It’s Kamehameha’s Day

Kamehameha couldn’t have picked a better time to end a long losing streak to Punahou.

Senior quarterback Thomas Yam, in his last chance to beat one of the two ILH Division I powerhouses, threw for 250 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover to help the Warriors beat the Buffanblu for the first time in 11 games, 44-31 on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.

Kanoa Shannon iced the game with a 7-yard touchdown run and sophomore Ezra Evaimalo intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchdown for Kamehameha (4-4), which advances to play No. 1 Saint Louis for the ILH second-round championship on Oct. 21 at Aloha Stadium.

“It’s very meaningful to finally get a win against these guys,” said Yam, who completed 19 of 30 passes and also ran eight times for 51 yards. “We have to come together again like this tonight (next week).”

Two of Yam’s touchdown passes went to Laakea Ane, who hadn’t caught a pass all season.

His 39-yard touchdown in the first quarter came on a fourth-and-1 play.

Ane’s other score was a 3-yarder early in the fourth quarter that put Kamehameha ahead for good.

“It was the coaches calling (the play) and it was open,” Yam said. “I just had to make sure I put the ball where it needed to be.”

Kamehameha led 30-24 when it downed a punt on the Punahou 5.

Buffanblu quarterback Stephen Barber attempted a pass out of the end zone that was swatted into the air by Evaimalo, who then turned around and caught it for another Kamehameha touchdown that swung the entire game.

“It’s every D-lineman’s dream to make a touchdown, so I’m stoked,” Evaimalo said. “Our other lineman, Jonah Welch, that play happened to him twice. So I figured to watch (for) the same thing. It happened and I did what I could.”

Punahou (5-3), which beat California powerhouse Serra in September, hadn’t lost to a team other than Saint Louis.

Now, its season is over.

“We made too many mistakes and we just got to look ahead to the future,” Punahou coach Kale Ane said. “Now we just have to rebuild. (Kamehameha) played really well. (Yam) was back and he showed what a quality quarterback he is.”

Kamehameha coach Abu Ma’afala politely declined comment after the game, saying it’s all about the kids.

Shannon finished with 86 yards on 28 carries and Skyler Ramos had six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Punahou running back Vincent Terrell scored on a 56-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and totaled 155 yards on the ground on 18 carries.

Ramos had three catches on Kamehameha’s last drive in the first half, including two tough ones on third down to move the sticks and a 14-yard TD to put Kamehameha up 17-14.

Punahou got the ball back with less than a minute to go and moved the ball inside the Kamehameha 40. A 20-yard pass from Barber to Tamatoa Falatea and a 10-yard run by Terrell had Punahou in position, but the clock ran out with the Buffanblu still holding onto all three timeouts.