Kamehameha wins ILH title
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• Photo gallery: Kamehameha vs. Punahou football
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Quarterback T.C. Campbell passed for five touchdowns and No. 2 Kamehameha rolled over defending state champion No. 5 Punahou, 45-21, last night to capture the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I football championship at Aloha Stadium.
The Warriors (10-1 overall, 7-1 ILH) won their first league title since 2004 and 25th overall. They earn the league's sole berth to the Division I state tournament, which they won in 2004.
The Buffanblu (5-5, 5-3), last year's champions, end their season.
This is the league's third different Division I champion in as many years, but the first for Kamehameha third-year coach David Stant.
"Our boys really deserved it," Stant said. "They worked hard. With the three-day turnaround for us, they came out fired up. They were focused all week. That's big for our boys. It says something about our character."
Kamehameha had come off a physical 21-7 win against Saint Louis last Saturday, while the Buffanblu had a bye last week. For a while, the Buffanblu kept it close, but the Warriors cashed in on three turnovers for TDs and Kamehameha's defense added a safety.
Campbell completed 11 of 24 passes. At one stretch, he had nine consecutive incompletions before hitting Blaise Cuban on a 20-yard TD pass just before the end of the half.
He hit Cuban again on 27- and 19-yard TD passes in third quarter. Campbell connected with Charley Bollig IV on a 20-yarder for one of his three TD passes in the third quarter that broke open a close game.
"It was a full team effort tonight," Campbell said. "The O-line did great tonight. They gave me all night to pass."
The Warriors' defense had interceptions from Chaz Bajet, Kikau Pescaia and Wave Ryder and a sack by Pescaia, and running back Ryan Ho rushed for a game-high 154 yards on 32 carries.
The Warriors cashed in on the second of two second-quarter interceptions to take a 16-14 lead into the half.
Linebacker Pescaia's interception of Jeremy Ioane with 25 seconds left in the second quarter set up Campbell's 20-yard TD strike on a post play to Cuban in the end zone. Tarra Gabriel's PAT made it 16-14.
But it was the Buffanblu who struck first, cashing in on a 6-yard Kamehameha punt that gave Punahou its first series at the Warriors' 30. After an illegal shift penalty on Punahou on first down, Ioane hit Brian Suite on a fade to left side of end zone for a 35-yard TD pass. Kaimi Fairbairn's PAT made it 7-0 with 9:55 left in the first quarter.
Gabriel's 24-yard field goal pulled her team to 7-3. Later in the quarter, Campbell connected with Keanu Ruelke on a 13-yard TD pass to put the Warriors ahead 9-7.
Punahou took the lead in the second quarter on an end around, 49-yard TD run by receiver Jeffrey Pedrina to make it 14-9 with 7:11 left in the half. But Pescaia's pick set up the go-ahead score just before the half.
KAMEHAMEHA (10-1, 7-1) 9 7 20 9—45
PUNAHOU (5-5, 5-3) 7 7 7 0—21
Pun—Brian Suite 35 pass from Jeremy Ioane (Kaimi Fairbairn kick)
Kam—FG Gabriel 24
Kam—Keanu Ruelke 13 pass from T.C. Campbell (kick failed)
Pun—Jeffrey Pedrina 49 run (Fairbairn kick)
Kam—Blaise Cuban 20 pass from Campbell (Gabriel kick)
Kam—Cuban 27 pass from Campbell (kick blocked)
Kam—Charley Bollig IV 20 pass from Campbell (Gabriel kick)
Kam—Cuban 19 pass from Campbell (Gabriel kick)
Pun—Stabren Caires 1 run (Fairbairn kick)
Kam—Safety, ball carrier slipped in end one
Kam—Kupono Park 1 run (Gabriel kick)
RUSHING—Kamehameha: Campbell 6-12, Ryan Ho 31-154, Jason Muraoka 5-19, Team 2-(minus 22), Park 2-13. Punahou: Kaiana Eldredge 2-6, Stabren Caires 11-27, Jeremy Ioane 5-32, Alaka'i Aglipay 1-1, Pedrina 1-49, Team 1-(minus 1), Steven Lakalaka 2-0, Liloa Travis 1-(minus 9).
PASSING—Kamehameha: Campbell 11-24-0—168. Punahou: Eldredge 0-4-1—0, Ioane 1-4-2—35, Liloa Travis 5-8-0—128.
RECEIVING—Kamehameha: Cuban 5-77, Charley Bollig IV 4-64, Brent Auyong 1-14, Ruelke 1-13. Punahou: Suite 1-35, Steven Lakalaka 1-17, Forrest Kim 1-50, Mountain Mitchell 1-5, Pedrina 2-56.