This isn’t exactly what Punahou had in mind after last year’s stunning state championship, the first football title in the school’s illustrious Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) hundred-year history.
After losing to Kamehameha (3-1), 28-10 Friday night in a game that was never really in doubt, Punahou has now dropped three of four in response to the league’s toughest schedule.
They lost by a combined 17 points to CoachesAid’s top-ranked Punahou and third-ranked Mililani, both 4-0 on the year, before punishing D-2 Damien, 51-6 last week in its only win.
Then it was back to reality, as Punahou faced their third Top-5 challenge of the season. Again, they fell short.
Kamehameha’s defense hammered the Buffanblu, with three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and a 25-yard touchdown interception. The Warriors’ held the defending champs to nine yards rushing on the night, a big blow to an offense that’s anchored on the ground.
Kamehameha scored touchedowns in each quarter, two on runs by Ryan Ho, who carried for 163 yards on 19 carries. Ho hit pay dirt on a 61-yard second quarter run, and muscled up for another 1-yard touchdown after setting up the score, on a 66 yard sprint around end.
The Warrior defense dominated from the opening minutes. On their second series, Karni Morita blocked a Punahou punt, giving Kamehameha position inside the opposing 20. The Warrior offense failed to convert on the first three downs, and set up for a field goal before calling time out and changing strategy. Less than a minute later, Kupono Park dove over tackle for the first Kamehameha touchdown.
Linebacker Keanu Montez scored the defensive TD on the interception return.
The Buffanblu dropped 82 yards in penalties, often at critical times. They had one touchdown called back.
Kamehameha, which elevated one position to fifth in the CA rankings, moved a small step closer to solidifying their shaky quarterback situation, after T.C. Campbell guided the win. He completed eight of 25 passes for 125 yards.
Punahou passed for 211 yards between QBs Liloa Travis (13-20, 117 yards) and Kaiana Eldridge (5-20, 94). They were outgained in total yardage, 307-220.
Punahou’s gridiron hangover comes on the heels of conspicuous notoriety on a number of fronts, including a visit by its most visible athletic alumnae – shooting guard Barrack Obama. Sports Illustrated named the Buffanblue sports program the best in the country in 2008, out of 38,000 high schools.
Punahou has won 316 state titles and more than 700 league championships in its storied history. Almost 60 percent of its student body participates in some sort of league competition. More than 250 paid and volunteer coaches spearhead 115 teams, in 21 sports.
Punahou also won the baseball championship last year after elbowing into the playoff bracket as the eighth seed.
But right now, the focus is on football, and the picture is not good – despite the fact that Punahou has played tough football for 16 quarters.
Punahou, which rifled through a 12-1 season last year before losing all but five starters, seems to have run straight into a perfect storm this season. They lost a last-minute heartbreaker, 16-9, in opening against Mililani. They played top-ranked Kahuku tough before losing 24-14 (Kahuku has decimated its opponents, 147-40.)
And now, the loss to Kamehameha – who hadn’t beaten the Buffanblu since 2006.
Sometimes playing tough isn’t enough.
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