Saturday Morning Lights

Hello Football!

In American Samoa, high school football is a big deal. You may or may not have heard this amazing statistic but it has been estimated that a Samoan boy is 40 times more likely to reach the NFL than a boy growing up in the United States.. These kids, parents, schools and coaches take this sport very seriously.

Since there is only one football stadium on the whole island all of the high school football games are played there. As there are 7 high school varsity football teams, typically one game is held on Friday night and the other two are played on Saturday morning with one team getting a bye each week. This past weekend the mighty Leone Lions (my school) were playing against the undefeated Warriors of Tafuna, which is the biggest school on island. From the very beginning, the game had all the makings of a close and fierce battle. Every time the Lions scored a touchdown, the Warriors answered with one of their own. Even with some 40 seconds left in the first half the Warriors marched down the field to tie the game up right before halftime.

In the second half, the touchdowns kept coming at first and then suddenly each teams defense woke up and started to make some great plays. Luckily our defense got the best of the Warriors and we pulled it out with a 25-22 point victory! It was a great game. The students, teachers and parents in the crowd were going crazy. The players on the field were ecstatic. To see the pride and joy on their faces was amazing. It was a wonderful moment to witness.

Another truly American Samoan experience.