HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS - ILH
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou defensive lineman Jonathan Overton forced a Damien fumble when he tackled Monarchs quarterback George Martin in yesterday's game.
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Buffanblu make Monarchs pay
Second-ranked Punahou shakes off its first loss of the season by blowing out Damien
Anxious to get back on the field after a two-week break since suffering their first loss of the season, the second-ranked Buffanblu took out all of their frustrations on the Monarchs.
Brett Kan threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Buffanblu outscored Damien 28-0 in the second and third quarters en route to a 42-12 victory over Damien yesterday at Punahou.
Miah Ostrowski added a 10-yard touchdown reception and Kainoa Carlson rushed for 76 yards and caught a touchdown pass as the Buffanblu (5-1, 2-1) took a half-game lead over Kamehameha and Saint Louis, who both play tonight, for the lead in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's Division I.
"Anytime you come off a loss you're anxious to get back on the field," Punahou coach Kale Ane said.
"We had a couple of turnovers that I wasn't happy about, but I was pleased at how we kept plugging away."
The Buffanblu opened the game with an efficient 6-minute drive that was capped by a 1-yard touchdown pitch from Kan to Carlson that came on a busted play.
"The linebacker came blitzing up the middle and hit me so fast, but as I went down I threw it to Kainoa," Kan said.
Carlson was surprised to get the ball but managed to convert the play for a score.
"I just turned and Brett put it in there," Carlson said. "It was actually a heads-up play by Brett."
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou wide receiver River Kim leaned in for an extra yard as he approached the goal line yesterday.
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The Monarchs came right back with a little trickery of their own, as Kealoha Pilares, the ILH's leading rusher, showed off his arm instead, tossing a 20-yard touchdown pass on a halfback option play to Breydan Torres. But the point-after was no good and the Buffanblu held a one-point lead.
It would be all Punahou from then on out, as the Buffanblu scored touchdowns on their final three drives of the half. After Colin Viloria's 11-yard touchdown run, Kan would score on runs of 4 and 1 yards, the last coming with 18 seconds left in the half.
"My linemen just did a great job and it wasn't just me, it was a total team effort," Kan said.
Twenty-eight points would be more than enough for the defense as they kept Pilares, who came into the game averaging more than 150 yards a game on the ground in league play, bottled up all night. The senior finished with just 68 yards on 17 carries.
"He's their go-to guy and we just tried to take him away as much as possible," Ane said.
Ostrowski's touchdown reception increased the Buffanblu lead to 29 late in the third quarter.
The Monarchs answered back as Pilares hauled in a 38-yard reception, their longest play of the day, that helped set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Sheldon Bailey.
Backup quarterback Pono Akina hit Chris Unemori for his first catch of the season, a 25-yard touchdown strike, for the game's final score.
It was a key win for the Buffanblu, who now embark on a brutal three-game stretch over the next three weeks in which they face No. 5 Saint Louis and No. 4 Kamehameha at Aloha Stadium before visiting No. 3 Iolani at Iolani.
"We've got a lot to work on, but we're excited that we have the opportunity to play some of the best teams," Ane said.
According to Carlson, the key to being successful will be their ability to run the ball.
"If we can get a steady running game going, it'll open the play-action pass and allow Miah some more chances to make big plays," Carlson said.