Two months and a day after winning a state championship with his Saint Louis teammates at Aloha Stadium, Chevan Cordeiro will return to the same field one last time in high school.
And just like in that 31-28 win over Kahuku, Cordeiro will do so as the starting quarterback, a Polynesian Bowl official confirmed.
The Star-Advertiser All-State offensive player of the year and University of Hawaii signee will take the first snap at quarterback for Team Mauka against Team Makai in the Polynesian Bowl high school all-star game Saturday at 6 p.m.
Cordeiro, who threw for 3,130 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for 456 yards and 10 more scores, is on the same team as four-star prospect Brevin White from Lancaster, Calif., who will attend Princeton. The third QB for Team Mauka is UCLA commit Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the No. 2-ranked dual threat quarterback in the nation who prepped at Bishop Gorman.
Konawaena’s Austin Ewing, who led the Wildcats to the Division II state final, was a late addition to the game as the third quarterback for Team Makai. Devin Leary is a four-star recruit from Timber Creek, N.J., who signed with N.C. State, and Tanner McKee from Centennial (Corona, Calif.) is the No. 3 pro-style QB in the country and is uncommitted. McKee has offers from Alabama, Stanford, Texas and Washington, among others.
Other players to watch Saturday:
Palaie Gaoteote, LB, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Team Makai
The nephew of Ma’a Tanuvasa, Gaoteote is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 2 inside linebacker and No. 22 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports. Gaoteote, who played as a freshman at Mililani before transferring to Bishop Gorman, signed with Southern California during the early signing period and will be teammates with Waianae alum Kana‘i Mauga, who has already enrolled at USC. Gaoteote finished with 232 tackles and 41 1/2 tackles for loss in three years with the Gaels and won two national titles.
Ricky Slade, RB, C.D. Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.), Team Makai
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Penn State signee has been clocked at 4.48 in the 40-yard dash and is the top-ranked recruit from Virginia and No. 2 overall all-purpose back in the country, according to 247Sports. He rushed for 3,529 yards and 42 touchdowns in three years. Despite holding 26 offers, his only official visit was to the Nittany Lions.
Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Lindenhurst (N.Y.), Team Makai
The 6-foot-6, 238-pound four-star recruit is the top tight end in the country, according to 247Sports, and signed with Ohio State. In two years of varsity football, Ruckert caught 118 passes for 1,618 yards and 15 touchdowns. A physical presence who can also block, Ruckert has no plans to redshirt as a freshman with the Buckeyes.
Brandon Kaho, LB, Reno (Nev.), Team Mauka
The 6-foot-2 232-pounder recently received his fifth star from 247Sports and jumped up all the way to No. 21 overall in the class of 2018 as the top-rated inside linebacker.
Kaho, who is one of six players in the game who signed with Washington, is versatile, can play a number of positions, and has seen his stock rise as much as any prospect this late in the evaluation process.
Isaac Taylor-Stuart, DB, Helix (Mesa, Calif.), Team Mauka
The 6-foot-2, 187-pound five-star recruit is the 35th overall prospect in the country, according to 247Sports, and is uncommitted. Alabama, Texas A&M and USC appear to be the favorites to land the talented Southern California prospect who has legitimate 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash and picked off six passes in his senior season.
Love watching this kid play! Definitely got the skills to go far. They got studds playing Qb for Team Mauka. Thats huge to get the starting nod. Who’s coaching the Quarterbacks this bowl game? They have some gun slingers.