Everybody loves a touchdown and defense win championships.

But how much better is it when a defense not only stops an offense in the red zone, but scores off a turnover? Thanks to the long arms of imposing 6-foot-8 DeForest Buckner, Punahou has controlled potent offenses all season long.

The Buffanblu will have to bring that same defensive opportunism on Friday when they meet Baldwin in the Division I semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships. Punahou showed many times this year that it has the urgency and aggression to contain quick quarterbacks, which is what Baldwin has in playmaking quarterback Keelan Ewaliko.

In this play early in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title game nearly three weeks ago, Kamehameha drove to the Punahou 15-yard line and had third and 2. Punahou stayed with a three-man front every step of the way, but filled the gaps with defenders on a possible run by Kamehameha running back Bronson Barretto (20).

The difference between a first down and a turnover, essentially, was three-tenths of a second. As Kamehameha lined up in its pistol set, Punahou had Buckner (5) at left defensive end, over the right tackle. Buckner was flanked by linebackers Ryan Tuiasoa (13) and Zachary Hernandez (10), a 3-on-2 battle with Kamehameha right guard Conan Donahue (79) and tackle Kiha Sai (75).

In other plays, Barretto (20) could be a key blocker in this battle, but this time, he turned out to be the target for quarterback Nephi Stevens (5). On the snap, with just 2 yards needed to convert, Punahou’s pass rush permitted Stevens less than 2 seconds to execute. Barretto was uncovered, but the route took him an extra three yards beyond the first-down mark, into a crossing pattern by tight end Keoni Bush-Loo.

By the time Stevens let go of the ball, Donahue had picked up Tuiasoa, but Sai was left to handle both Buckner and Hernandez alone. Buckner surged through with a full head of steam and was airborne, deflecting the pass exactly 2 seconds after the snap. A fraction of a second earlier, say at 1.7 seconds, and it would’ve possibly been a first-down completion. But Buckner’s deflection turned the pass into a fluttering duck, intercepted over the middle by Timothy Kamana, who returned it 92 yards for the game’s first touchdown.

It was a bold call by both teams, and Buckner’s long arms made the difference — a possible 14-point swing — as Punahou went on to a 24-17 win.