By all accounts, the inaugural Life Champion Senior Bowl Saturday was a rousing success.

The game — which the Black team won in overtime, 35-28 — drew an approximate crowd of 1,500 fans to Kamehameha-Hawaii's Paiea Stadium and nothing but rave reviews from players, coaches and organizers alike.

"The people here have been absolutely fantastic for us, the hospitality was outstanding, as it always is, but even more so I'm just grateful that they picked me to come out here and help with these kids and just be part of it, because it was something special," said Pima College (Ariz.) coach Jim Monaco, who served as head coach of the Black team. "I feel very blessed."

Monaco's counterpart on the White team, Briar Cliff (Iowa) assistant head coach Joe Schmitz, had much of the same to say about the bowl game.

"This is awesome, I mean, this is everything we wanted when we came out here and the purpose of this is for us to recruit guys and it was really one of those ones where it's like let's just have fun and hang out with these guys and fellow coaches and with this type of game there's nothing we can complain about," Schmitz said.

The game featured more than 80 seniors from across the state (and one player from Guam) and provided the unique opportunity for those from the neighbor islands — many of them from Division II or even eight-man football programs — to practice with and compete against some of Oahu's top talent that made the trip over to the Big Island.

"It was real fun and everybody was super cool and respectful," said Kamehameha-Maui's Chase Newton. "It's a wonderful opportunity. There's a bunch of great talent here and I can see where I'm at on my level and what I've got to work on."

Newton, who is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, played quarterback for the Warriors, but spent the week working out at a new position: wide receiver.

"I'm hoping to play wide receiver at the next level," said Newton, who caught four passes for 75 yards.

For another player, the game provided a chance to rewrite his final high school game.

"I didn't get to play the second half in my last playoff game and it was a huge game, but I got a chance to be here with my fellow class members and I had a blast," Hilo's Donavan Faoa Kelley said.

Kelley had a fumble recovery and an interception in the first half of the Vikings' first-round loss to Kahuku in the Division I state tournament a month ago, but suffered a concussion and was unable to finish the game.

"It's a good opportunity getting to be here on my own island and them hosting this over here for the first time," Kelley said. "I hope that they can host more senior bowls over here in the future and get more neighbor islanders more exposure."