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Since Saint Louis’ 21-point win over Kahuku two weeks ago, the debate has raged on about who should be No. 1 — the Crusaders or Punahou?
Well, how about Kamehameha?
The fourth-ranked Warriors staked their claim as the state’s best team by scoring 28 unanswered points in a 38-17 win over Saint Louis on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.
Kamehameha (4-0, 1-0) intercepted three Saint Louis passes in the fourth quarter, returning two for touchdowns.
Junior Josiah Lucas put the final touches on Kamehameha’s fourth win in its past five meetings against the Crusaders (2-1, 0-1) with a 70-yard interception return for a score to cap a 28-0 run.
Kamehameha is 4-0 for the first time since 2006.
"We were really upset because we believe that we’re No. 1 and we’re the team to beat," Lucas said. "I think we proved that here tonight."
The Crusaders became the second No. 1 team to lose in a wild first month to the season.
Junior Ryder Kuhns completed 13 of his first 19 passes before getting rattled in the fourth quarter.
He went 2-for-6 with three interceptions at one point and nearly had two more throws go to the other team as Kamehameha clamped down when it needed.
"That was all on us," Saint Louis coach Matt Wright said. "We made three bad passes in a row. Ryder was kind of off and their defense did some good things, but it came down to execution.
"We will see them again."
If the two teams meet again, it will have to be in the ILH playoffs, as Kamehameha took a big step forward in the race for the lone bye among the three Division I teams.
"(We) kept fighting and we knew we would get it turned around," first-year Kamehameha coach Doug Cosbie said. "When you play that kind of defense, you don’t have to do too much on offense."
Kainoa Simao and Brandon Kahookele combined for 148 yards on the ground and will have to carry the running game for the rest of the year.
Cosbie said junior Kaulana Apelu had knee surgery on Friday and will miss the rest of the season.
The Warriors had a huge advantage on the ground, totaling 184 yards on 42 carries while holding Saint Louis to negative-14 yards on 18 attempts.
"Our D-line is unbelievable," Lucas said. "They make our jobs as DBs so much easier and without them, we wouldn’t be able to perform this good."
Saint Louis took a 17-10 lead into the fourth quarter when the Warriors cut it to a point after Kahookele’s 2-yard run.
Senior Gavin Panui followed with a 37-yard interception return for a score to put the Warriors in front for the final time.
"Our D-line, I give them credit," Panui said. "They got into (Kuhns’) head."
Kuhns finished 18-for-32 for 291 yards and two touchdowns with three picks.
Drew Kobayashi had three catches for 134 yards and a score and Devan Stubblefield finished with seven catches for 59 yards and a TD.
Sophomore Noah Sua-Godinet was 12-for-17 for 108 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Kamehameha.
"Our quarterback is getting better every week and our receivers are starting to make plays," Cosbie said. "When we get jelled a little more, we’ll be able to be a little bit more balanced, but we do what we do well and that’s the way we’re going to keep doing it."
| KS (4-0, 1-0) |
0 |
7 |
3 |
28 |
— |
38 |
| Saint Louis (2-1, 0-1) |
0 |
10 |
7 |
0 |
— |
17 |
StL–FG Christopher Quinn 21
KS–Brandon Kahookele 13 pass from Noah Sua-Godinet (Noah Crabbe kick)
StL–Drew Kobayashi 68 pass from Kuhns (Quinn kick)
KS–FG Tyler Fitzsimmons 44
StL–Devan Stubblefield 4 pass from Kuhns (Quinn kick)
KS–Brandon Kahookele 2 run (run failed)
KS–Gavin Panui 37 interception return (Kaulana Werner pass from Sua-Godinet)
KS–Kahookele 2 run (Crabbe kick)
KS–Josiah Lucas 70 interception return (Crabbe kick)
RUSHING–Kamehameha: Kainoa Simao 16-87, Kahookele 18-61, Sua-Godinet 6-36, Pilemona Vaitai 1-3, team 1-(minus 3). Saint Louis: Adam Noga 7-4, Kaulana Vinoya 5-4, Raymond Caayon 1-1, Kuhns 5-(minus 23).
PASSING–Kamehameha: Sua-Godinet 12-17-1-108. Saint Louis: Kuhns 18-32-3-291.
RECEIVING–Kamehameha: Werner 4-34, Kahookele 3-24, William Young 3-22, Kayson Nakatsu 1-24, Chance Arakaki 1-4. Saint Louis: Stubblefield 7-59, Kobayashi 3-134, Allan Cui 3-43, Jordan Eugenio 3-11, Noga 2-44.
Damien 31, Pac-Five 14
Senior Syles Choy threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another as the Monarchs scored 24 unanswered points to notch their first ILH win since 2009.
Kepono Kawaakoa had four catches for 62 yards and a score, and Trevor Caspillo had 122 total yards of offense for the Monarchs, who snapped a 27-game losing streak in conference play.
Tsubasa Brennan had six catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns for Pac-Five, which had won its previous eight meetings against Damien.
Choy also rushed for 78 yards on 11 carries and completed 11 of 21 passes. Damien’s last ILH win prior to Friday night came in a 37-18 win over Word of Life on Sept. 18, 2009.
The Monarchs’ last win against a current ILH school came in a 20-14 win over Pac-Five on Oct. 30, 2008.
At Aloha Stadium
| Pac-Five (0-3, 0-1) |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
14 |
| Damien (2-1, 1-0) |
7 |
17 |
0 |
7 |
— |
31 |
DMS–DJ Aumua 2 run (Nicolas Angoco kick)
P5–Tsubasa Brennan 3 pass from Anthony Canencia (Sterliing Aponte kick)
P5–Brennan 31 pass from Canencia (Aponte kick)
DMS–FG Angoco 32
DMS–Kealii Kaanapu 14 pass from Syles Choy (Angoco kick)
DMS–Kepono Kawaakoa 20 pass from Choy (Angoco kick)
DMS–Choy 3 run (Angoco kick)
RUSHING–Pac-Five: Roycen Routt 1-37, Canencia 9-25, Jarrod Infante 5-9, Austin Silva 2-1, Reece Alvarado 1-0. Damien: Choy 11-78, Trevor Caspillo 3-40, Kawaakoa 13-36, Kaliu Lapera 10-32, Aumua 2-5.
PASSING–Pac-Five: Canencia 20-35-1-143. Damien: Choy 11-21-1-199.
RECEIVING–Pac-Five: Brennan 6-68, Alvarado 5-40, Routt 5-11, Sean Kinel 2-13, Infante 2-11. Damien: Kawaakoa 4-62, Caspillo 3-82, Kaanapu 2-29, Dylan Flores 2-26.
No. 8 ‘Iolani 35, St. Francis 0
Jordan Ross rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries to lead the Raiders over the Saints.
Ross scored on runs of 50 and 5 yards.
Easton Tsubata passed 23 yards to Keoni-Kordell Makekau for the first score, and Max Look returned a punt 55 yards for another TD as ‘Iolani built a 28-0 halftime lead. Brent Tonaki completed the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
At ‘Iolani
| St. Francis (1-2, 0-1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
0 |
| ‘Iolani (3-1, 1-0) |
21 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
— |
35 |
Iol–Keoni-Kordell Makekau 23 pass from Easton Tsubata (Jordan Genovia kick)
Iol–Jordan Ross 50 run (Genovia kick)
Iol–Max Look 55 punt return (Genovia kick)
Iol–Brent Tonaki 1 run (Genovia kick)
Iol–Ross 5 run (Genovia kick)
RUSHING–St. Francis: Ranan Mamiya 21-96, Taylor Wong-Monette 4-17, George Pakele 6-15, Maika Teal 4-7, Kelii Macalino 1-6, Blayne Won 1-2. ‘Iolani: Ross 12-131, Tonaki 9-18, Tsubata 1-2, Bailey Sylvester 1-(minus 1).
PASSING–St. Francis: Mamiya 4-17-2-52. ‘Iolani: Tsubata 5-7-0-71, Austin Jim On 4-5-0-95.
RECEIVING–St. Francis: Macalino 2-25, Nayton Koki 1-17, Teal 1-10. ‘Iolani: Makekau 4-64, Chase Kanekuni 2-71, Chad Hanaoka 2-33, Tyler Teruya 1-(minus 2).
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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM