There is no room for error for the four-time defending state champions.
No. 2 Saint Louis won the first of three straight must-win games in order to qualify for the state tournament, beating No. 4 Punahou 35-0 on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.
Senior quarterback AJ Bianco rushed for two scores, threw two touchdown passes and was a perfect 17-for-17 passing for 263 yards in less than three quarters.
“We knew coming in it was a win-or-go-home game and we needed to play our best game tonight, and I thought we played a pretty good game,” Bianco said. “Both sides of the ball, I thought our defense played a helluva game and I thought offensively we played a pretty good game.”
The Crusaders (3-3) will play No. 1 Kamehameha on Friday and need to beat the Warriors twice in two weeks to advance to a sixth consecutive state tournament.
“That’s what we play for — these type of challenges,” Bianco said.
Saint Louis dominated from the outset against the Buffanblu, scoring touchdowns on four of its first five possessions.
Bianco was 15-for-15 for 207 yards at halftime and played just one series in the second half.
He used his legs to notch the first two Crusaders touchdowns, scoring on runs of 11 and 19 yards.
Bianco’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Mason Muaau capped an 83-yard drive in just seven plays to push the Crusaders’ lead to 21-0 with 6:11 to go in the half.
Punahou was stopped on fourth-and-6 from the Saint Louis 41 on its next drive and Bianco found Muaau streaking down the Punahou sideline for a 59-yard touchdown on the next play for a 28-0 advantage.
“I was just thinking that ball is all mines,” Muaau said. “I’m glad AJ trusted me on that deep ball.”
Bianco took the Crusaders 70 yards in four plays on his first drive of the second half before sitting for the rest of the game.
Freshman Titan Lacaden had a nifty 42-yard reception down to the 2-yard line before Keola Apduhan ran it in on the next play for a 35-0 Crusaders lead that activated a running clock for the rest of the game.
A fumble late in the third quarter was the only real mistake the Crusaders made.
Punahou quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele hit Noah Macapulay for 36 yards to the Saint Louis 2 for the Buffanblu’s longest play from scrimmage to end the third quarter.
Two plays into the fourth quarter, Sagapolutele hit an open receiver near the goal line, but the ball bounced off his hands and chest and into the hands of Saint Louis’ Zachary-Pono Narciso for an interception.
The Buffanblu, who finish their season 1-4, were held to 57 total yards in the first half.
Punahou played without senior defensive lineman Tevarua Tafiti, who is rated the No. 1 recruit in Hawaii in the class of 2022.
Tafiti, a Stanford commit, was on crutches with a boot on his left foot after a freak injury in practice.
The 35-point margin was the biggest for Saint Louis against Punahou since a 49-13 victory in 2017 with Chevan Cordeiro at quarterback.
Punahou hadn’t had a losing season since 2001.
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No. 2 Saint Louis 35, No. 5 Punahou 0
At Aloha Stadium
Punahou (1-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Saint Louis (3-3) 7 21 7 0 — 35
StL — AJ Bianco 11 run (Lason Napuunoa kick)
StL — Bianco 19 run (Napuunoa kick)
StL — Mason Muaau 20 pass from Bianco (Napuunoa kick)
StL — Muaau 59 pass from Bianco (Napuunoa kick)
StL — Keola Apduhan 2 run (Napuunoa kick)
RUSHING—Punahou: Noah Macapulay 1-17, Ean Kamau-Waikiki 2-9, Iosepa Lyman 5-7, John-Keawe Sagapolutele 3-(MINUS 3). Saint Louis: Bianco 9-95, Keonimanamemanao Catrett 5-36, Apduhan 5-20, Chaz-Ayden Delto 2-19, Yosei Takahashi 2-19, Elijah Dolor 2-12, #86 2-7, Hikaalanikekia’i Dancil-Evans 1-4, Trech Kekahuna 1-0, William Lentz 1-(MINUS 2), team 1-(MINUS 2), Vu Nguyen 1-(MINUS 4).
PASSING—Punahou: Sagapolutele 15-28-1—104, Ian Eveleth 1-2-0—11, Ty McCutcheon 0-1-0—0. Saint Louis: Bianco 17-17–0-263, Kauna’oa Kamakawiwo’ole 4-6–0-39.
RECEIVING—Punahou: Macapulay 5-66, Astin Hange 4-15, Donte Utu 2-17, Lyman 2-8, Justice Wu 2-8, Nelsonn Aau 1-1. Saint Louis: Jaysen Peters-de Laura 8-65, Titan Lacaden 4-71, Muaau 3-99, Kekahuna 3-28, Chyler DeSilva 2-29, Christopher Ano 1-10.
Other scores
No. 4 Mililani 20, No. 10 Kapolei 0
Moanalua 28, Aiea 25
Waipahu 24, Kailua 16
Kalani 25, Kaimuki 3
Saint Louis I-AA 33, Kamehameha I-AA 19
Konawaena 24, Hilo 21
