With a career-high 31 carries for a high of 193 yards rushing, Aifala Ama knew he was working hard last weekend as Inchelium defeated top-ranked Tekoa-Oakesdale 36-20 in the State B-8 semifinals.
Ama, a two-way starter, was hardly off the field.
He knew such a game would take its toll, but still was considerably shocked the next day at his photograph in the Spokesman-Review and Spokane Chronicle. Why, he looked a good 60 pounds lighter.
"I looked at that picture and said, 'Man, what happened to me?'" Ama recalled with surprise.
A picture of an Inchelium player wrapping up T-O quarterback Carl Crider was identified as the 240-pound Ama. In reality, it was his 180-pound teammate, Duke Finley.
Earlier this season, another newspaper ran a photograph of an Inchelium player and mistakenly identified him as Ama. But no matter how mixed up photographers can get, there is no mistaking this hulking senior on the field.
At 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds of muscle and quickness, Ama is an unforgettable sight when he lowers himself into a would-be tackler. Often, the defensive player goes flying head-over-heels while Ama continues charging for the end zone.
The senior transfer from Orem, Utah — he came to Inchelium with cousin Eti Ena and uncle and legal guardian Pat Ena — has rushed 153 times for 1,554 yards and 21 touchdowns out of Inchelium's power-I. He has scored seven touchdowns in two postseason games as the Hornet "go-to guy."
Ama, a two-way starter for a strong Orem team in Utah Class 4A football, is among the rare eight-man players to be recruited by Division I colleges.
"I'd played 11-man football all the way, but eight-man is really fun," Ama said. "I really enjoy it."
Ama has one more game on his calendar — Saturday morning's State B-8 championship game with Pateros in the Seattle Kingdome.
And the loyal Inchelium fans probably won't need to look at pictures to find Ama.
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