On the other side of the ball, the West features an embarrassment of riches along the defensive line. DT Anttaj Hawthorne is one of the best nose tackles in the league, and he'll be teaming up with his Arizona Rattlers' teammate, DE Marcus Pittman. DE Tyrone Alualu, brother of Jacksonville Jaguars' DE Tyson Alualu and DE Ofakimoana Valikoula are going to be joining these two veterans up front, and Guy had nothing but good things to say about is Hawaiians.
"These are high motor guys, and they're learning fast," said Guy. "All of the raw potential is there."
The East actually has two fewer players on its active roster than the West has coming into these games, but 16 of the 18 are from the AFL. The two locals on the roster are K Kimo Naehu and LB Niu Spikes, and Spikes has been impressive out of the Mack linebacker spot and as a member of the defensive line.
QB Dan Raudabaugh is going to get the nod to start the day for the East, and he expects to take most of the snaps for his head coach of the Philadelphia Soul, Clint Dolezel. QB Randy Hippeard of the Tampa Bay Storm will also be getting his reps in this game.
Expect to see a plethora of receivers shuffled in and out of the lineup. WR Prechae Rodriguez is coming off of one of the best seasons a receiver has ever had in Orlando Predators history, and he is joined by WR Larry Beavers and WR Dominick Goodman in the starting lineup, though both LB Joe Goosby and WR/DB Terrance Smith will surely get some reps at wide out as well.
Part of the interesting dynamic of the East roster is that there isn't a legitimate fullback playing. With only 15 position players, that's going to cause a heck of a lot of rotation. Expect to see DL Bryan Robinson not only playing the line, but fullback as well. Another example is Goosby, who Coach Dolezel said, "will do anything we need him to." That includes his traditional role as a jack linebacker, a Mack linebacker, a defensive lineman, and a wide receiver.
This is the first time that the AFL has brought an All-Star Game to Hawaii. This is only the second All-Star Game in AFL history, with the first one coming in Des Moines in 1993.
The winning team will be awarded with the Crown Cup.