Cal Lee had seen enough.
“Hey guys, go to the bus. It’s 12 o’clock! Let’s go!”
The clock struck midnight and Cinderella was nowhere to be seen. Saint Louis’ breathtaking 64-44 win over Punahou on Friday night verified so many things, answered so many questions. One clear answer: the Crusaders are top dog in the ILH, bringing the haymakers on offense and — when they needed it most — defense. It was Hagler and Hearns, gridiron style,
For Lee, now in the third season of his third go-round as Saint Louis head coach, it is time to leave this house of memories and get back to campus, roughly four hours after Saint Louis and Punahou began their heavyweight showdown. Lee never stops coaching. As his Crusaders and the Buffanblu met after the game to shake hands, his eyes were on the two teams that had played a monumental game, at least statistically. They combined for nearly 1,200 yards of total offense and 108 points. (Billy Hull dissected the many amazing details in his By the Numbers post this morning.)
It was an offensive laboratory on synthetic turf, points racking up pinball-wizard style as slightly mad geniuses on both sides tested out the old and the new elements of their playbooks. Even in the final two minutes, offensive coordinator Ron Lee, architect of stupendous four-wide offenses at Kaiser, and then Saint Louis, over the past four decades, could be heard reacting out in the Crusaders’ coaches’ box. Always discerning, still coaching hard with a sizable lead, he seemed almost happy.
Putting 64 points on the board had to be satisfying to some extent for the longtime OC. For brother Cal, well, even in a 20-point win over a major rival in the ILH, there’s no gratification. Not after just two league games. Not as a defensive coordinator and winningest coach in state history.
“I thought it was a helluva game, but I don’t think it was one of our better games. You know what I mean? We put some points on the board, but we had holding, we had penalties, you know? We’ve got to play better,” the head coach said, marching into the mauka tunnel of Aloha Stadium. “We’re going to play these guys again. You’ve got to try and get better. That’s all there is to it.”
Defensively, his Crusaders gave up 30 points in the first half. For a long stretch, Punahou’s offense seemed unstoppable. Nick Kapule was on his way to an ILH-record breaking 495-yard passing night. But the points dried up after a second-half opening drive as Saint Louis came up with two turnovers. Rick Sandry forced a fumble, recovered by Isaiah Tufaga near midfield. Kai Kaneshiro came up with a key interception as Kapule faced a fierce pass rush. It was four D-linemen against one of the state’s best O-line groups. Trench battles titled toward the Crusaders after intermission.
Saint Louis had linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia on the field during the crucial comeback in the second half, still not quite 100 percent. Safety Justin Saole, also cleared to play, made his season debut after surgery in early August to repair a broken clavicle. Both defenders gave Saint Louis major boosts in pass coverage. Down 36-28, the Crusader defense, even on a record night by Kapule, turned the game around and sparked a 36-0 run.
Lee nodded when Slade-Matautia and Saole came up in conversation. When there are general offensive or defensive corrections to be made, he gets right to the point. But when he’s proud of the heart and guts of his defensive guys, there aren’t many words. The nod says it all.
“They wanted to play,” he said.
First place in the ILH now belongs to the team in navy blue and red from Kalaepokahu. The chess match between Lee and Kale Ane will resume in three weeks, Sept. 29.
“You’ve got to give them credit, too. They went out there and moved the ball on us. They’re a good football team,” Lee said. “Thank the Lord that we came through. Honestly, it could’ve gone either way. Offensively, I feel good about what we did, but we can become better. We’re still looking to play a perfect game yet.”
EH CAL. COME OUT NORTH SHORE AND WE SHOW YOU ONE PERFECT GAME.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA
RR4L! HATE US CUZ YOU AINT US BRUH! ENEMENIES OF THE STATE!!!
Keyboard warrior!!!lol unreal dat kine!!!
@808 RR4L let me tell you there is no perfect game in the north shore. You are one dimesional. Let see what you going to do next week against BG. The Raiders can get away with their Jumbo package in Hawaii because they are bigger and faster than everyone. When a team is overmatch that’s the only way you can get away with that shenanigans you call offense. But 88 still believe they are going to shock the world. I’m calling it right now the Raidaz will get blown out next week.
TuaMan is awesome. Lucky we get to witness this talent.
I seriously doubt 808 rr4l is a Kahuku fan. Just trolling. Too easy to do that on these forums.
Good luck to Kahuku next week. Gorman is an amazing program, but we ain’t scared to play anybody.
@Leeboy: keep drinking your haterade. Lol.
And by YOUR OWN WORDS you just admitted that Big Res is better than St LuLu!! HAHAHAHAAAAA!! Chupit boy. Make sure you’re still in here posting after the BG game k?
@Homegrown. I agree. Except that we’ve been witnessing talent in Hawaii for decades. Just now getting national recognition. BG has at least 4 island boys STARTING! That says it all right there.
With the Kahuku schedule it’s easy to get a perfect game, no competition on your schedule, now let’s see how perfect Kahuku is against Bishop Gorman. Talk to me next Sat. Evening after the game.
@ilh. More haterade. Lol!
Just worry about your St LuLu. Because i garontee that when they get dosed by us (again) we won’t be rushing only 3 D lineman all game like Puns did.
Who does that vs the undisputed #1 double-threat QB in the NATION?? Puns DC better bring 6 next time and trust his secondary.
Who has hands down the best defensive secondary in the state? Yeah. Don’t forgot.
Keep cheering for BG you ILH fans. Cuz cheering for an ILH team to beat Big Red is a fruitless endeavor. So pathetic you not supporting the STATE representative next week. Go drown your (future) sorrows now and just accept another red raider championship.
RRFL!!
808 rr4l, is that little skinny beach boy playing his ukulele at sandy beach, lol local boyz dont kno nothing bout them red raiders
Same guys crying about Kahuku Football.
What’s next??
EH, SKINNY LITTLE FAFA UKULELE BOY NAMED 87, I STARTING FOR PITY YOU FOR REAL. I TOLD YOU FOR STOP PROJECTING YOUR INSECURITIES ON ME LADAT. YOU SEEM STUCK ON THIS “SKINNY UKULELE BOY AT SANDYS” THING. HE YOUR BOYFRIEND OR SOMETHING? HE WENT BREAK YOUR HEART LONG TIME AGO??
PLEASE STOP PROJECTING UCE AND GO GET HELP FOR YOUR HEARTBREAK.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!
RR4L! HATE US CUZ YOU AINT US BRUH! FOOTBALL NOT SCHOOLBALL! ENEMINES OF THE STATE!!!
ilh: Would you be able to describe a perfect game? There’s no such thing as a perfect game in football. If you’re saying that Kahuku got an easy schedule, I could say the same for St Louis’s schedule… no competition, boring for the players and coaches…having to play each other twice and bye for couple of weeks. Reason that the ILH are all in favor for an ILH/OIA alliance. The perfect game that Cal Lee is dreaming about is to beat Kahuku. That is his dream of a perfect game
hahahaha skinny local bradda 808RR4L, what a poser, u not even from kahuku but you are welcome to ride your loud moped down this side anytime skinny little local brada! hhhaaaawwaaaaiiiiaaaannnn!