Punahou gets another shot against Saint Louis

It wasn’t too long ago when an offensive juggernaut guided by a run-and-shoot guru captured the hearts of fans.

That guru, June Jones, had a basic directive after a game when Hawaii saw the opposing team go on a long eight-minute drive that kept the Warriors’ explosive offense cooling on the sideline: Get the ball back quickly, whatever it takes.

Punahou isn’t quite Hawaii then or now, but head coach Kale Ane would not be blamed for issuing a similar directive when his third-ranked Buffanblu meet No. 2 Saint Louis tonight. The Buffanblu are 3-1 in Interscholastic League of Honolulu play (4-1 overall), averaging 52.2 points per game. Four of their five opponents have been ranked in the Star-Advertiser Top 10.

Nick Kapule broke a school record with 495 passing yards (with five TDs) against an elite Saint Louis defense three weeks ago. Despite Kapule’s humongous night, the Buffanblu sustained their only loss. Saint Louis (5-0, 4-0 ILH) rallied for a decisive 64-44 victory as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his teammates nearly short-circuited the scoreboard at Aloha Stadium.

>> Tagovailoa passed for 447 yards and six TDs, and rushed for 104 yards and three more TDs

>> Receiver Tosh Kekahuna-Kalawe broke out with nine receptions for 185 yards, including TDs of 37 and 63 yards

>> Noah Alejado (eight, 112, TD) and Ronson Young (six, 66) combined for nearly 200 receiving yards

>> Ethan Takeyama of Punahou hauled in 10 passes for 189 yards, including TDs of 19, 59, 10 and 19 yards from Kapule

>> Keala Martinson (seven, 107) and Judd Cockett (eight, 91) also combined for nearly 200 receiving yards

Kapule passed for five TDs, but was actually less of a factor in the second half as Saint Louis’ defense bent without breaking most of the time. Saint Louis scored 36 unanswered points and Kapule finished just above 50 percent (30-for-59). Punahou’s running backs carried the ball just 11 times.

Saint Louis, in position to run the table to regular-season first-place status and an automatic spot in the ILH title game, has been able to do just a little bit more, a bit differently than Punahou. The Crusaders slowed the pace a bit in a 35-3 win over Kamehameha two weeks ago.

If Ane chose to, he could direct his defense to gamble less to contain Saint Louis’ ground game. In effect, that means the Buffanblu could enact a Battle-of-Cannae, crescent-formation chokehold on Saint Louis and its extremely-gifted field general, Tagovailoa. To lure him into scrambles upfield, between the hash marks, only to be met by Buffanblu crashing in from decoy coverages.

It sounds possible, at least on paper. At best, they would limit the ILH’s second-leading rusher from the 20-yard-plus gains that he has inflicted on every defense he has faced. Maybe it’d even force the Crusaders into a few punts. At worst, Tagovailoa, arguably the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, could counter with fake runs of his own, finishing plays by lofting easy TD passes to his waiting receivers.

Ane isn’t leaning toward any directive that would slow the tempo. He likes what the Punahou offense has done, of course.

“Our pace is fast, which is tough on our defense,” Ane said. “Defensively, you have to have a variety of approaches, to keep trying until one of them works. Not having turnovers is important. Maintaining control of the ball, keeping him off the field.”

‘Him’, of course, refers to Tagovailoa.

Ane is probably not about to have his offensive coordinator, son Teetai Ane, slow the pace. Or is he? Or will Ane have his defense go into Jones mode. Jones told his then-defensive coordinator, Kevin Lempa, that the offense MUST get the ball back no matter what it took. Bring the blitz and let the chips fall. But no more permitting long drives.

“They (Saint Louis) are very analytical. It’s fun to have that kind of chess match,” Ane said. “There’s three parts to a game. We’ve got to be solid on special teams and defense. Cut down turnovers and shorten the field. We all love up-tempo kinds of situations and the challenges they bring. We face a player who’s going to Alabama. This is a chance to play someone like that, to demonstrate how we can compete.”

The Crusaders have benefited, through ups and downs, from the learning curve that comes with Cal Lee teaching the game — and running the defense. The Crusaders had one benefit the last time they met Punahou: Kapule was less apt to run with the ball.

Last week, Kapule had a few long runs against Kamehameha’s defense. Reserve QB Stephen Barber also showed a willingness to gobble up big chunks of yardage on the ground.

“Stephen definitely changes things when he’s in the game,” Ane said. “Nick has a lot of senior leadership and poise. The kids know how to adjust their routes and they know how to block. We’re blessed with a lot of excellent coaches.”

All that brainpower, a mix of former head coaches and longtime assistants, will be needed tonight. They’re dealing with Saint Louis offensive coordinator/guru Ron Lee and, perhaps the most lethal of playmakers, Tagovailoa. For all that yardage, all those TDs in the initial meeting, Tagovailoa was 31-for-42 without an interception. When the swarm nears, he might not need need the calvary. Sometimes, he is the calvary.

friDAY’S GAMES

Damien (4-2, 2-1 ILH D-II) vs. Pac-Five (2-2, 0-2), Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m. — The years, 13 to be exact, have passed since the Monarchs reached the D-II state championship game. The way they’d been playing this season, a run to the crown was clearly possible. After last week’s stunning, painful loss to St. Francis, it remains to be seen whether youthful Damien can effectively manage the clock in a close game while holding the lead.

The Wolfpack? The twist that intrigued — 6-foot-1, record-breaking quarterback Kainoa Ferreira moving to WR — has been in dormant stage since his practice-time injury before the regular season began. Ryan Johnson has gotten by without Ferreira, who showed the potential to be a Tsubasa Brennan-type big receiver with great hands and good wheels. Johnson has passed for 867 yards and 13 TDs with just two picks. The ‘Pack can score points, but stopping the run is a major challenge, and that’s precisely what Damien can do.

Despite last week’s unusually high 29 pass attempts, when the Monarchs hit the ground running, they get results: Marcus Faufata-Pedrina 370 yards, four TDs; Justice White 316 yards, two TDs, Deacon Kapea 233 yards, one TD. White rushed for 147 yards and Kapea added 81 in Damien’s 40-27 win over Pac-Five three weeks ago.

No. 8 Kamehameha (2-4, 1-3 ILH) vs. ‘Iolani (3-4, 0-4), Aloha Stadium, 7:45 p.m. — The Warriors have struggled offensively against the league’s elite, but racked up 50 points in a win over ‘Iolani three weeks ago. WR Jaykob Cabunoc had a season-high 153 receiving yards on seven receptions in that matchup.

No. 7 Mililani (4-2, 4-2 OIA D-I) at Leilehua (3-4, 3-3), 7:30 p.m. — The Trojans’ road loss at Kailua last week hasn’t changed their status in the playoff hunt. With Farrington’s loss at Kapolei, Mililani can clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs with a victory over the Mules. Mililani has won the last two matchups with its longtime rival. Leilehua’s last win over Mililani was in 2012.

Nanakuli (0-7, 0-6 OIA D-I) at No. 4 Kapolei (6-1, 5-1), 7:30 p.m. — The Golden Hawks’ return season to Division I comes to a close on Friday. They’ve been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but Nainoa Banks is going out with a bang. He aired out 48 pass attempts and completed 26 for 325 yards and two TDs in last week’s loss to Castle.

The Hurricanes, with wins over Mililani and Farrington on their resume, have already clinched first place in the Red division. Sophomore Taulia Tagovailoa (2,158 yards, 22 TD, 4 INT) could play, but if he rests, versatile Leonard Lee will be ready to take snaps. WR Jaymin Sarono (64 receptions, 701 yards, 12 TDs) could be among the playmakers who might sit, as well. Kapolei is very deep at the position with the return of some previously-injured receivers.

Kaiser (2-5, 1-5 OIA D-I) at No. 1 Kahuku (6-1, 6-0), 7:30 p.m. — It was roughly midway through the first quarter against Moanalua last week when the Red Raiders finally put their jumbo/elephant/bomboocha formation to work. Moanalua resisted for some time, but ultimately, Big Red ran big with 431 rushing yards by game’s end — a 42-0 victory. Even on fourth-and-12, Kahuku opted to run the ball with RB Elvis Vakapuna lined up as a wildcat QB. The play came up short, but that’s the measure of Kahuku’s faith in its defense and special teams.

Radford (0-7, 0-6 OIA D-I) at Campbell (4-3, 4-2), 7:30 p.m. — The struggle continues for a Radford program that lost so much talent to graduation, export and retirement (sort of) at its personnel and coaching positions. The Rams will go up against one of the hottest teams in the state.

The Sabers have cleaned up those early-season turnover issues, and with last week’s upset win over Waianae, are in position to clinch second place in the Blue division — and a first-round bye in the playoffs — if they can beat Radford.

Aiea (3-4, 3-3 OIA D-I) at Moanalua (3-4, 2-4), 7:30 p.m. — The winner of this battle will secure fourth place in the Blue division and, probably, home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Moanalua has won the last three meetings; Aiea last beat Na Menehune in 2008.

Kalani (2-2, 2-2 OIA D-II) vs. Kalaheo (1-6, 1-5), Kailua High School, 7:30 p.m. — The Falcons are mired in a chase for one of the division’s four playoff berths. A 27-12 win over Roosevelt last week was a step in the right direction. Even if current fourth-place Waialua lost the rest of its regular-season games, the Bulldogs own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Kalani thanks to Waialua’s 16-14 win a month ago.

Kamehameha-Maui (2-4, 2-3 MIL) vs. Baldwin (4-2, 4-0), War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m. — The Bears struggled past the Warriors 19-14 in their first-round duel one month ago. Since then, Coach Pohai Lee’s offense has put up 36, 29 and 45 points. Ulima Afoa, in his first season as Warriors head coach, guided his team to a 38-0 win over King Kekaulike last week. That ended a three-game skid.

Waiakea (2-5, 2-2 BIIF) vs. Hilo (4-1, 4-0), Dr. Francis Wong Stadium, 7:30 p.m. — The Vikings are inching closer to home-field advantage for the D-I playoffs. Since posting narrow wins over D-II Konawaena and Kealakehe early in the league slate, they have routed Hawaii Prep and Honokaa. The Warriors have won two of their last three games since opening the season 0-4.

Konawaena (4-1, 3-1 BIIF) at Honokaa (2-3, 1-3), 7:30 p.m. — The enduring strength and consistency of the Wildcats program is exhibit A for fans who want to see the BIIF become exclusively Division II in football. The Wildcats, under second-year head coach Brad Uemoto, nearly beat D-I frontrunner HIlo a month ago, and have won their last three games. Two of them were routs of D-I Waiakea (48-13) and Kealakehe (44-20).

saturdAY’S GAMES

Pearl City (4-1, 4-0 OIA D-II) vs. McKinley (0-5, 0-4), Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium, 5 p.m. — Coach Robin Kami’s team has been idle for three weeks, which can be both blessing and curse for a squad that is on a four-game win streak.

Castle (3-4, 2-4 OIA D-I) at Kailua (3-3, 3-3), 6:30 p.m. — With Leilehua at 3-3 in the Blue division, this rivalry matchup between the Knights and Surfriders has definite impact on seeding for the playoffs. Both Castle and Kailua have lost to Leilehua, which means that if one of the teams finishes tied with the Mules at the close of the regular season, Leilehua gets the head-to-head edge. (If Leilehua beats Mililani this weekend, the Mules would move up into third place.) If Castle wins against Kailua and improves to 3-4, would gain the head-to-head edge on Kailua and probably settle in fifth place. The difference come playoff time would be a possible matchup of Red 6 (Kailua or Castle) against Blue 3 (Waianae or Campbell). Or a possible pairing of Red 5 (Castle or Kailua) against Blue 4 (probably Aiea or Moanalua).

Kaimuki (4-2, 4-1 OIA D-II) vs. Waipahu (5-1, 4-1), John Kauinana Stadium, 7:30 p.m. — Both teams have a penchant for throwing the ball, but will also run when given the opportunity. Sophomore QB Jordan Solomon (1,243 passing yards, 17 TDs, 10 INT) is maturing game by game for the Bulldogs. Waipahu has more depth — Kaimuki has Ironman two-way players across the board — for slinger Braden Amorozo (1,493 passing yards, 11 TDs, 4 INT). The teams have not met since 2013, when Waipahu won at home 19-14.

Maui (3-4, 3-2 MIL) at King Kekaulike (0-5, 0-5), 7 p.m. — The Sabers had some nice momentum going early in the first round, only to fall just short to Baldwin. The second round began last week with a 17-9 loss to D-II Lahainaluna, the same team it beat 14-2 in mid-August. Na Alii have scored six points this season, and since winning the state D-I crown a decade ago, have found it difficult to supplant D-I powers Baldwin and Maui.

Waimea (2-3, 1-2 KIF) vs. Kauai (0-5, 0-3), Vidinha Stadium, 2:30 p.m. — The Menehune nearly came up with the upset of the KIF season last week, losing to perennial champion Kapaa 3-0. Kauai has been in third place all season, but gave Waimea trouble before losing 7-0 when the teams played three weeks ago. Despite their winless record, the Red Raiders nearly won on the road at Kamehameha-Hawaii in mid-August, losing 14-13.

Keaau (2-2, 2-2 BIIF) at Kealakehe (1-4, 1-3), 7:30 p.m. — After three close games in a row — losses to Honokaa and Hilo, a win at KS-Hawaii — the Waveriders lost at Konawaena last week 44-20. A win over Keaau would help the Waveriders get an inside track for the opening round of the D-I playoffs.

Kamehameha-Hawaii (5-1, 3-1 BIIF) at Hawaii Prep (0-5, 0-4), 4 p.m. — The Warriors have been effectively defensive this fall, permitting 6.2 points per game. Looking ahead to Konawaena next week would not be advised. Ka Makani may be winless, but they battled to a close loss against Waiakea last week.