Aafter a thrilling double overtime victory over Saint Louis last Friday night, Punahou has become the first unanimous No. 1 team this season in the latest Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10 football rankings released Monday.
The Buffanblu are No. 1 for the first time since the week leading up to last year’s state final, which Punahou lost to Mililani, 53-45. The Buffanblu had held the No. 1 spot for 26 consecutive weeks.
Punahou (6-0, 3-0 ILH) has come back from three double-digit deficits in its six wins this season. The Buffanblu trailed Del Oro (Calif.) 15-0 at halftime on the road before scoring 22 unanswered points to win by a touchdown. Ten days ago, Punahou trailed Kamehameha 17-7 after three quarters but rallied with 21 points in the final 12 minutes to stun the Warriors. Then on Friday, Punahou trailed 31-17 in the third quarter before rallying to force overtime and eventually defeat Saint Louis.
Punahou is 25-1 in its last 26 games.
Saint Louis dropped one spot to No. 2 but remains ahead of No. 3 Mililani, which has lost quarterback McKenzie Milton for at least 3-5 weeks due to a shoulder injury. The Trojans, despite losing 76-53 at Liberty High earlier this month, remain ahead of undefeated Kahuku, which has been ranked No. 4 every week this season.
The Red Raiders will play for the OIA Red title against Waianae on Saturday at Aloha Stadium. The Seariders have won six straight since losing to Kamehameha on opening weekend and jumped to sixth in the poll with the Warriors remaining fifth.
Kapolei jumped three spot to No. 7 after a 23-6 win over Farrington, which dropped to No. 9. Kailua is ranked eighth and Kapaa rounds out the list at No. 10.
The OIA wraps up regular season play in Division I this weekend with a lot still to play for. In case you missed it, here’s a look at the OIA playoff scenarios in both Division I and Division II.
| GIRLS VOLLEYBALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Updated: 10/23 | ||
| RANK | TEAM | VOTES |
| 1. | Kamehameha (10) | 100 |
| 2. | Punahou | 89 |
| 3. | KS-Hawaii | 80 |
| 4. | Moanalua | 67 |
| 5. | 'Iolani | 60 |
| 6. | Baldwin | 46 |
| 7. | Mililani | 34 |
| 8. | Mid-Pacific | 27 |
| 9. | Damien | 20 |
| 10. | University | 14 |
| FOOTBALL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Updated: 10/23 | ||
| RANK | SCHOOL | VOTES |
| 1. | Kahuku (10) | 100 |
| 2. | Miililani | 86 |
| 3. | Campbell | 81 |
| 4. | Punahou | 73 |
| 5. | Saint Louis | 53 |
| 6. | Kapolei | 50 |
| 7. | Konawaena | 40 |
| 8. | Farrington | 23 |
| 9. | Lahainaluna | 18 |
| 10. | Kamehameha | 8 |
Punahou has a nice, balance team. They have the best running back in the state.