Second-ranked Punahou made just enough big plays to survive.
Punahou senior Alaka’i Gilman intercepted a pass in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter to preserve a one-point lead and Vincent Terrell turned a short pass into a 78-yard TD seconds later to help the Buffanblu hold off No. 4 Kahuku 21-13 in the final game of an OIA-ILH tripleheader at Aloha Stadium on Saturday night.
“I feel good now, but when I look at the stats maybe not quite as good because it seemed like they were moving up and down the field,” Punahou coach Kale Ane said. “Our kids rose to the challenge and stopped them when they had to.”
>> Click here to see photos of the game between Punahou and Kahuku.
Three weeks after all three games of an OIA-ILH tripleheader were all one-sided shutouts, each game on Saturday was decided by one possession.
Kahuku trailed 14-13 with less than six minutes to go when it tried a play-action pass on the Punahou 20.
One of only nine passing attempts by sophomore quarterback Tiger Adolpho ended up in the hands of Gilman in the end zone.
“I just reacted to the ball, but I knew I had the guy on the outside. My corner could pick me up if I was late and I was actually late to the play,” Gilman said. “Good thing the ball was there and I was able to make the play.”
Three players later, Terrell took a pass short of the first-down marker on third-and-6 and had two Kahuku defenders closing in on him. Somehow he powered through both of them and took off down the sideline for a 78-yard TD that was the difference.
“It was a great play by John making a great play getting out of the pocket,” Terrell said. “He found me and my job was to run to the end zone and that’s how I see the play.”
Freshman quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele finished 16-for-23 for 271 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for the Buffanblu (8-1, 6-1 ILH Open).
His other touchdown pass came on the first play of the game from scrimmage when he hit Christopher Paige down the visitor’s sideline for a 65-yard TD.
Sophomore Kelsyn Tangaro-Kanoa responded with a 56-yard return on the ensuing kickoff for Kahuku, which powered its way down a short field and cashed in on Adolpho’s QB sneak to tie it 7-7.
Punahou took a 14-7 lead into the break after Terrell broke off a 31-yard TD run in the second quarter. Terrell finished with 86 yards receiving and 83 more yards on the ground.
Punahou drove the ball into Kahuku territory in the final minute of the first half but came away empty. Sagapolutele completed a pass to Terrell for 19 yards to the 11, but the clock was nearing zero and Punahou had no timeouts.
The referees stopped the clock with five seconds to go, allowing Punahou to try to spike it. Sagapolutele was ruled to have lost control of the ball before spiking it, resulting in a fumble that allowed the clock to run out.
The game didn’t count in the OIA standings for Kahuku (5-3, 3-1), which closes its regular season against Farrington next week. A victory would give the Red Raiders the No. 2 seed in the four-team OIA Open playoffs and a semifinal game against Campbell in two weeks.
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No. 2 Punahou 21, No. 4 Kahuku 13
At Aloha Stadium
>> Kahuku (5-3, 3-1) 7 0 6 0 — 13
>> Punahou (8-1, 6-1) 7 7 0 7 — 21
Punahou — Christopher Paige 65 pass from John-Keawe Sagapolutele (Quinn Maretzki kick)
Kahuku — Tiger Adolpho 1 run (Adam Requilman kick)
Punahou — Vincent Terrell 31 run (Maretzki kick)
Kahuku — Zealand Matagi 18 run (kick failed)
Punahou — Terrell 78 pass from Sagapolutele (Maretzki kick)
RUSHING — Kahuku: Zealand Matagi 28-116, Mana Fonoimoana-Vaomu 2-34, Lalio Kaluna 7-17, Jack Tito 4-12, Zion Ah You 2-6, Adolpho 6-(minus 6). Punahou: Terrell 13-83, team 2-(minus 16), Sagapolutele 8-(minus 35).
PASSING — Kahuku: Adolpho 5-9-1-34. Punahou: Sagapolutele 16-23-1-271.
RECEIVING — Kahuku: Kaonohi Kaniho 2-20, Tomasi Pasi 2-7, Peter John Mataira 1-7. Punahou: Koa Eldredge 4-58, Moku Dancil-Evans 4-44, Terrell 3-86, Raydan Kiaaina-Caires 3-16, Paige 2-67.
