Wilson is team MVP in Hawaii

HONOLULU — George Washington High senior David Wilson scored two touchdowns as the Mainland All-Stars defeated Hawaii 22-8 Friday night in the inaugural Hawaii/Polynesia-Mainland Bowl Friday night at Aloha Stadium.

After the game, Wilson was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Mainland squad.

Wilson, who set the GW single-season rushing record in 2008 with 2,291 yards, opened the scoring with a 4-yard run at the 5:09 mark of the first quarter.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Wilson hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from University of North Carolina recruit Bryn Renner to help put the game out of reach.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Wilson rushed 13 times for 47 yards and caught three passes for 50 more.

Wilson has verbally committed to attend Virginia Tech next year on a football scholarship and is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent with the Hokies in February.

Defense was the name of the game Friday night. The two teams combined for 13 turnovers, including nine by the Hawaii squad. The Mainland scored 16 of its 22 points off of three Hawaii turnovers. While the Mainland squad took advantage of its opportunities, the Hawaii squad failed in its chances. Hawaii forced four Mainland turnovers but could not score off any of those, despite driving into the red zone on four occasions.

Corey Brown, a U.S. Army All-American and Ohio State commit, picked off three Hawaii passes to lead the Mainland defense. Meanwhile, Renner passed for 124 yards and a pair of long touchdown passes, including the one to Wilson, to lead the Mainland offense. Renner also connected with Trabis Ward of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for a 52-yard bomb in the second quarter.

Hawaii turned the ball over on its first two possessions to help set up nine points by the Mainland squad in a 65-second span.

After Wilson’s early touchdown, Hawaii fumbled on its very next offensive snap and the Mainland capitalized with a Nick Tausch 37-yard field goal that put Mainland up 9-0. Ward’s 52-yard catch down the sideline made it a 16-0 game by halftime.

Hawaii finally got on the board with 5:02 remaining in the game when Corey Neilsen of Cerritos, Calif., found Robby Toma of Honolulu in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown strike. Hawaii had two more opportunities for a comeback after recovering an onside kick and picking off a Mainland pass. However, both of Hawaii’s drives stalled in Mainland territory.

“It was exciting to see the Hawaii talent match up against the Mainland team,” said Rich McGuinness, creator of the Hawaii/Polynesian vs. Mainland Bowl. “They have a rich tradition in football on this island, and it was great to be able to pit some of the nation’s best up against these tough Hawaii All-Stars at Aloha stadium, the same arena where the Pro Bowl has been played. I’m excited to see what next year’s game will bring.”

The inaugural Hawaii/Polynesian vs. Mainland Bowl was broadcast live on Fox Sports College Channel and Fox Sports West Prime Ticket. It was also broadcast live on local radio and via the internet by Hawaii Digital Sports.