Saint Louis add a new wrinkle to its offense a couple of weeks ago — the hook-and-lateral — and it paid off a couple of times late against host Punahou on Saturday.

Nainoa Lopes completed 23 of 28 passes for 257 yards, and rushed for two scores as the No. 4 Crusaders beat the No. 7 Buffanblu 31-21 in a back-and-forth ILH Open Division game.

“This is what we do at practice. Every game is a fight, every game is a championship game,” Saint Louis coach Tupu Alualu said. “Every day these kids come out and they fight.”

The Crusaders (4-2, 2-0) captured the ILH’s first round and will represent the league at the state tournament if they can win the second. If Punahou or Kamehameha wins the second round, Saint Louis would have a playoff with that team for the lone state berth.

The Buffanblu (2-4, 0-2) led 21-17 early in the fourth quarter, and the Crusaders were facing a fourth-and-2 from the Punahou 25. Saint Louis decided to use the hook-and-lateral for the first time this season.

Lopes hit slot receiver Kamrin Sanborn-Newo at the line of scrimmage and he pitched the ball back to Titan Lacaden, who advanced the ball 14 yards down the right sideline.

Lopes rushed for 10 yards and Tahlen Kekawa scored on a 1-yard plunge to put Saint Louis ahead 24-21 with 10:48 left in the game.

“We really just kept it for our star player Titan because he just gains yards every play. That play really helped us a lot,” Lopes said.

The Crusaders had an opportunity to extend the lead, but missed a 29-yard field goal with 7:06 to go.

Saint Louis got the ball back and executed another hook-and-lateral for an 11-yard gain to the Punahou 6. Kaeo Apduhan caught the ball on the left side and pitched the ball back to Kekawa. Tenari Maafala scored on a 1-yard run three plays later to make it 31-21 with 1:30 remaining.

“There were so many mistakes on our end that kept them in the game,” Punahou coach Nate Kia said. “It’s always going to come down to who’s going to execute the most and for us there were countless opportunities we had to execute both offensively and defensively that really cost us this game.”

Saint Louis’ Maafala and Kekawa combined for 26 carries for 113 yards, while Stytyn Lasconia caught five passes for 38 yards, Kekawa had five receptions for 30 and Lacaden had four for 37.

“I have a lot of weapons and I have to thank my receivers, my O-line and my running backs for just making it all happen,” Lopes said.

On the first possession of the game, a Buffanblu running back was stripped by Vincent Tautua and the Crusaders’ Magnus Ochoco recovered the ball at the Saint Louis 46.

The Crusaders cashed in with Makani Markle-Kane’s 30-yard field goal with 5:59 left in the first quarter.

Punahou took a 7-3 lead on the next possession on Hunter Fujikawa’s 25-yard pass to Donte Utu and Carson Beard’s PAT kick with 2:52 to go in the opening quarter. Fujikawa was 5-for-5 for 60 yards on the drive.

The Crusaders retook the lead at 10-7 on Lopes’ 5-yard quarterback keeper off the left side with 10:24 left before halftime.

The key plays of the drive were a 15-yard defensive pass interference penalty on third-and-6, which put the ball at the Buffanblu 17, and an encroachment penalty on fourth-and-2, which moved the ball to the 5. Lopes scored on the next play.

Punahou went up 14-10 with 19 seconds remaining before halftime on a 31-yard pass from Fujikawa to Zion White, who out-jumped a defender on the right side of the end zone. White, who is 6 feet 4, made a similar reception for a 48-yard gain earlier in the drive.

The Crusaders scored on the opening drive of the second half on Lopes’ 1-yard sneak, which put Saint Louis in front 17-14 with 8:03 left in the third quarter. The big play of the drive was a 50-yard completion to Exodus Brown, which moved the ball to the 2.

It was Brown’s only catch of the game. The Crusaders’ previous longest pass play went for 11 yards.

Punahou went ahead 21-17 with 3:07 left in the third on a pass from Fujikawa to the 6-foot-2 Utu, who out-leaped a defender to make the catch on the left side of the end zone. The drive was set up by a fumbled punt return by Saint Louis.

“We’re pretty varied, but those opportunities presented itself today so we took advantage of it,” Kia said of his tall receivers going up to catch passes.

Punahou’s Fujikawa completed 18 of 31 passes for 234 yards, and White caught five passes for 115 yards.

ILH DIVISION II

Damien 55, ‘Iolani 35AJ Tuifua threw eight touchdown passes, leading the Monarchs to a win over the Raiders. Tayvin Kahele, Wyatt Ho-Williams and Sylas Alaimalo all caught two touchdowns from Tuifua, who finished with 299 passing yards. Tuifua also threw touchdowns to Dayton Savea and Champ Buffet. Alaimalo carried 22 times for 134 yards to power the Monarchs (5-1, 3-0) on the ground, while Savea paced the Monarchs in receiving with six catches for 93 yards. Kekama Kane led the Raiders (3-4, 1-1) with 10 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and had kickoff return touchdowns of 85 and 99 yards.

SUMMARIES

CAMPBELL 40, KAPOLEI 23

At Campbell

Kapolei (3-1, 0-1) 7 7 9 0 —23

Campbell (4-0, 2-0) 12 14 7 7 —40

CAMP—Rusten Abang-Perez 24 pass from

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (run failed)

KAPO—Liatama Amisone 2 run (Larry McCarley kick)

CAMP—Tainoa Lave 70 punt return (pass

failed)

CAMP—Abang-Perez 4 pass from Sagapolutele (Jadyn Parker kick)

KAPO—Zayne Pasion 21 pass from Amisone (McCarley kick)

CAMP—Tyson Ball 30 pass from Sagapolutele (Parker kick)

KAPO—Chazz-Michael Kapahu 12 run

(McCarley kick)

CAMP—Zayden Alviar-Costa 84 kickoff return (Parker kick)

KAPO—Safety, Brystin Sansano tackled in

end zone

CAMP—Brystin Sansano 12 pass from

Sagapolutele (Parker kick)

RUSHING—Kapolei: Amisone 16-73,

Kapahu 10-58, Chase Camarillo 5-13.

Campbell: Sansano 10-74, Jesus Cervantes 2-11, Xyler Jarra 1-5, Sagapolutele

4-(minus 2), Team 1-(minus 31).

PASSING—Kapolei: Amisone 16-32-0-

165. Campbell: Sagapolutele 19-25-0-

203, Brayden Medeiros 1-1-0-10.

RECEIVING—Kapolei: Pasion 6-95,

Ikaika Viernes 4-39, Tristen Inay 3-23,

Nikko Smith 2-12, Kapahu 1-(minus 4).

Campbell: Abang-Perez 10-103, Alviar-Costa 7-64, Ball 1-30, Sansano 1-12,

Shaison Kupukaa 1-4.

SAINT LOUIS 31, PUNAHOU 21

At Alexander Field

Saint Louis (4-2, 2-0) 3 7 7 14 —31

Punahou (2-4, 0-2) 7 7 7 0 —21

STL—FG Makani Markle-Kane 30

PUN—Donte Utu 25 pass from Hunter Fujikawa (Carson Beard kick)

STL—Nainoa Lopes 5 run (Makena Kauai

kick)

PUN—Zion White 31 pass from Fujikawa

(Beard kick)

STL—Lopes 1 run (Kauai kick)

PUN—Utu 9 pass from Fujikawa (Beard

kick)

STL—Tahlen Kekawa 1 run (Kauai kick)

STL—Tenari Maafala 1 run (Kauai kick)

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Maafala 12-61,

Kekawa 14-52, Lopes 4-30, Titan Lacaden

1-2, Team 2-(minus 2). Punahou: Nelson

Aau 17-44, Dash Watanabe 1-(minus 2),

Fujikawa 2-(minus 4).

PASSING—Saint Louis: Lopes 23-28-1-

257. Punahou: Fujikawa 18-31-1-234.

RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Exodus

Brown 1-50, Stytyn Lasconia 5-38, Lacaden 4-37, Kekawa 5-30, Roxten Popa-Hernandez 2-30, Hashley Kingston Siliado

2-21, Maafala 1-20, Kaeo Apduhan 2-1,

Kamrin Sanborn-Newo 1-0. Punahou:

White 5-115, Utu 6-67, Sean Connell 3-27,

Watanabe 2-15, Drew Kinney 1-6, Aau

1-4.

WAIANAE 20, AIEA 9

At Radford

Waianae (2-3, 2-1) 0 7 0 13 —20

Aiea (3-2, 1-2) 7 2 0 0 — 9

AIEA—Hiki Kim Choy Keb Ahlo 1 run

(Dominic kick)

WAIN—Slater Kaleiohi 45 run (Brysen Ferreira kick)

AIEA—Safety

WAIN—George Mier 5 run (2-pt failed)

WAIN—Kaelb Rodriguez 9 interception return (Ferreira kick)

RUSHING—Waianae: Kaleiohi 8-70,

Alika Idica Jr. 20-65, Kingsten Keala 10-23,

Mier 5-14, Maximus Kahalewai Sapigao

1-6, Kaipo Lujan 1-(minus 4). Aiea: Kim

Choy Keb Ahio 12-45, Evan Mendoza 4-7,

CJ Ioapo 1-2.

PASSING—Waianae: Mier 4-10-1-43.

Aiea: Elijah Mendoza 3-10-3-23, Ev. Mendoza 11-20-0-76.

RECEIVING—Waianae: Caleb Watanabe

1-27, Kealohi 2-13, Hayven Pinson 1-3. Aiea:

Ezra Kila Spencer 5-46, Jhermie Cacpal

3-30, Kim Choy Keb Ahio 3-14, Ioapo 1-4,

Ansen Uejo 1-3, Kamuela Ohia Pratt 1-2.

DAMIEN 55, IOLANI 35

At Skippa Diaz Stadium

‘Iolani (3-4, 1-1) 7 14 7 7 —35

Damien (5-1, 3-0) 14 21 6 14 —55

DMS—Dayton Savea 29 pass from AJ Tuifua (Samuel Kawakami kick)

DMS—Tayvin Kahele 10 pass from Tuifua

(Kawakami kick)

IOL—Kekama Kane 85 kickoff return (Austin Dang kick)

DMS—Sylas Alaimalo 35 pass from Tuifua

(Kawakami kick)

IOL—Kane 17 pass from CJ Villanueva

(Dang kick)

DMS—Kahele 30 pass from Tuifua

(Kawakami kick)

DMS—Alaimalo 10 pass from Tuifua

(Kawakami kick)

IOL—Kane 13 pass from Villanueva (Dang kick)

IOL—Jones Vierra 4 run (Dang kick)

DMS—Wyatt Ho-Williams 15 pass from

Tuifua (kick failed)

DMS—Ho-Williams 32 pass from Tuifua

(Kawakami kick)

IOL—Kane 99 kickoff return (Dang kick)

DMS—Champ Buffet 4 pass from Tuifua

(Kawakami kick)

RUSHING—‘Iolani: Vierra 27-95, Villanueva 3-21, Keon Preusser 1-13, Kane 1-7,

Quincy Oka 1-2. Damien: Alaimalo 22-

134, Tuifua 4-22, Savea 1-9, Team 2-(minus 10).

PASSING—‘Iolani: Villanueva 21-35-0-

228. Damien: Tuifua 17-25-0-299.

RECEIVING—‘Iolani: Kane 10-132, Preusser 8-83, Tyger Hayashi 1-7, Vierra 1-4,

Justin Kauhane 1-2. Damien: Savea 6-93,

Kahele 3-63, Ho-Williams 3-60, Buffett

3-38, Alaimalo 2-45.

Also:

Mililani 42, Waipahu 17

Kahuku 21, Farrington 0

Roosevelt 27, Kalaheo 16

From Friday

Castle 23, Kaimuki 21

Waialua 67, McKinley 0

Moanalua 41, Kailua 28

Radford 63, Pearl City 22

Leilehua 26, Nanakuli 0

Kamehameha II 21, Punahou II 0