He wakes up thinking football.
He goes to bed thinking football. Cal Lee probably dreams football, too.
“It’s on your mind. You just can’t shut it off,” the longtime Saint Louis head coach said on Wednesday morning as he had breakfast, a bacon smokehouse burger from McDonald’s. “Your concentration, you can’t help but think about it, things we can try to do to get better. You get ideas. You just toss it around to see if it would work.”
In a parallel universe, perhaps No. 1 Saint Louis and No. 2 Punahou compete in the final game of the season for the state title. Instead, on Saturday, the nationally ranked Crusaders (8-0, 7-0 ILH Open) and the Buffanblu (7-2, 5-2) are in elimination mode at Aloha Stadium. The winner will be crowned Open Division champion of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. The loser is done for the year.
They last met on Sept. 15, a 35-28 win for Saint Louis. Since then, the unbeaten Crusaders have beaten Kapolei 30-22 with backup quarterback Connor Apo, and then rolled over Campbell 55-7, Farrington 72-6 and Kamehameha 42-7.
Saint Louis hasn’t been content with its 23-game win streak. The previous battle with Punahou was the first time junior quarterback Jayden de Laura seemed mortal.
“They’ve adjusted some things that are interesting. (De Laura) is still a dual threat. They’re running the ball a little bit more. They’re trying to be more balanced,” Punahou coach Kale Ane said.
Indeed, de Laura has thrown the ball less than 20 times per game: 95-for-135, 1,643 yards, 16 TDs and six interceptions. That’s a 70 percent completion rate and an incredible passer rating of 202.82 — higher than what Marcus Mariota had as a senior. As a team, the Crusaders have 188 pass attempts and a whopping 214 rush attempts.
Dayton Sam (444 rushing yards, six TDs) and Robbie Paikai (262, seven) have been pillars of the ground attack. De Laura has run for 234 yards and five TDs, averaging 5.4 per yards per carry. But it’s when and why that matter to the Crusaders.
“You go through the season. You get your ups and downs. You always learn and become a better football player,” Lee said. “Defensively, (Punahou) makes it tough to throw the ball, even with a three-man, four-man rush. They’re pretty active defensively, some quick guys who make plays.”
The last team to beat Saint Louis? Punahou triumphed 33-20 on Sept. 29, 2016, containing the Crusaders and a future Heisman Trophy candidate by the name of Tua Tagovailoa.
It won’t be easy scoring on Punahou, at least on paper, not with 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker Maninoa Tufono (USC commit) and roving safety Marist Liufau. Punahou has permitted just 28 points in four games since the loss to Saint Louis, including shutouts against Waianae and Kamehameha. Liufau has prospered as a playmaker with a long leash.
“You want to give your players the opportunity to think, react and anticipate,” Ane said. “You have discipline within the structure, and you figure it out as part of the equation. The risk-to-reward always needs to be in your favor. Marist is a special athlete who can do all the things you want on the field, and he’s smart, as well. We’re happy with him.”
Safety Alaka‘i Gilman and linebacker Trent Shiraki have returned turnovers for touchdowns in recent games. It’s a defense that is peaking at the right time.
Saint Louis’ cornerstone defense gets relentless effort from Faatui Tuitele (39 scholarship offers), Gino Quinones (USC commit) and Stanley McKenzie up front. Jordan Botelho (10 offers) leads a talented linebacker crew.
“I’d say Saint Louis’ front seven is one of the best in the country,” Ane said.
Punahou quarterback Hugh Brady is willing to take a hit in exchange for a deep ball to one of his swift receivers. Brady has passed for 2,309 yards and 26 TDs with just nine picks in 288 attempts. His completion rate, 56 percent, is relatively low for a QB in a four-wide attack, but at 8 yards per attempt, Punahou still reaps the rewards.
RBs Vincent Terrell (542 yards, three TDs from scrimmage) and Sitiveni Kaufusi (306, four) give Punahou an unofficial fifth receiver at any time. Punahou’s receiving corps is also at peak-performance level. Koa Eldredge (37 receptions, 715 yards, 10 TDs) continues to make every possible kind of grab, and Tamatoa Falatea (61, 914, nine) gets a cushion from almost every cornerback, thanks to his straight-ahead explosiveness.
A key difference-maker could be Punahou senior Tim Horn, a commit to Washington. Horn’s punting distance gave his team a plus-10.7-yards average against Kamehameha last week. His touchback kickoffs also limited the Warriors to an average starting point at their 25-yard line, another steep advantage for Punahou.
Lee and Ane have put decades into the game, coaching and mentoring. Teaching young assistants the nuances and enhancing their passion for the game.
“It’s kind of an obsession, yeah. Can’t help it, you know,” Lee said. “It’s a lot at stake, not just the game. You want to do well for the boys. That’s all part of it.”
NO. 1 SAINT LOUIS CRUSADERS (8-0) VS. NO. 2 PUNAHOU BUFFANBLU (7-2)
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: Aloha Stadium
TV: None
Radio: None
Series record (since 1973): Saint Louis leads 66-28-1
Memorable meeting: Punahou snapped a 28-year drought between ILH football championships on Nov. 14, 2005, when the Buffanblu shut out the Crusaders 14-0. Punahou held Saint Louis to a season-low 111 total yards and got two touchdown passes from quarterback Brett Kan. The game was played with eight-minute quarters as Saint Louis had to play a tiebreaker against Kamehameha five days earlier.
OIA OPEN DIVISION SEMIFINAL
Kahuku at Campbell, Today, 7:30 p.m.
When No. 4 Campbell (7-3, 4-1 OIA Open) rallied to stun Kahuku 28-27 three weeks ago, there was ample reason to believe the two teams would meet again in the playoffs.
No. 5 Kahuku (6-3, 3-2 OIA Open) gets a chance to redeem itself. It was a botched point-after conversion, set up by an injury to the regular holder, that made the difference on Oct. 6. Another key: Campbell WR/DB Titus Mokiao-Atimalala. The sophomore played on defense for the first time, and caught nine passes for 147 yards, including a 29-yard strike from Krenston Kaipo with 19 seconds left.
Kahuku was depleted that night, missing key defenders. Among them was LB Miki Ah You, who is out for the season (knee).
“We’re not done yet,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said after the game. “We all have to accept responsibility. We know we’re going to see the same teams come playoff time.”
The Red Raiders rushed for 241 yards on a whopping 51 carries in the first battle.
OIA OPEN DIVISION SEMIFINAL
Farrington at Mililani, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Hanging on by a thread, Farrington (2-8, 1-4 OIA Open) needed losses by Kapolei (at Kahuku) and Waianae (to Campbell). Then the Governors needed to win a coin flip with Kapolei and Waianae to grasp the final playoff berth.
Now the Govs are exactly where they want to be: facing the only unbeaten team in OIA Open action. It’s a Cinderella scenario for Farrington, which lost at Mililani 57-15 in Week 2. The experience of 6-2, 240-pound QB Chris Afe-Alaivanu will be crucial against a quick, swarming Mililani defense. The Govs will look to Samsen Tanuvasa (342 yards, four TDs) and Raymond Millare (combined 730 yards, nine TDs) to move the chains.
No. 3 Mililani (7-2, 5-0) has simply dominated, outscoring league foes 231-46, a game average of 46-9. Dillon Gabriel has rarely been satisfied with his personal performance, but the ground-level facts are these: The senior has thrown only four interceptions in nine games and 351 attempts. With defenses often cornering Mililani’s RPO attack, Gabriel has operated succinctly. RB Kilifi Malepeai (331 yards, eight TDs) has been used more often lately as a pass catcher.
The extension of high-percentage choices extends to Ryan Chang (40 catches, 565 yards, five TDs), Maka Hill (31, 495, nine), Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi (32, 392, four) and Reichel Vegas (23, 391, three).
DT Mykah Tuiolemotu and LB Darius Muasau (6-1, 225) spearhead the defensive unit.
OIA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP
Waipahu vs. Castle, Today, 7:30 p.m., Aloha Stadium
The OIA D-I championship game pits teams that defied convention last week. No. 10 Waipahu (7-4, 5-2 OIA D-I) surprised Leilehua 29-6, using a well-used recipe for success: give the ball to Alfred Failauga. The junior has endured an injury-plagued year but bounced back with 187 yards on a season-high 29 carries. The Black Flag also enjoyed a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown by Branson Jay Reyes and a pick-6 by Deacon Kapea.
Waipahu’s defense limited Leilehua’s normally explosive offense to 160 total yards.
Castle (5-6, 4-3) baffled Moanalua in a 28-14 upset, relying on a sticky 3-3-5 defense that confounded Na Menehune’s passing game. Raiden Wong led a swarming attack.
The Knights also got another magnificent offensive effort from their corps of ground-and-pound blockers. The elephant formation opened holes for senior Senituli Punivai, who rushed for 231 yards and two TDs.
OIA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
Kaimuki vs. Roosevelt, Today, 5 p.m., Aloha Stadium
When the teams met on Aug. 17, Kaimuki (8-2, 7-0 OIA D-II) escaped with a 13-10 win. One team has a different approach now, however.
One of the common threads for many teams in the OIA playoffs is the ability to go into chameleon mode. Kaimuki’s first-year starter, Jonah Fa‘asoa, had a 435-yard game against Kaiser on Aug. 17, but when the teams reunited for last week’s semifinal round, the Bulldogs went to an elephant set. With two, and sometimes three, blocking backs on the move, Naomas Asuega-Fualaau had an amazing 223-yard rushing night.
With just 23 players in uniform, Kaimuki opted for the logical path, chewing up clock and keeping its defense — and two-way iron men — rested as much as possible.
Conversely, Roosevelt’s option attack could have the same effect on Kaimuki’s defense. Sky Ogata had another superb performance in a 23-7 win over Pearl City. In 11 games, Ogata has accumulated 1,691 yards and 20 TDs from scrimmage with only four interceptions thrown for the Rough Riders (9-2, 6-1).
Mitchell Camacho (667 yards, two TDs), Mika Kukahiwa (354, five) and Ogata have combined for 268 carries, or 73 percent of Roosevelt’s rushing attempts.
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Paul Honda, Star-Advertiser
