Kamehameha and Punahou will walk in the footsteps of their ancestors for the 192nd meeting on the football gridiron between the two schools.
The sixth-ranked Warriors will visit the second-ranked Buffanblu at Alexander Field on Friday afternoon for the first time since 1931.
The teams, time and venue might be the same but almost everything else would have been almost unimaginable to the overflow crowd that witnessed the spectacle 88 years ago.
Kamehameha won that clash, 26-7, behind coach Bill Wise‘s stiff defense and new-fangled passing game with an unheard of 16 attempts to move the ball through the air. Reporters credited Kamehameha’s conditioning, claiming Punahou wilted under the hot sun and 83 degree temperature after a morning of threatening rain that never appeared.
Here is a look at the headlines for the run-up to the clash:
Tuesday: Danny Wise to play for Kam on Saturday
Wise sat out the previous week’s game because of a wrenched knee but declared himself fit after a rugged 2-hour practice with the team. The Warriors did not work on their passing game, but coach Bill Wise declared the Warriors ready for Punahou slinger Peanuts Kunihisa. Both coaches declared lineups for the upcoming game.
Wednesday: Kam is early favorite to beat Punahou
Punahou coach Ray Bohler announces that he will change his starting lineup, moving Keith Cruickshank into the first eleven for his performance in Tuesday’s practice. Back then coaches submitted lineups to both newspapers every day before a game. The Star-Bulletin’s Loui Leong Hop predicts plenty of passes in the game, judging by what both teams were working on in practice.
Thursday: Kams and Punahou finish grid training today
The teams hold their final practices and the Star-Bulletin declares that Kamehameha has a better second string and it might make a difference. A big factor in the Warriors being favored is that their starters outweigh Punahou’s by an average of nine pounds with the Warriors coming off the scale at 166 pounds and Punahou tipping it at 157. Kamehameha’s front wall outweighs Punahou’s by an average of 14 pounds. Kamehameha tackle Sam Wallace is the only starter over 200 pounds for either team, weighing in at 203.
Friday: Kam-Pun gridfest tomorrow doped to be a toss up
The betting line on Bethel Street moved to even for the contest after pep rallies by both schools. Punahou expects a capacity crowd of 10,400 (with tickets $1 each) and would consider adding more bleachers right until the morning of the game. The teams prepared by playing ‘touch’ football for an hour and a half before their respective pep rallies.
Saturday: Crowd of 10,000 sees Kam defeat Punahou at Alexander Field
Teddy Christopherson breaks off a 64-yard touchdown run, but Punahou is collared after that as the Warriors win the hyped contest 26-7. The stands were full with 10,400 people and more ‘manuwahi patrons’ watched the game for free on the rocky slope overlooking the field. One account had the attendance at 12,000. Punahou took to the ground but Kamehameha moved the ball through the air, earning a 93-0 advantage in yards in that category. The game dominated the front page of both papers, with the Honolulu Advertiser publishing a play-by-play of Red McQueen‘s radio broadcast on KGU.
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