No. 1 Crusaders have long wait ahead

Saint Louis' special teams unit stopped Baldwin's Kili Madrid from returning a kickoff in the fourth quarter of a game at Aloha Stadium. Photo by Jay Metzger/Special to the Star-Advertiser (Aug. 12, 2017)

After watching Saint Louis complete a second straight dominant performance, Crusaders coach Cal Lee was typically reserved in his initial evaluation of a 61-0 rout of Baldwin on Saturday.

“We gotta look at the film and see where we can get better,” Lee said as the Crusaders boarded the team buses at the top of the ramp leading out of Aloha Stadium’s north tunnel.

Whatever issues arise in reviewing the footage, the Saint Louis coaches will have ample time to address them before the Crusaders take the field again.


The Crusaders dispatched Waianae and Baldwin by a combined score of 110-7 heading into a 19-day break before opening ILH play against Kamehameha on Sept. 1.

Saint Louis dominated in all three phases on Saturday in its most lopsided win since a 73-6 win over Pac-Five on Sept. 6, 2013.

Chevan Cordeiro led the Crusaders on a 10-play scoring drive to open the game, finishing the 75-yard march with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson. Blocked punts by Kila Kamakawiwo’ole and Gino Quinones on Baldwin’s first two possessions led directly to touchdowns and Junior Wily (who scored on the second blocked punt) set up another score with an interception.

When Cordeiro scored on a 4-yard run on the final play of the first quarter, the Crusaders led 26-0 and were on their way to its fifth straight win in the series with Baldwin.

Cordeiro completed 10 of 17 attempts threw for 162 yards in one half of action and the Crusader defense held Baldwin to 44 yards of total offense.


Cordeiro’s numbers were comparable to the opener against Waianae when he went 10-for-16 for 153 yards and a touchdown.

“I wanted to improve on my reads and just being more accurate,” Cordeiro said of his takeaway from the Waianae win.

Maika Bonner took over in the third quarter and completed both of his throws, the second going to Tosh Kekahuna-Kalawe, who turned the short throw into a 48-yard touchdown on Saint Louis’ last pass attempt of the game.

The Crusader offense was on the field for just five plays in the third quarter with three going the distance. Kamo’i Latu set up a score with a 38-yard interception return to the Baldwin 1. Three Saint Louis running backs scored in the second half.

Baldwin made the day-trip to Oahu shorthanded with 13 players out, including “at least a handful” of starters, according to Bears coach Pohai Lee.

“We’ll be a lot different when we’re at full strength,” Lee said after absorbing the loss against his uncles across the way, Cal and Ron Lee.

Among the absences were the Bears’ top two quarterbacks — seniors Chayce Akaka and Isaiah Kusunoki — and Samiu Oto, normally a running back/linebacker/lineman gamely filled in behind center.

As the Bears lingered around the field, Lee hopes to return in November for the Division I state tournament.


“That is our goal, that’s why we brought them here,” Lee said. “For a lot of our guys (it was) the first time being in this stadium. It’s real fun watching them walking down that ramp in the north end zone.

“That’s our ultimate goal and first we have to win our division which is the MIL.”

COMMENTS

  1. Coach C August 13, 2017 1:00 pm

    The fourth quarter picture says it all. “Eh, you guys tackle each other for practice” says the coach.


  2. Cal Lee August 13, 2017 2:05 pm

    Will you bring on Kahuku already


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