Special moments for special teams

The midway point of the prep football season is nearing, and for some it’s behind them.

But the one area that always merits attention and reps is special teams. When Punahou met Kamehameha on Saturday, it was a muffed punt return that gave Punahou a huge opportunity. Trent Sitar was Johnny on the spot, beating two Warriors for the loose football. On the next play, he scored on a touchdown pass from Larry Tuileta.

At Campbell, it was a fumble on a kickoff return by the home team that gave visiting Waianae an early break.

In the second half, the gift was returned when a punt snap sailed over Waianae’s punter, and Unity Kea Cambra recovered the fumble in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown in the Sabers’ 32-24 win.

Patient Kaumatule returns to form

It’s been a fairly long wait, but the patience of Punahou defensive end Canton Kaumatule was rewarded with a 24-0 win over Kamehameha on Saturday.

The 6-foot-7, 275-pound junior isn’t at top shape just yet, but he had enough legs to make a big play, leading the pass rush in a sack of Kamehameha’s elusive quarterback, Noah Sua-Godinet, on the final snap of the first half.

"The game started off really slow. I’m still working with the mechanics, but in the second half I felt more comfortable. I felt a lot more loose," he said. "It’s taking a little more time to come back full speed, but I’m really excited with what I did today."

Kaumatule’s teammates held down the fort in wins over Mililani (24-14) and Helix (Calif.) 10-6. Sua-Godinet’s agility and speed were concerns for Punahou’s defensive unit.

"He’s a good scrambler, he’s really athletic. It really was a challenge, especially for me. I’ve got to work on my conditioning," Kaumatule said.

"There’s always room for improvement."

Kaumatule is rated No. 1 by Rivals.com among defensive ends for the class of 2015.

Kamehameha’s defense also played well, but wore down as its offense struggled.

WEEKLY HONORS

Honor Roll

Football

Passing

>> Noah Brum, Kalani: Threw for a school-record 445 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-20 win over Roosevelt on Friday, leading the Falcons to their most points ever scored in a single game.

>> Ryder Kuhns, Saint Louis: Threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-13 win over ‘Iolani on Saturday.

>> Isaac Hurd, Campbell: Threw for a career-high 276 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more scores in a 32-24 win over Waianae on Friday.

>> Cody Lui-Yuen, Radford: Threw for 318 yards and five touchdowns with an interception in a 65-7 win over Waialua on Friday.

Rushing

>> Kai Mercado-Aiona, Waipahu: Scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with no time remaining to give the Marauders a 20-19 victory over Aiea on Saturday for their first OIA Red West win.

>> Mana Reis, Kapolei: Rushed for a career-high 104 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns in a 48-27 win over Leilehua on Friday.

>> Reno Abero, Pearl City: Became the first Chargers running back with a 100-yard game this season, totaling 134 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in a 50-7 win over Anuenue on Friday.

>> Wayne Taulapapa, Punahou: Grinded out 72 rushing yards and two touchdowns against a tough Kamehameha defense in a 24-0 victory on Saturday.

>> Thomas Leong, Kaiser: Scored four touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving and one on an 86-yard return on the opening kickoff — in leading Kaiser to a 70-20 win over Nanakuli, which is the most points scored in a game by the Cougars in the Prep Bowl and state championship eras.

>> Jared Rocha-Islas, Lahainaluna: Rushed for 156 yards and kicked four PATs in a win over Baldwin.

>> Bobby Lum, Hawaii Prep: Rushed for 189 yards on 27 carries in a win over Waiakea.

>> Makoa Filikitonga, Lahainaluna: 150 yards on the ground, including a highlight-reel 43-yard effort for a touchdown, in a win over Baldwin,

Receiving

>> Trevor Yamashita, Kalani: Became the third Falcons player in school history to top 200 receiving yards in a game, finishing with 201 on five catches against Roosevelt.

>> Keola Himan, Campbell: Caught three passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Waianae.

>> Pookela Noa-Nakamoto, Waianae: Posted his second 100-yard receiving game of the season with four catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns against Campbell.

>> Alapaki Iaea, Kamehameha-Hawaii: Eight catches for 153 yards in a win over Kealakehe.

Volleyball

>> Marissa Nakasone, Hawaii Baptist:  Had 25 digs to help HBA over St. Francis.

>> McKenna Rose Granato, Punahou: Had 17 kills, eight of them in the first set, in a win over ‘Iolani.

>> Jordyn Keamo, Mililani: 16 assists and five kills in a win over Pearl City.

>> Tiyana Hallums, Kamehameha: Dropped eight kills, including three in a row at the end of the second set, in a win over ‘Iolani.

Cross country

>> Vanessa Roybal, Mililani: The JV runner dusted the varsity field at Pearl City, winning in 19 minutes, 6 seconds for her second varsity win of the season.

>> Makai Clemons, Kalaheo: Won the Pearl City meet with a time of 15:45, the first Oahu runner to break 16 minutes this year.

>> Davis Kaahanui, Kamehameha: Won his second straight race with a time of 18:26.05 on his home course at Kamehameha.

Air riflery

>> Cameron Kon, Pearl City: Shot a 514.14 to lead the Chargers over Waianae on Saturday.

>> Brianna-Marie Hollister, Punahou: Shot a 271 to beat Sara Tashima of Sacred Hearts and contribute to a narrow win for the Buffanblu.

Bowling

>> Zoe Wang, Hawaii Baptist: Rolled 210 high game and 555 high series in a win over University at Hickam Lanes.

>> Jaren Apana, Moanalua: rolled a 222 game and 588 series to walk out of K-Bay Lanes with the best performance.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Adam Noga
Saint Louis running back
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior ran over ‘Iolani on Saturday, grinding out 208 yards on the ground for second on the school’s single-game rushing list since 1973. He also caught two passes for 48 yards. He scored four touchdowns.

TOP 10 POLLS

Voted on by coaches and media from around the state. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, eight for third, etc.