Punahou blanks Kamehameha

Photo Gallery: Punahou vs. Kamehameha

Nothing makes a better statement than a big, fat zero.

No. 1 Punahou beat No. 2 Kamehameha 24-0 in an ILH showdown at Aloha Stadium that was devoid of the usual offensive stars that this storied rivalry usually features.

Punahou’s defense and special teams ruled the evening, holding Kamehameha to 166 total yards, with 80 of them coming on its final drive after the game was decided. The Buffanblu secured the shutout when Kamehameha got down to the 1-yard line with 30 seconds left but was stuffed on all three plays the Warriors ran.

"With the playoff system, every game is important," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "Our special teams came through in the clutch."

It was that kind of night for the Punahou defense.

Boyd Chung, Saitui Moeai and Canton Kaumatule had sacks and countless other Buffanblu provided pressure. Take away Brandon Kahookele’s 17-yard halfback pass and his 50-yard burst early in the contest and Kamehameha barely moved the ball at all.

Warriors quarterback Noah Sua-Godinet threw for only 38 yards, and Kahookele had 18 carries for 87 yards.

Kaumatule, hailed as one of the top recruits in the country, returned from injury for the Kamehameha game but was just one piece of the puzzle.

"Huge," Ane said. "He’s one of the best players in the country. A little rusty, but you couldn’t tell. He dominated the line of scrimmage."

Both quarterbacks were under pressure from the outset, but Punahou’s Larry Tuileta handled it well enough to get the Buffanblu on the board first. After a missed field goal and a punt on its first two series, Punahou’s defense backed Kamehameha inside the 10-yard line on a well-placed punt by Alexander Trifonovitch. Kamehameha couldn’t get out from the hole, and punted it away before Kanawai Noa returned it to the 10-yard line.

Tuileta didn’t have to worry about being sacked from that position, handing off three times, with Wayne Taulapapa breaking the plane from 2 yards out. Charles McDonald’s kick was true and the Buffanblu had a 7-0 lead.

Punahou stretched the margin to 10 after defensive back Cole Obana picked a deflection out of the air and took it back to the end zone. A penalty took the ball back to the 28-yard line and after a three and out, McDonald cleared the uprights for a 43-yard field goal.

Punahou finally got the offensive spark it needed after another big play on special teams. Kamehameha forced the Buffanblu to punt on fourth and 11, but Warriors return man Alika Kahaulelio muffed it. Robert Straton hit Kahaulelio as he tried to corral it and Trent Sitar wrestled it away from him to keep the drive alive. Sitar had one more bit of heroics in him, reaching over his head to pull in a floater from Tuileta one play later for a touchdown to make the score 17-0.

"Special teams is one-third of the game, and we put just as much work into that as offense and defense," Sitar said. "He fumbled the ball and I pounced on it. I trust in Tui, the O-line, everybody. We trust in each other. I knew Tui would put it there. It was just whoever was open."

Punahou fumbled on its next possession, but it was no big deal. Kamehameha wasn’t going anywhere. Taulapapa added his second touchdown with a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter.

The Buffanblu play St. Francis next week, while Kamehameha gets Pac-Five.

No. 3 Saint Louis 49, No. 10 ‘Iolani 13

Adam Noga rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and the Crusaders (4-1, 2-1) ran over the Raiders (3-3, 1-2).

A week after Kamehameha’s Brandon Kahookele made a run at his team’s single-game rushing record in the Prep Bowl and state championship eras, Noga rose to second on his school’s list with a career-high 208 on 16 carries. Only Ed Kini with 283 yards against ‘Iolani in 1973 has covered more ground for the school.

"It’s just motivation to get better every day," Noga said. "We knew that ‘Iolani had speed, so we worked hard at practice to prepare for them. ‘Iolani definitely came ready to play. Now we just prepare each week for our opponent. We have Damien, then we have Punahou. One game at a time."

Noga had three touchdowns rushing and one receiving. Crusaders quarterback Ryder Kuhns went 14-for-19 for 295 yards before the starters departed in the fourth quarter.

Damien 34, St. Francis 14

DJ Aumua rushed for a season-high 83 yards and three touchdowns and Syles Choy threw for 191 yards and two scores as the Monarchs (3-2, 2-1) topped the Saints (1-3, 0-2).

Choy threw a 22-yard touchdown to Kealii Kaanapu, who finished with five catches for 77 yards. Trevor Caspillo added four receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown for Damien, which has won multiple ILH games in the same season for the first time since 2008.

Taylor Wong-Monette gave St. Francis the early lead with an 86-yard touchdown run and Ranan Mamiya scored on a 13-yard run.