NONCONFERENCE
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Timpview's Kyle Mack brought down Punahou's Steven Dannaway after Dannaway recovered a Timpview fumble at the goal line during the second quarter of last night's game at Aloha Stadium.
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visiting Thunderbirds
Miah Ostrowski gave the Buffanblu the one big play it needed on offense, and the Punahou defense took care of the rest.
Ostrowski scored on a 46-yard pass from Brett Kan for the game's only touchdown, and the Buffanblu defense turned back Timpview twice in the red zone as No. 4 Punahou shut out the reigning Utah 4A state champion Thunderbirds 10-0 last night in the second game of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Foundation Football Classic at Aloha Stadium.
It was the first loss for Timpview (3-1) and first-year head coach Louis Wong, a 1981 graduate of Castle High. The Thunderbirds came into last night's game averaging more than 30 points a game, but couldn't score on an opportunistic Buffanblu defense that forced two missed field goals and recorded two interceptions.
Ostrowski accounted for more than half of the Buffanblu's offense, hauling in 10 receptions for 181 yards as the Buffanblu finished with 322 total yards compared to 301 for the Thunderbirds.
The game opened with both teams battling for field position, taking turns pinning each other deep in their own territories. But in the game's only touchdown drive, the Buffanblu (3-0) moved the ball 94 yards in nine plays, capped by Ostrowski's 46-yard touchdown reception on a go route down the middle of the field.
The Thunderbirds tried to answer right back, taking the ball all the way down to the Buffanblu 4-yard line. But Punahou linebacker Steven Dannaway ripped the ball away from running back Devin Mausia and recovered the fumble to turn Timpview away empty-handed.
An interception with a minute left in the first half gave Timpview one more chance to put points on the board, but the Buffanblu defense forced three straight incompletions, and Dave Jackson's 45-yard field-goal attempt with a second left was just short as Punahou took a 7-0 lead into the half.
Jay Angotti's 44-yard kickoff return to open the second half gave the Buffanblu its first drive starting in Timpview territory. It wouldn't last long, however, as cornerback Taylor Scott forced a fumble which Daniel Lee recovered.
But as would be the theme of last night's game, the Thunderbirds offense would once again drive deep into the red zone and come up empty. Buffanblu linebackers Sean Murphy and Adam Morris combined for a sack on third and goal that pushed the Thunderbirds back, and Jackson's 30-yard field goal-attempt was wide left.
The already struggling Thunderbirds offense was nearly dealt a devastating blow as quarterback Benjamin Bateman was nailed on a third-down blitz and stayed on the ground for a few minutes before being helped off the field. The Thunderbirds were already without star wideout Preston Phillips, who hurt his leg last week in a game, but Bateman returned on the next drive.
Meanwhile, the Buffanblu would feed off the big hit, as back-to-back completions from Kan to Ostrowski on the ensuing drive moved the Buffanblu into the red zone and River Kim nailed a 19-yard field goal to increase the Buffanblu lead to 10 just before the end of the third quarter that would ultimately be the game's final score.