No. 3 defending ILH champion Buffanblu is still stacked

There is plenty of good news for the Punahou Buffanblu.

The 2013 state champions, with six state final appearances and two titles since 2005, are loaded offensively even with the graduation of three-time All-State wide receiver Kanawai Noa. There’s offensive talent, with two prolific offensive players in quarterback Ephraim Tuliloa and running back Wayne Taulapapa behind an O-line led by returnees J.P. Muasau and Kana‘i Eldredge.

Punahou could repeat last year’s 47.8-points-per-game output.

Tuliloa and Taulapapa, both with college scholarship offers, put up big numbers last year. Tuliloa passed for 2,129 yards and 20 TDs in just eight games with six picks. Taulapapa rushed for 1,131 yards and 20 TDs, including 260 yards and three TDs in the 53-45 state championship game loss to Mililani.

Muasau had a stellar summer and was honored at the Maximum Exposure Camp at UH as one of the top offensive linemen.

The Buffanblu were 8-1 overall last year, outscoring foes 430-133. Exactly 100 of those points allowed on defense came after the regular season ended, including the loss to Mililani.

In their first scrimmage against Farrington on Saturday, it was in the trenches where head coach Kale Ane was looking for signs of hope.

“At times, we were able to get some push offensively and defensively. Farrington is a very big, very physical offensive line,” he said.

Defensively, nose guard Patamo Soa (6-0, 305) anchors the front seven and Laakea Look brings experience to the linebacker corps. Juniors Jack-Eli Thompson-Tufono and Miki Suguturanga have a chance to become cornerstones at the defensive end spots.

“Jack is tall, good hands, good speed, good burst,” Ane said. “Miki is about 6-5, a great kid, hard worker. Kind of falls in line with Canton (Kaumatule) and DeForest (Buckner) and that group.”

Despite losing eight defensive starters to graduation, the Buffanblu looked solid in the scrimmage.

“I think we’re all anxious to be perfect, but you’ve got to take a step back. You’re going to make some mistakes, but you want to make them hard so you can correct them,” said Ane, a former Kansas City Chiefs lineman.

The Buffanblu will have a decided advantage in the kicking game most nights thanks to Jet Toner. As a junior, he nailed field goals of 35 and 48 yards in a narrow win over Kahuku during the state semifinals. On Saturday, he drilled a 57-yard field goal at the scrimmage.

Backup QBs Nick Kapule and Stephen Barber were excellent. Kapule executed a smooth pump fake on a bubble screen followed by perfect aerial launch deep for a touchdown. Barber, a sophomore, opened the second half of the scrimmage with a crisp zone-read keeper that turned into a 77-yard scoring run.

While Taulapapa played briefly, Punahou ran effectively enough to keep Farrington’s front seven honest. That opened up the sideline for junior wide receiver Ethan Takeyama, who hauled in two TD passes. Judd Cockett also pulled in a TD strike, and even early in preseason, the Buffanblu haven’t yet shown signs of missing Noa (Cal), one of the top WRs in state history.