These are not the days when the Saint Louis football team is going to just motor through everybody.
Sure, the Crusaders still have their eyes on the prize, a fifth straight Open Division state championship. But they’re going to have to fight tooth and nail this year to get it done.
On Friday night, No. 2 Saint Louis got back in the win column by dropping No. 3 Punahou 27-21. It was anything but easy. Two weeks earlier, the Crusaders dropped a 23-21 decision to Kamehameha, their first loss against a Hawaii team since 2016.
Saint Louis gang-tackled a Punahou ball carrier during Friday night’s 27-21 victory.
After going down 7-0 on Friday, Saint Louis righted the ship to take a 20-14 halftime lead. At one point, it looked like the Crusaders might run away with it, going up 27-14 on quarterback AJ Bianco’s 8-yard third-quarter TD run.
The Buffanblu inched closer at 27-21 with just 3:21 left in the game, when Noah Macapulay caught a 3-yard TD pass from Ty McCutcheon.
Saint Louis’ Iona Purcell sewed up the victory on Punahou’s final possession with an interception.
Bianco had quite a night for Saint Louis, completing 30 of 42 passes for 337 yards and two TDs. Crusaders receiver Trech Kekahuna caught 11 passes for 89 yards.
With seven tackles, Drake Nohara was one of many standouts on defense for the Crusaders. Kamuela Smith led the way on defense for Punahou with 11 tackles, an interception, a sack and a quarterback hurry.
The Crusaders (2-2, 2-1 ILH Open) look to avenge their loss to No. 1 Kamehameha (2-1, 2-1) on Friday at Aloha Stadium at 7:30 p.m. That winner of that game will get the No. 1 seed going into the three-team ILH Open playoffs that will determine the league’s Open state tournament representative.
Punahou (1-3, 1-3) will play in the first round of the playoffs Oct. 22 against Friday’s loser, most likely as the No. 3 seed.
For Saint Louis to win a fifth straight Open championship in early January, it would have to win the league and then get past the three teams from the Oahu Interscholastic Association that qualify. Due to COVID-19 delays, the OIA season doesn’t start until Oct. 15.
No. 2 Saint Louis 27, No. 3 Punahou 21
At Aloha Stadium
No. 3 Punahou (1-3, 1-3 ILH Open). 7. 7. 0. 7. — 21
No. 2 Saint Louis (2-2, 2-1 ILH Open). 7. 13. 7. 0. — 27
PUNAHOU—Iosepa Lyman 12 pass from John-Keawe Sagapolutele (Carli Driskill kick)
SAINT LOUIS—AJ Bianco 1 run (Ray Seabury kick)
SAINT LOUIS—Chyler DeSilva 8 pass from Bianco (Lason Napuunoa kick)
PUNAHOU—Ean Kamau-Waikiki 1 run (Driskill kick)
SAINT LOUIS—Alexzander Lemalu 36 pass from Bianco (kick failed)
SAINT LOUIS—Bianco 8 run (Napuunoa kick)
PUNAHOU—Noah Macapulay 3 pass from Ty McCutcheon (Driskill kick)
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