[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
Buffanblu play special,
upset Warriors
Special teams are called special teams for a reason -- they can turn an everyday bunch of grinders into a truly special team.
Punahou blocked two punts and shut down previously unbeaten Kamehameha 14-6 last night at Aloha Stadium.
The Buffanblu ran their record to 5-4-1 and won just their second Interscholastic League of Honolulu game. The Warriors dropped to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the ILH and, more importantly, fell into a tie with Saint Louis heading into next Saturday's game between the ILH powers.
"It was a long time coming, a whole year coming, for us to play like that," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "I think this was our best game because it was against one of the best teams."
The Buffanblu let the Warriors know they meant business when Derek Hinkley blocked a punt to liven a scoreless game in the second quarter. The big play gave the Buffanblu the ball at the Kamehameha 10. Micah Strickland needed only two plays to reach the end zone.
The Warriors, who were held to only 10 plays on three drives in the first quarter, decided to hand the ball to T.J. Kuahine in the second and it snapped them out of their 12-minute offensive doldrums. Kuahine scored from a yard out on the next drive. A missed extra point kept the Warriors from tying the game.
Punahou was supposed to stay in the locker room at halftime but didn't. The Buffanblu continued to pound Kamehameha's defensive line -- a unit that Warriors coach Kanani Souza said had "some adversity" and two sophomore starters -- until quarterback John Morris finally hit Christopher Duncan for a touchdown pass with 4:27 left in the third. Morris had been looking Duncan's way all night, throwing the ball to him 10 times in the first quarter alone.
"When you have the basics, like time to pass, things like this happen," Ane said. "The guys just did the basics right."
Up by eight, Ane gave the game to his defense. The Buffanblu forced the Warriors to punt three straight times, just waiting for a midweek adjustment to pay off with a score like it did early in the game. The third punt was the charm as Robert Brown plucked the ball off punter Travis Uale's foot with 3:35 to go. The Warriors got the ball again after that but had little chance against Punahou's fired-up defense.
"They made plays and broke tackles," Souza said. "They just executed everything right and we didn't. We'll play again next week."
At Aloha Stadium
Pun -- Micah Strickland 3 run (Chris Takemoto-Gentile Kick)
Punahou (5-4,3-3) 0 7 7 0 -- 14 Kamehameha (7-1,5-1) 0 0 6 0 -- 6
Kam -- T.J. Kuahine 1 run (Kick Failed)
Pun -- Koa Duncan 40 pass John Morris (Gentile Kick)
RUSHING -- Punahou: Micah Strickland 14-19, Morris 8-(minus 40). Kamehameha: Kuahine 15-65, Kamuela Kapanui 2-17, Sy Cullen 7-11, Pono Kam 7-8.
PASSING -- Punahou: Morris 20-36-1-265. Kamehameha: Kam 14-26-1-127
RECEIVING -- Punahou: Duncan 8-131, Chad Tamashiro 6-61, Cameron Grace 4-75, Reyn Wicklund 1-4, Strickland 1-(minus 6). Kamehameha: Ikaika Hardie 6-40, Waika Spencer 3-36, Matt Coehlo 2-24, Andrew Taeoalii 1-13, Kapanui 1-7, Cullen 1-7.
Saint Louis 33, Iolani 20
B.J Batts rushed 17 times for 146 yards and three touchdowns as the Crusaders beat the Raiders by 13.But Batts arguably did not have the game's best rushing performance -- Iolani's Raynold Stowers carried 19 times for 197 yards and three scores, including a 90-yard scamper. Stowers also led the game in catches and receiving yards -- five for 71 yards.
Saint Louis also got a solid performance from quarterback Kealii Perbera, who threw two touchdown passes and completed 14 of 21 for 200 yards in the win.
At Aloha Stadium
StL -- Makaala Kuewa 18 pass Kealii Perbera (C.J. Santiago kick)
Iolani (4-5-1, 2-3-1) 0 7 0 13 -- 20 Saint Louis (6-1, 5-1) 0 13 20 0 -- 33
Iol -- Raynold Stowers 90 run (Nick Wong kick)
StL -- B.J. Batts 49 run (kick blocked)
StL -- Batts 3 run (Santiago kick)
StL -- Batts 29 run (Santiago kick)
StL -- Desmond Hanohano 26 pass from Perbera (run failed)
Iol -- Stowers 10 run (pass failed)
Iol -- Stowers 3 pass from Kiran Kepoo (Wong kick)
RUSHING -- Iolani: Stowers 19-197, Kepoo 12-16, Kekai Kealoha 1-13, Team 1-(minus 21). Saint Louis: Batts 17-146, Wyatt Williams 6-23, Cody Wells 4-7, Stanley Nihipali 1-(minus 1), Perbera 3-1, Shaun Kauleinamoku 3-11, Lechman Fiaseu 2-5.
PASSING -- Iolani: Kepoo 10-27-1-114. Saint Louis: Perbera 14-21-0-200, Nihipali 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING -- Iolani: Stowers 5-71, Paul Bennett 1-10, Kealoha 1-5, Karl Motoyama 2-17, Lee Korenaga 1-11. Saint Louis: Kuewa 3-49, Kauleinamoku 4-52, Hanohano 3-46, Batts 2-15, Johnny Gentry 1-18, Donald Fialkowski 1-20.
