Crusader duo too much for Pac-Five
Pac-Five had a golden chance to capitalize on a Saint Louis mistake and go up early on one of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu’s power teams.
Turned out to be fool’s gold.
The Wolfpack couldn’t capitalize and Crusaders quarterback Marcus Mariota hit Duke Bukoski for three touchdowns in a 35-6 Saints win yesterday at Aloha Stadium.
Except for that first sequence, when a bad snap forced down the knee of the Saint Louis punter on his own 11, it was an efficient evening for the No. 2 Crusaders (6-1, 4-0 ILH). Pac-Five (1-5, 0-3) missed a 23-yard field goal wide and wouldn’t taste the red zone again until its final drive.
"We came out a little sluggish, but it’s a tribute to our guys, they kept at it and made the plays," Crusaders coach Darnell Arceneaux said. "That’s good to see (Mariota and Bukoski) kind of get off. … Duke needs that kind of breakout game. He’s played some other good games, but it’s just for the receiver and quarterback, you’ve got to have that combination of being on the same page."
Mariota went 15-for-21 for 160 yards and four scores in less than three quarters of work. Bukoski, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior, tore up the Wolfpack with six catches for 113 yards, including a demoralizing scoring blow on the Pack in the second quarter.
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The Wolfpack succeeded in stopping the Saints in their own territory midway through the second period, only to be drawn offsides by the Crusaders punt formation, giving up the first down.
Mariota hit Bukoski in stride along the left sideline for the 59-yard score two plays later for a 21-0 lead.
"We had a good warmup, and had good focus on what we had to do," Bukoski said. "I think this is one of the best games that (Marcus and I) had. … This game was just a booster for me."
The Wolfpack were a pass-heavy threat in recent seasons behind departed slinger P.J. Minaya, but they’ve been a far cry from that lately. Pac-Five dropped its fifth straight game since winning its opener vs. Kaiser. Its quarterbacks completed just eight passes and were intercepted four times yesterday. Saints senior defensive back Kalei Contrades had two of the picks.
Wolfpack coach Kip Botelho is staying as patient as possible with starting signal-caller Jack Foster, a junior. But it was a struggle as he was picked twice in the first quarter and went 8-for-23 for the game. The Pack went to a wildcat-type formation with back Darius Anderson in the second quarter, but that also failed to produce much.
"Offensively, we’ve just got to get better," Botelho said. "(Foster) was struggling. We had to try something else. But that can only go so far … we don’t want to kill Darius. Like anything else, Foster’s got to get experience."
Saint Louis (6-1, 4-0) | 14 | 14 | 7 | 0 | — | 35 |
Pac-Five (1-5, 0-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | 6 |
StL–Duke Bukoski 18 pass from Marcus Mariota (Aaron Goo kick)
StL–Derek Nakasato 38 run (Goo kick)
StL–Bukoski 59 pass from Mariota (Goo kick)
StL–Joshua Tupua 3 pass from Mariota (Goo kick)
StL–Bukoski 7 pass from Mariota (Goo kick)
P5–Alakai Kealoha 2 run (no kick)
RUSHING–Saint Louis: Nakasato 10-71, Kaeo Aliviado 2-29, Mariota 3-23, Kamana Pimental 3-10, Kala McShane 3-4, Kawai Mook-Garcia 2-0, Team 2-(minus 7). Pac-Five: Darius Anderson 9-27, Tyler Watkins 3-13, Kealoha 3-6, Chalson Baitlon 1-3, Landon Burkhart 1-0, Ryan Alvarado 2-(minus 1), Team 1-(minus 17).
PASSING–Saint Louis: Mariota 15-21-0-160, Mook-Garcia 6-9-0-62. Pac-Five: Jack Foster 8-23-2-64, Jordan Doi 0-2-2-0, Anderson 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING–Saint Louis: Bukoski 6-113, Tupua 5-35, Aliviado 4-18, Troy Taylor 1-16, Jeremy Tabuyo 1-13, King Patrocinio 1-11, Pimental 1-9, Jared Tomaszek 1-7, Goo 1-0. Pac-Five: Everett Kim 4-38, Kealoha 2-10, Kellen Nakamoto 1-12, Doi 1-4.
No. 10 Kamehameha 28, Damien 6
The Warriors scored 28 unanswered points after the winless Monarchs took a Kamehameha fumble the other way for a score on the Warriors’ first play from scrimmage.
Damien ended its four-game scoreless streak on a 10-yard return by linebacker Austyn Flores, but Kamehameha stopped the slide that mattered: a three-game losing skid.
"(That was easy) to come back from," Kamehameha coach David Stant said. "It happened early, so we just told the guys to keep their heads up."
Kamehameha wore down Damien with 133 combined yards on the ground from DJ Kawewehi and Tyler Meditz.
Warriors quarterback Christian Akana had 98 yards passing and two touchdowns, one on the ground and one in the air.
Stant estimated it was his team’s best game offensively, but they were still "nowhere close" to standing toe-to-toe with Punahou next week.
At Aloha Stadium
Kamehameha (3-3, 1-2) | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | — | 28 |
Damien (0-6, 0-3) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 |
DMS–Austyn Flores 10 fumble return (kick failed)
KS–DJ Kawewehi 5 run (Drew Honda kick)
KS–Brandon Akiona 20 pass from Christian Akana (Honda kick)
KS–Akana 1 run (Honda kick)
KS–Tyler Meditz 10 run (Honda kick)
RUSHING–Kamehameha: Kawewehi 13-72, Meditz 17-61, Jacob Makaiwi 5-16, Tristan Peterson 1-13, Nephi Stevens 1-6, Noah Mataele 1-4, TEAM 1-(minus 26). Damien: Dustin Lungay 5-29, Dylan Yonamine-Baysa 4-4, Bronson Kauleinamoku-Chun 9-(minus 1), TEAM 1-(minus 2), Alan Mohika 5-(minus 9).
PASSING–Kamehameha: Akana 5-12-0-98, Makoa Camanse-Stevens 2-6-0-22, Stevens 2-2-0-12. Damien: Mohika 6-14-0-69.
RECEIVING–Kamehameha: Keanu Rueike 4-50, Akiona 3-70, Kili Watson 1-8, Keanu Haina 1-4. Damien: Kauleinamoku-Chun 3-23, Daylan DeMello 2-51, Rusty Kauahikaua 1-(minus 5).