Knights vs Guam All-Stars in Marianas Bowl

The Knights players perform a drill during one of their training sessions at the Mt. Carmel School ground. (Contributed Photo)

It will be newcomers versus veterans as the Mt. Carmel School Knights take on the Guam All-Stars in the Marianas Bowl this Saturday at the CPA Airport Field.

The weekend event will feature two games with the first one set for 10am pitting the opposing teams’ 10 to 14 year old players (youth/matua) and the second one at 1pm featuring the squads’ players in the 15 to 18 age group (high school).

“The youth/matua division game—the third between the two islands—will see a seasoned team from Guam, headed by Guam organizer Herman Guerrero, facing off against a relatively green squad of CNMI players. The last time the island teams met was in January 2015 down in Guam. The CNMI lost in a nail-biter with two seconds left on the clock. Guam aired the ball out to an open receiver in the end zone. The final score was 12-6,” Commonwealth Football League Association chair Ed Arriola said in a message sent to Saipan Tribune last weekend.

After the sorry loss, Team CNMI was dissolved and the sport took a long break as later in 2015 Typhoon Soudelor hit Saipan. It was not until early last year that gridiron action returned to the island with MCS athletics director John Blanco forming a squad made up mostly of Mt. Carmel students.

“We formed a squad sponsored primarily by Mount Carmel School (MCS) but it is open to all students on island willing to play on the squad. The Knights, the MCS’ official mascot, is the name the CNMI Team will carry going into this contest,” Arriola added.

The official rosters from the two MCS squads are not yet available and will be announced on game day, according to Blanco, adding that all their players are excited for the Marianas Bowl. The two teams practice regularly at the Knights pitch and at the CPA Airport Field as they know they will be facing good players from Guam.

“Our two teams will be in for a tough day against two veteran Guam squads being handled by a seasoned collection of coaches that knows how to get the job done. Both players and coaches have years of experience under their belts,” Blanco said.

“Though our youth squad is made up mostly of rookie players who are new to the game and a high school team that lacks the roster/veteran depth that its counterpart possesses, we still look to go out and play our best. Regardless of the outcome, it’s still a win given the adversity we have faced over the last two years.” he added.

Blanco will coach the youth/matua team, while Vaeotootoo Failauga Jr will call the shots for the high school squad. Completing the two teams’ officials list are assistant coach/defensive coordinator Joe Ocampo, matua coach Mike Tenorio, quarterback/assistant coach Jerome Norita, defensive coordinator Joshua Manglona, and offensive line coach Harley Erich.