One of the best defensive players on the state's best high school football team has accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Hawai'i football team.

Art Laurel, an outside linebacker from Leilehua High School, yesterday announced: "I'm going to be a Warrior."

Laurel received interest from Washington, Idaho and Idaho State.

"I have family down here, and I want to be a Warrior," Laurel said. "I want to play in front of my friends and family."

Laurel's older brother, Clayton Laurel, is a UH lineman.

Laurel said he is 6 feet 1 and 205 pounds. He said he would like "to reach at least 235" pounds. That goal has been difficult while he competes on the Mules' basketball team.

"I'm running all of the time," he said. "I'm trying to gain weight, but I keep losing it."

Still, pound for pound, Laurel is a physical, tough-hitting linebacker. He was named to The Advertiser 2007 All-State first team.

Laurel was a key contributor for the Mules, who upset Saint Louis School, 20-16, in the state championship game.

"It was incredible," Laurel said. "I had that good feeling. It was unbelievable that we actually won. A lot of people doubted us. They thought Saint Louis would win. But we pulled it off. It felt good. It was a long time since Leilehua won a state championship game."

The game was a culmination of Laurel's long-term love of football.

"Since I was in first grade," Laurel said. "I always wanted to play football."

The name of one of his youth teams?

"We were the Warriors," he said. "That was a really good team."

Laurel spent most of his youth on the Mainland. He has lived in California, Ohio and North Carolina, as well as Hawai'i.

He said his family "likes traveling, and doing different things."

When he was 14, his family moved back to Hawai'i. Laurel, who is Samoan and Filipino, said most of his father's family lives in Hawai'i. His mother's family is from the Mainland.

Laurel easily re-adjusted to the Islands. He said he spends his free time playing video games, hanging out with friends and going to the movies. And, of course, playing sports.

UH invited Laurel on a recruiting visit two weekends ago. Clayton Laurel served as his brother's host.

"It was fun," Art Laurel said. "We ate a lot. All of the coaches were good to us. They gave us a tour of the school. It was fun meeting people from out of state, and from other schools on the Islands."

SUPER GAMES TO START

To spice up the offseason, head coach Greg McMackin is implementing a Super Games competition.

This Friday, there will be a draft to form 10 teams from the UH football players who are on the spring roster.

The players will go through conditioning drills and weight-training workouts Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teams can amass points when members show improvement in the drills and workouts.

Points will be awarded — and deducted — for academic performances. Miss a class? Lose 50 points.

Each Wednesday, there will be Super Games, in which teams will compete in such activities as arm wrestling, no-rules basketball and water polo.

Points will be added from the conditioning program, academic performances and results of Super Games. Right before the start of spring practice, the two teams with the most points will meet in the Super Games championship.

"It's a good way to build team chemistry," McMackin said.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.