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All tied up

Saint Louis beats Kamehameha and both teams join Punahou at 1-1 in the tight ILH

History has a way of repeating itself, at least in Saint Louis football lore.

The 10th-ranked Crusaders, already behind the 8-ball with an early loss in league play, scored on a 1-yard run by Cody Wells with 30 seconds to play for a 21-14 win over No. 1 Kamehameha last night at Aloha Stadium.

Saint Louis improved to 1-1 in Interscholastic League of Honolulu play (3-2 overall) and kept its chances of a title healthy by pulling into a three-way tie for the lead with Kamehameha (5-2 overall) and Punahou.

"It's the best O-line we faced all season. I'm kind of surprised we did it," said Saint Louis defensive tackle Kamalu Umu, who helped the unit bend without breaking much of the night. Kamehameha finished with 299 total yards, but managed only one touchdown until the final 4 minutes.

"We just got outplayed and outcoached," Kamehameha coach Doss Tannehill said. "Saint Louis is so well-coached, and they had two weeks to prepare for us."

Kamehameha suffered its first loss since a nonconference defeat at the hands of Kahuku. They got 112 rushing yards from Jeremiah Dela Pena, but quarterback Kahaku Kaai struggled with just 10-for-30 accuracy for 118 yards.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Kale Kwak of Saint Louis nearly intercepted a pass intended for Aaron Nichols of Kamehameha last night.

Cameron Bayne had a stellar effort with nine receptions for 150 yards. Cameron Higgins, who was hot at the beginning and the end, completed 16 of his 27 attempts for 202 yards. Wells finished with 66 rushing yards on 18 attempts.

The Crusaders have lost early-season games under coach Delbert Tengan before, only to improve as the season went along. Last night was a step in that direction thanks to clutch play in the final 3 minutes. Moments after Kamehameha tied the game at 14, Shane Ahlo Jr.'s 41-yard kickoff return gave the Crusaders a first down at the Kamehameha 48-yard line with 3:42 remaining.

Cold for a long stretch in the second and third quarters, Higgins connected with Bayne on two key passes. The first, on third and 2, gave Saint Louis a first down at the 23-yard line. The two hooked up again on a huge third-and-15 play for 27 yards. Bayne, who left the game after taking a big hit earlier, stepped out of bounds at the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Wells ran into the end zone to give Saint Louis the lead for good.

Kamehameha drove into Saint Louis territory, but wide receiver Justin Saniatan was stopped at the 32-yard line as time expired.

The underdog Crusaders started off well, driving for touchdowns on two of their first three possessions. Saint Louis' first drive was kept alive by a roughing-the-passer call on fourth down. Wells scored on a 9-yard toss to the left side, capping a six-play, 74-yard march.

Kamehameha responded with a scoring drive, covering 58 yards in 10 plays. Bryson Vivas scored off right tackle from 7 yards out as the Warriors tied the game at 7 with 6:45 remaining in the first quarter.

Saint Louis regained the lead early in the second quarter on a 24-yard scoring strike from Higgins to Kuli'a Aiona. Along with a key pass-interference call on third and 18, Aiona's catch capped a 10-play, 76-yard drive. The Crusaders led 14-7 with 10:20 left in the second quarter.

Kamehameha gave its foes two premium opportunities later in the second quarter, but the Crusaders failed to capitalize. Saint Louis gained possession at their own 48-yard line, and later from their own 46, coming up empty on both drives.

The Warriors threatened to score late in the half, but a 26-yard pass from Kaai to Saniatan was nullified by a holding penalty. That play would have given Kamehameha first down at the Saint Louis 10-yard line with 6 seconds left in the half.

Both offenses struggled through most of the second half. Kamehameha drove to the Saint Louis 4, but on fourth and goal, defensive back Stephen Lei cut off receiver Aaron Nichols in the end zone. Kaai was sacked by Kale Kwak for a 1-yard loss.

Kamehameha got the ball back with 5:17 left and drove 37 yards for the tying score. Linebacker Gerritt Vincent stepped in with four carries for 17 yards during the drive. Kaai found Nichols open on a go route for a 12-yard touchdown pass, tying the game with 3:53 to go.