Saint Louis’ AJ Bianco, Punahou’s Tevarua Tafiti reliable assets in all-ILH Open Division
By Billy Hull bhull@staradvertiser.com
Jan. 23, 2022
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Pictured are Saint Louis Offensive Player of the year AJ Bianco, Punahou Defensive Player of the Year Tevarua Tafiti and Saint Louis Coach of the Year Ron Lee.
The Crusaders’ senior quarterback was robbed of his junior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t play much as a sophomore with then-All-State Offensive Player of the Year Jayden de Laura at the controls of the offense.
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When Saint Louis’ back was against the wall, quarterback AJ Bianco proved just how good he can be.
The Crusaders’ senior quarterback was robbed of his junior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t play much as a sophomore with then-All-State Offensive Player of the Year Jayden de Laura at the controls of the offense.
But after a second straight loss to Kamehameha in mid-October dropped the five-time defending ILH champions to 3-3, Bianco went on the best run of any offensive player this season.
Over the next three games, the ILH Open Division Offensive Player of the Year completed 52 of 60 passing attempts for 972 yards and six touchdowns with only one pick. He also rushed for 229 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Crusaders to three straight wins for a sixth consecutive league crown.
The six-week layoff before the state tournament made things difficult on the Crusaders, but Bianco’s performances in those three must-win games over ILH foes made the choice for Offensive Player of the Year an easy one.
Punahou played just five games this season, but the value of Defensive Player of the Year Tevarua Tafiti was most evident in the one game he didn’t play.
An injury kept him out of the ILH playoff game against Saint Louis, and just two weeks after a narrow 27-21 loss, the Buffanblu were beaten easily without their Stanford-bound star on defense, 35-0.
Eight of the 11 position players on offense named to the first team hail from Saint Louis, showing Coach of the Year Ron Lee’s run-and-shoot offense is still as good as any out there.
ILH OPEN DIVISION
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
POS. | NAME | SCHOOL | HT. | WT. | CL.
>> OL | Jonah Savaiinaea | Saint Louis | 6-4 | 345 | 12
>> OL | Ethan Spencer | Saint Louis | 6-2 | 275 | 12
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