LIVE BLOG: Punahou 26, Kamehameha 23, F

FIRST QUARTER
Punahou receives. Adam Stack touchback. Ephraim Tuliloa makes the start at QB.

Tuliloa has the Buffanblu moving despite a sack after a shotgun snap slipped through his hands. He completes four passes in a row including a 37-yarder on a deep post by Keala Martinson, who injures an ankle on the play. PUN ball at the KS 37.

Procedure call on third and 1 messes them up. Toner lines up for a 38-yard field-goal attempt, but the snap is low on the ground and the kick is low and wide left. Rare boo-boo by Punahou’s special teams.

Warriors driving but stalling out near the red zone. A reverse pass by Fatu Sua-Godinet is well-covered and he dumps the pass. Stack drills a 43-yard FG with much to spare. KS 3, PUN 0, 6:04

Buffanblu drive with a constant dose of short passes and occasional gives to RB Wayne Taulapapa. Tuliloa pump fakes right and launches a 34-yard TD pass to Ethan Takeyama. PUN 7, KS 3, 4:02.

Warriors drive almost effortlessly with a balanced attack, big pass from Justice Young to Kumoku Noa for 24 yards. Next play, RB Kanoa Shannon bursts up the middle for a 5-yard TD. KS 10, PUN 7, :58.

Tuliloa completed his first 12 pass attempts, and on the first play of the next series, he has a slotback open by 5 yards but overthrows him. Would’ve been a TD.

SECOND QUARTER
PUN drive stalls and they punt on fourth and 3 from the KS 47. Toner shanks the punt, just 12 yards.

KS drives to the 1, but gets stuffed on two run plays and can’t score on two lobs to Noa. Stack nails the 18-yard FG from the left hash. KS 13, PUN 7, 6:52.

Tuliloa hits Takeyama for a 40-yard gain, but the drive stalls. Fourth and 1, they insert a jumbo Power I set, but it has no burst and Taulapapa is gang tackled for no gain.

KS drives to the PUN 15 with a 45-yard bomb from Young to Noa, setting up a 32-yard field goal. That’s Stack’s third FG of the night. KS 16, PUN 7, 4:28.

Punahou commits two penalties on the ensuing kick return. Instead of first down on its 30, they start on the 8 and go nowhere. Punt is fair caught and KS starts again, this time at the PUN 47.

Short field. Young hits Noa again for 37 yards. They can’t stop him one on one. KS sets up a beautiful screen pass from Young to Koby Ford for a 5-yard TD. Untouched. KS 23, PUN 7, 1:11.

Buffanblu come out with a quick-hit attack as KS plays deep. Tuliloa chips away until they get to the KS 30, finally calling their first time out with :13 left. They’re setting up for a Toner FGA, right?

After the time out, Tuliloa takes a shot and connects with Eamon Brady. Tuliloa eludes a heavy pass rush (blitz) and lets Brady leap for the ball near the left pylon. He comes down with it, 30-yard TD play. Amazing. The PAT kick is blocked by DT Nakoa Pauole, a 6-foot-2, 270-pound junior. He came right up the middle and the ball ended up flailing to the right side of the end zone. KS 23, PUN 13, :05.

HALFTIME
Some amazing numbers.

At Aloha Stadium
Kamehameha (4-3, 1-3) 10 13 — 23
Punahou (7-0, 4-0) 7 6 — 13
KS—Adam Stack FG 43
PUN—Ethan Takeyama 34 pass from Ephraim Tuliloa (Jet Toner kick)
KS—Kanoa Shannon 5 run (Stack kick)
KS—Stack FG 18
KS—Stack FG 32
KS—Koby Ford 5 pass from Justice Young (Stack kick)
PUN—Eamon Brady 30 pass from Tuliloa (kick blocked)

RUSHING—KS:
#1 Jaykob Cabunoc 2-24
#22 Trever Kahunahana 1-4
#10 Young 5-24
#20 Shannon 8-31

PUN:
#16 Tuliloa 6-6
#34 Wayne Taulapapa 5-23

PASSING—KS:
#10 Young 14-21-0-202

PUN:
Tuliloa 27-32-0-276

RECEIVING—KS:
#7 Kumoku Noa 6-139
#1 Cabunoc 4-35
#15 Sundance Solatorio 1-7
#8 Fatu Sua-Godinet 2-16
#2 Ford 1-5

PUN:
#11 Brady 8-53
#80 Judd Cockett 9-60
#13 Keala Martinson 1-37
#21 Takeyama 7-111
#15 Cole Arceneaux 1-12
#34 Taulapapa 1-1

THIRD QUARTER
SACK by Punahou stops the Warriors for a three and out, but Stack spirals a towering punt that gets a positive bounce and is downed at the PUN 3-yard line. That’s an 83-yard punt.

PUN’s next series is a work of art. Quick, hurry-up mode. Kyle Yoshino‘s first reception of the game is a 16-yard TD toss from Tuliloa. KS 23, PUN 20, 3:10.

KS offense in a rut, relying heavily on Noa. Three and out, then the punt is partially blocked, 22 yards net. PUN ball at the KS 39. Prime opportunity.

Buffanblu drive to the KS 19, fourth and 1 and they’re going for it. Third-quarter clock runs out.

FOURTH QUARTER
Fourth and 1, Tuliloa and Taulapaa botch the handoff exchange and KS recovers the fumble. Huge break.

Three and out and another great punt by Stack. PUN moving again, but Takeyama fumbles after a 20-yard gain. Same guy with the fumble: DB Kainalu Martin. Another big break for the Warriors.

Pretty obvious they want a big hitter to Noa, but the last six throws to him have been incomplete. That’s 18 targets by Young of Noa in this contest. Now they’re mixing it up with screens again. Huge series for the Warriors. Holding on third and short with 8:25 left.

Spooky moment for the Warriors when the punt snap goes through Stack’s hands. He recovers quickly and sends out a 26-yard punt. PUN ball with 8:01 to play. Kamehameha’s defense not getting much rest in the second half, but they’re getting pressure on Tuliloa. Wesley Faagau sacks Tuliloa, Kamehameha’s third sack of the game.

Now another PUN WR is helped off. This time, its Brady, who couldn’t get to a Tuliloa throw. Key stop for the Warriors, but Kamehameha turns the ball over three plays later on a tipped pass.

PUN ball at the KS 25. They bring in the jumbo package, a version of the Power I, and after Taulapapa muscles his way for a 10-yard gain, Tuliloa hits Takeyama on a corner route for a 14-yard TD. Punahou takes the lead. But get this: Toner misses the PAT. That keeps KS within a field goal. PUN 26, KS 23, 4:15.

Touchback again. KS ball and Cabunoc drops a sideline bullet from Young. That could’ve gone the distance. Then it’s a low pass that Sua-Godinet can’t haul in. Tough one. Next pass to Noa is almost picked. PUN reading Young well now. The Buffanblu get another stop and they have the ball with 3:30 to play.

Taulapapa runs behind that jumbo set and picks up a first down. Now it’s third and 1 at the KS 40. Warriors burn their second time out with 2:47 to go.

Taulapapa picks up 3 yards for the first down, and now the Buffanblu slow down the pace and let the play clock run for the first time tonight. Kamehameha defense has been outstanding tonight, but couldn’t get enough help from its offense in the second half.

Second and 8. KS burns its final time out with 2:11 left.

KS stonewalls Taulapapa on third and 4. Loss of two yards. Ball at the 34, clock ticking below :50 and Punahou calls time out with :41 left. Big call here. Punt? Field goal? Go for the first down?

Toner skies a punt that’s downed at the 5. Kamehameha ball with :31 left.

Kamehameha goes three and out with incompletions. It’s a bitter end to the title hopes of the Warriors. They got this far on great defense, stellar special teams and an offense that was often explosive even with their third-string QB — who frankly would start for most teams anywhere in this state.

Punahou takes a knee to out the final seconds. They keep rallying for clutch wins. I’ve thought for an entire season that they haven’t done anything but win, and that’s what they did tonight. Kamehameha played a terrific game for a second week in a row and again, it was just a bit short.

At Aloha Stadium
Kamehameha (4-4, 1-4) 10 13 0 0 — 23
Punahou (8-0, 5-0) 7 6 7 6 — 26
KS—Ryan Stack FG 43
PUN—Ethan Takeyama 34 pass from Ephraim Tuliloa (Jet Toner kick)
KS—Kanoa Shannon 5 run (Stack kick)
KS—Stack FG 18
KS—Stack FG 32
KS—Koby Ford 5 pass from Justice Young (Stack kick)
PUN—Eamon Brady 30 pass from Tuliloa (kick blocked)
PUN—Kyle Yoshino 16 pass from Tuliloa (Toner kick)
PUN—Takeyama 14 pass from Tuliloa (kick failed)

RUSHING—KS: Jaykob Cabunoc 5-29, Trever Kahunahana 1-4, Young 9-18, Shannon 16-80. PUN: Tuliloa 11-29, Wayne Taulapapa 18-78.

PASSING—KS: Young 18-41-1-225. PUN: Tuliloa 41-52-0-442.

RECEIVING—KS: Kumoku Noa 7-141, Cabunoc 6-45, Sundance Solatorio 2-18, Fatu Sua-Godinet 2-16, Ford 1-5. PUN: Brady 8-53, Judd Cockett 14-100, Keala Martinson 1-37, Takeyama 14-215, Cole Arceneaux 1-12, Taulapapa 2-9, Yoshino 1-16.

***

PRE-GAME
No. 5 Kamehameha (4-3, 1-3 ILH) will be in its white uniforms, white helmet in tonight’s matchup with No. 1 Punahou (7-0, 4-0). The Buffanblu have arrived here at Aloha Stadium as of a few minutes ago (it is 4:46 p.m.) and are wearing their navy blue jerseys and pants with the navy blue helmets and traditional “O” logo decal.

Of course, Kamehameha has an edge in this sense tonight: One more loss eliminates the Warriors from title contention. So they’ve got that going for them. Not that Punahou is going to ease up on the gas pedal.

Update: 5:45 p.m.
We’re just 15 minutes from kickoff. A high school football game with a 6 p.m. kickoff. Nice.