They say the third time is the charm, but there wasn’t a whole lot to smile about for the Punahou Buffanblu in the midst of a Mililani rally.
No, there was a lot of tension and worry as the second-seeded Trojans rallied from a 20-point deficit to get within 28-22 late in the game on Saturday. Defensive back Joseph Augafa’s biggest play of the year, an interception with 58 seconds to go, ended the final Mililani threat as top-seeded Punahou prevailed to capture the Division I crown of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships.
"The season went by too fast, but definitely worth it. We finished strong," Augafa said.
The title game was a demonstration of inner fortitude for both teams. Punahou was on the ropes, taking shots from the Trojans, in the final quarter.
"I think we learned from the past couple of years what kind of mood you have to be in, and to play a steady game," quarterback Larry Tuileta said, referring to Punahou’s runner-up finishes in 2011 and ’12. "At halftime, we made our adjustments and we stayed calm. They had some momentum going into the second half, so we put the guys in the right state of mind."
It was a bone-crunching battle in the trenches, a labor of love for a Punahou squad that went 11-0 — arguably their finest, most balanced team since the advent of the state tournament. From the start, Mililani’s punishing front seven set out to shut down Punahou’s ground attack. The game plan worked: Buffanblu running backs slogged their way to 79 yards. Punahou’s total rushing yardage, including minus yardage on sacks: 47 yards.
Offensive balance was crucial. The Buffanblu took to the air, where Larry Tuileta passed for 265 yards and three first-half touchdowns to three different receivers. Mililani got a momentum boost with a touchdown pass from McKenzie Milton to Kalakaua Timoteo late in the first half, but the third quarter was a defensive stalemate.
Punahou put the game out of reach, seemingly, when Wayne Taulapapa scored on a 1-yard run for a 28-8 lead early in the fourth quarter. To that point, it looked a lot like Punahou’s 24-14 nonconference win over the Trojans on Aug. 15.
Mililani coach Rod York pulled out all the stops.
"You look at it, we tried everything," York said. "We on-side kicked. We fake punted. We went for it on fourth down. We did a fake reverse. And then we did a fly pass."
They did it twice, getting touchdown passes of 36 and 61 yards on fly sweep passes from Kainoa Wilson — who knew he could throw such a tight spiral on the run? — to Bronson Ramos. A failed fourth-and-1 run by the Buffanblu stunned the crowd in blue.
"We felt we could get that yard and I felt like I was watching USC and Texas for a while," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "They’re a great team. They don’t quit and they put extreme pressure on us. They’re well coached."
In the end, Mililani’s trickeration wasn’t enough, as Punahou came up with the stop it needed in the final minutes.
"We had to get something going. The kids fought and that’s all you can ask for as a coach," York said. "Credit to Coach Kale Ane and their staff and their football team. They’re really deserving of that No. 1 ranking. They held it all year long and defended it. They beat us twice in one year and they’re a hell of a team. It’s dangerous what they’re going to do next year and the year after that. They’re loaded. But I’m proud of my guys."
The future for both teams is bright, though both will lose key seniors to graduation. Tuileta, who fell just short of the 7,000-yard mark for his career, will play football and volleyball at the University of Hawaii next year. Offensive lineman Davis Miyashiro-Saipa‘ia, will also depart, along with run-stuffers in the linebacker corps, as well as Augafa.
The cupboard will hardly be bare, though. Taulapapa is only a sophomore and Noa is just a junior. Canton Kaumatule was a force once again, though he was ailing with shoulder and leg injuries before leaving in the second half. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound defensive end is only a junior.
"He hurt his knee a little bit. He only played three or four games for us, but he’s such a big impact. I’m very grateful for the way he never quits and puts the team first," Ane said. "I’m very proud of him."
Losing their seniors and their offensive maestro, Tuileta, won’t be easy.
"He’s a special kid. We’re all going to miss him. I’ll watch him play at UH and do well," Ane said. "I feel great for our whole program, especially our seniors. We’ll all sleep good tonight."
Taulapapa emerged as one of the state’s top players, heeding the words of his teammates.
"The seniors, they’re great leaders. I couldn’t ask for anything more," he said. "It’s a good thing we have Tuileta and great receivers."
They also had poise and camaraderie.
"This team is great. We’ve been more than a team. We’ve been a family," senior running back/tight end Kotoni Sekona said. "I don’t think this is the end. We’re going to continue our bond and our friendship forever. Even though the season is done, we still gotta finish. That’s our mentality."
The Trojans have plenty of young talent, too. Defensive lineman Rex Manu will return for his senior season. Quarterback McKenzie Milton and running back Vavae Malepeai are just sophomores. But they will lose 33 to graduation.
The Kaiser Cougars aren’t quite as young, but they’ll have plenty of time to celebrate their 17-7 win over Kauai. Their victory in the D-II final made it their first state championship, though they have a Prep Bowl win over Kamehameha in 1979.
Their best weapons were mostly on defense and special teams in the title game.
Linebacker Fitou Fisiiahi and defensive linemen Derek Costa are seniors. Two more seniors came through with the play that vaulted Kaiser ahead. Defensive back Melvin Kahunanui came up with the loose ball for the go-ahead touchdown after a blocked punt by Canaan Saole.
Thomas Buntenbah-Leong was stonewalled by Kauai’s relentless defense, but the Red Raiders lost lots of real estate by kicking and punting away from the speedster. Quarterback Kahoalii Karratti will also graduate. In all, 26 seniors will depart from Kaiser, mission accomplished.
"They were legit, physical," Fisiiahi said of the Red Raiders. "We killed ourselves in the beginning with penalties. We were down, but we told each other to keep our heads up. Same thing as last week, we came back. We’re a second-half team."
Cougars coach Rich Miano has guided his team to a 20-4 mark since returning to his alma mater, including 13-1 this fall.
"We’ve come a long way in two years, but we’ve got a lot of young players. We’ve got to continue to get better to be a Punahou or Mililani and all these other teams. We just want to challenge ourselves to get to the highest level," Miano said.
Kauai’s perfect season came to an end, its first loss after 10 wins in the quest for a first football state crown. Nineteen seniors, including defensive lineman Frederick Astrologio, center Devan Ferreira (6-4, 320) and running back Reggie McFadden, will be gone in 2014.
"These kids, they’re small, they’re scrappy, they’re tough," first-year Kauai coach Tommy John Cox said. "Now we take a little break and see what happens next year."
