Buffanblu stun sixth
-ranked Raiders
Every win over Iolani is special for the Punahou Buffanblu, but this one just might be the best.
Brian Matsumoto's 25-yard touchdown reception capped a 19-point fourth quarter as the Buffanblu rallied from 16 down to stun the Iolani Raiders 25-22 yesterday at Punahou field.
"Nothing could be better than this," Buffanblu running back Kainoa Johnson said. "This is a dream come true."
Not only did the Buffanblu (5-5, 3-4) win the annual rivalry game with the Raiders (8-2, 5-2), they also spoiled Iolani's chances at an Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship. An Iolani win would have forced a playoff with Kamehameha for the league title.
"This is the most emotional win I've ever been a part of," Punahou wide receiver Miah Ostrowski said. "Everyone was doubting us, but we stepped up and spoiled their season."
Ostrowski caught eight balls for 128 yards and two touchdowns, including the only Buffanblu score of the first half. After the Raiders jumped out to an early 9-0 lead on a safety and a 54-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Landon Patoc, Punahou quarterback Brett Kan found Ostrowski wide open over the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown.
"Miah's been a fabulous player for us," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "Everyone knew the ball was going to him and he still made catches and made the plays we needed to win."
Still leading 9-6, the Raiders managed to extend the lead to 15-6 just before the end of the half as Raiders quarterback Kiran Kepo'o, the ILH's leading passer coming into the game, found Travis Nishioka for a 25-yard touchdown on a screen pass.
After holding Punahou to a three-and-out on its first possession of the second half, Michael Hirokawa went 36 yards for a touchdown on the Raiders' opening drive to make the score 22-6.
"We knew we were down, but we also knew that it's not how you start, but how you finish," Johnson said. "We knew we had to protect our house."
Taking advantage of Iolani's mistakes would become a theme in the final quarter as Kepo'o fumbled the ball two plays into the quarter and Punahou's Mike Egesdal recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Buffanblu quickly struck again 3 minutes later as Ostrowski hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 22-19. After another Iolani fumble, Kan hooked up with Matsumoto for a 25-yard score, Punahou's third touchdown in 6 minutes.
"We had been able to move the ball on them the whole game," Ostrowski said. "We were hurting ourselves with the fumbles and turnovers, but we got it going and we pulled it out."
After Matsumoto's go-ahead touchdown, the rain immediately began to fall in heavy sheets, almost as if it was waiting for the home team to take the lead. But the Raiders would get one last chance.
Getting the ball back with a little more than a minute to go, Kepo'o found Micah Kalama with an 18-yard pass and then hit Nishioka for a 44-yard completion to take the ball down to the Buffanblu 23-yard line. But without any timeouts, the Buffanblu got a huge sack from Egesdal that kept the clock running, and Kepo'o fumbled his last throw of the game as the clock ran out.
"These kids are very special and they never lost hope," Ale said. "This is a great win not only for the coaches and players, but also for the parents and alumni."
"We knew this was our last game of the year, and to go out like this, it couldn't be any sweeter," Johnson added.
Not all is lost for the Raiders, however, as they finish the season as the ILH Division II champions, earning them a spot in the HHSAA Division II state tournament beginning Nov. 19. Iolani has a bye and will play its first tournament game on Nov. 26.
