As of Saturday afternoon it appeared Ana wouldn’t get close enough to Oahu to cause major damage. But the threat of the storm forced evacuation of Saturday’s schedule and created a Friday night lineup of Hawaii high school football match-ups unprecedented in mass appeal and intrigue.
The Interscholastic League of Honolulu playoff games scheduled for Saturday were moved up to Friday. Saint Louis vs. Kamehameha is always a big game, and when combined with the Oahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinal playoffs made for what appeared to be a tasty five-course menu.
But most of the favorites took care of business and won with relative ease. Only one game — Campbell vs. Leilehua — was decided by one score or less. The Sabers came back from a touchdown deficit at halftime to win 20-14 and advance to the semifinals against Mililani.
Campbell coach Amosa Amosa is one of the best around. But is there anyone outside of Ewa Beach who believes the Sabers have a chance against the juggernaut Trojans? They handled Kaiser with ease, 54-14.
The general consensus is Mililani is a cut above everyone else except Punahou, and Punahou is a cut above everyone, including Mililani.
The Trojans appear to be unstoppable and on a collision course with the Buffanblu for a replay of last year’s state championship won by Punahou.
Only one opponent has held unbeaten Mililani to fewer than 41 points, and that was only because McKinley didn’t take the field and lost a 2-0 forfeit.
The Buffanblu had a bye Friday and play the Crusaders for the ILH title this week. Saint Louis has improved steadily with the emergence of its sensational sophomore quarterback; OK, I’ll go ahead and mention Tua Tagovailoa and Marcus Mariota in the same sentence.
Because of its regular-season league championship, Punahou gets another chance if it loses to Saint Louis.
Another Punahou, though, is done for the season, the result of Kahuku beating Kapolei 9-0. But the story of Noah Punahou Mahelona will resonate for years to come.
The Kapolei sophomore’s father, Phillip-John Mahelona, suffered a heart attack in the stands and died when the Hurricanes played at Kahuku on Aug. 14 in the season opener.
Upon their return for Saturday’s playoff game, the Hurricanes placed a dozen red roses where "Big John" watched his son play for the final time.
The players also all wore red wristbands in honor of the Mahelona family.
In the game, the 6-foot, 305-pound Mahelona held the point of attack capably against Kahuku, but the Red Raiders were just a bit better.
"It was emotional. It’s tough when you’re not ready to call it a season and it ends that way," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "But the kids all really pulled together for Punahou. He’s such a beloved kid, one of the most genuine good guys. The kid puts a smile on my face every day."
When all is said and done, the 2014 Hawaii high school football season may be remembered for Punahou — the team and the player.
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.
