Hugh Brady hardly went deep on Saturday night. Even on touchdown passes that landed gains of 82 and 90 yards, all the Punahou quarterback had to do was trust the athletes around him.
By the time he exited the game midway through the third quarter, the senior had thrown for 283 yards and five touchdowns in a resounding 40-0 win for the No. 2 Buffanblu at Kailua.
“It definitely puts a big weight off my shoulders. I can throw a short pass and my receivers can turn it into a bigger gain,” he said. “Especially against a team like Kailua that was bringing the heat, it was nice to have guys that could get open quick and make my life easier.”
Punahou didn’t show any of the rust or nerves that prep football teams are prone to this time of year.
Vincent Terrell started the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Then, after a Kailua punt, Brady connected with Moku Dancil-Evans on an 82-yard slant on the Buffanblu’s first offensive play from scrimmage.
“It felt great. It set the tone for the season,” Terrell said of the opening touchdown. “We were really working on starting fast and finishing strong. It just felt great to start my senior year like that.”
In the second quarter, Brady found Rayden Kiaaina-Caires on a third-and-20 from the Punahou 10 on a short slant. Kiaaina-Caires did the rest, breaking free and running the remaining 80 yards untouched.
“We have a lot of great receivers,” Punahou coach Kale Ane said. “I’m always gonna say the linemen are the key, and they gave him enough time to throw to his receivers and he does a really good job of picking them up. Whether we’re gonna go deep or short, we have a good mix.”
Dancil-Evans and Terrell weren’t done. The Buffanblu extended their lead to 26-0 when Brady and Dancil-Evans connected on an 11-yard score. On the team’s next offensive possession, Brady hit Terrell for another touchdown, this time from 20 yards out, with 1:10 left in the first half.
Kanoa Kalahiki caught Brady’s last touchdown of the day, a 10-yard pass with 9:08 remaining in the third to put the running clock in effect.
Punahou’s defense was just as stout, holding the Surfriders scoreless. Talented Saint Louis transfer Cameron Friel was held to 70 yards on 11-of-24 passing, albeit with a handful of drops.
“Every time you play, you learn something whether you want to or not,” Ane said. “I think the kids played hard and of course there’s a lot we need to work on, but it was nice to see them be successful. Kailua’s a good team. They’re well-coached, big physical kids, so it was a good opening test for us.”
Facing the Division I Surfriders was a tune-up of sorts for the Buffanblu, who will face fellow Open Division teams for the remainder of the season, excluding a trip to traditional California powerhouse Long Beach Poly on Aug. 24.
Punahou’s goal is a state title, but once again it will have to get past ILH rival Saint Louis because the league only gets one spot in the HHSAA Open Division tournament. The Buffanblu went 0-2 against the Crusaders last season.
This year, things won’t be any easier. The Crusaders are again nationally ranked, making for a daunting obstacle.
“We put in a lot of work in the offseason, we made sure to be different,” Terrell said. “We have something to prove this season, that we deserve to be in the state playoffs this year. We’re just gonna use what we have. We might not be the biggest team, but we’re sure gonna work hard.”
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No. 2 Punahou 40, Kailua 0
At Kailua High
>> Punahou (0-0) 13 20 7 0 – 40
>> Kailua (0-0) 0 0 0 0 – 0
Punahou — Vincent Terrell 95 kickoff return (kick failed)
Punahou — Moku Dancil-Evans 82 pass from Hugh Brady (Quinn Maretzki kick)
Punahou — Rayden Kiaaina-Caires 90 pass from Brady (kick failed)
Punahou — Dancil-Evans 11 pass from Brady (Maretzki kick)
Punahou — Terrell 20 pass from Brady (Maretzki kick)
Punahou — Kanoa Kalahiki 10 pass from Brady (Maretzki kick)
RUSHING — Punahou: Zachary Johnson 4-20, Terrell 4-0, Brady 1-(minus-5). Kailua: Cameron Friel 12-41, Brian-Allen Kamanu 17-39.
PASSING — Punahou: Brady 14-25-0-283, Ian Eveleth 3-4-1-31, John-Keawe Sagapolutele 1-3-0-4. Kailua: Friel 11-24-1-70.
RECEIVING – Punahou: Kanoa Kalahiki 5-34, Dancil-Evans 3-99, Koa Eldredge 3-30, Raydan Kiaaina-Caires 2-102, Terrell 1-20, Treyden Buder-Nakasone 1-13, Christopher Paige 1-12, Samuel Harvey 1-4, Patrick McInerny 1-4. Kailua: Koali’i Kohatsu 5-34, Samson Rasay 3-24, Max Basque-Taumaldo 2-7, Brandon Kohatsu 1-5.
