ILH Football
No. 2 Kamehameha grinds out a win over Saint Louis, 34-28


   



Sat, Oct 19, 2013 @ Aloha Stadium [ 7:45 pm ]


Final 1 2 3 4 T
Saint Louis (6-3-0) 7 14 0 728
Kamehameha (9-2-0) 3 21 10 034
Noah Sua-Godinet 80 yd 1 TD
Ryder Kuhns 278 yd 3 TD
Kainoa Simao 230 yd 2 TD
Adam Noga 129 yd 1 TD

HALAWA – Despite the myriad of yellow flags on the field, one thing still remained as clear as day; Kamehameha still had Saint Louis’ number.

The Warriors, ranked second in this week’s ScoringLive/OC16 Division I Power Rankings, reaffirmed their ranking with a 34-28 win over No. 4 Saint Louis Saturday night at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium in the semifinal game of the ILH Division I postseason.  Kamehameha improved their record to 9-1 on the year and will take on No. 1 ranked Punahou next week Friday at the same venue.  Saint Louis’ season came to close with the Crusaders finishing with a 6-3 record.

“We just played good as a team,” said Kamehameha coach Doug Cosbie. “Kids made plays for each other, defense (and) offense makes plays when we need them; it’s just a great win for (our) program.”

It was an ugly game for both teams as a grand total of 43 penalties were called on the two squads that night.  Kamehameha had trouble with pre-snap penalties while Saint Louis committed ten personal fouls.

“We killed ourselves; you can’t give them any yards in penalties,” said Saint Louis coach Matt Wright.  “The game was called (the way) it was for whatever reason and we ourselves have to take care of the football.  We just shot ourselves in the foot.”

The Warriors were led by stalwart running back Kainoa Simao, who carried the ball 39 times for 230 yards and two touchdowns.  Simao got the start in place of the injured Brandon Kahookele, and was just a bell cow all night.

“The O-line held it up for me, I just had to stay behind them,” said Simao on his performance.  “I can’t say it enough; they’re the best O-line in the state.  I knew I had to carry the load because there’s no more backs, and I knew that my performance would be big (for our success).” 

Saint Louis got off to a quick early lead on their first drive with a three yard touchdown run from running back Adam Noga.  That scoring drive was set up by Ryder Kuhns’ 60-yard bomb down the left sideline for wide receiver Devan Stubblefield.  Matthew Mariota’s PAT was good and the Crusaders had an early 7-0 lead with 10:17 remaining in the first quarter.

Kamehameha’s ensuing drive should have ended in a three-and-out, but a Saint Louis penalty helped extend the drive.  The Warriors would drive all the way down the field to the Crusader 10-yard line before quarterback Fatu Sua-Godinet got sacked from Saint Louis linebacker Faafatai Lulu.  The loss of yardage forced a 41-yard field goal attempt by Warrior kicker T.J. Fitzsimmons.  The kick sailed through the uprights and the score was 7-3, midway through the first quarter.

After forcing a Saint Louis punt, Kamehameha got the ball back and promptly drove 75 yards for the go-ahead score.  Sua-Godinet 26-yard quarterback draw for a touchdown capped off an eight-play drive for the Warriors to give them a 10-7 lead.

Stubblefield torched Kamehameha on Saint Louis’ first scoring drive, and he would burn them again on their next scoring drive.  The senior wide receiver muffed the ensuing kickoff at the three-yard line, but was able to pick it up and take it 40 yards to the Saint Louis’ 43-yard line.  On the next play from scrimmage, Kuhns fired a dart to Stubblefield for a 57-yard touchdown.  That pass was in between two Warrior defenders and Stubblefield was barely touched on that reception.  Mariota’s PAT was good, reclaiming the lead 14-10, with just under 11 minutes in the second quarter.

With the quick scores from both teams on offense, the defenses began to step it up.  Lulu got his second sack of the night to force a Kamehameha punt to give the ball back to the Crusaders.  However, Kuhns was stripped by Warrior linebacker Kalen Lyman-Risso deep in their own territory two plays later, and defensive lineman Kaaumoana Gifford was able to fall on the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown.  The defensive score gave back the lead to Kamehameha with 6:24 remaining in the first half.

Kuhns and the Crusader offense was not rattled by the turnover as they were able methodically drive down the field on a quickly to reclaim the lead, 21-17.  The drive took 11 plays, but only needed two minutes and 50 seconds to get the score.  The scoring play featured another Kuhns to Stubblefield connection, this time from three yards out. 

With only three minutes and 25 seconds remaining in the first half, Kamehameha was able to drive the down the field thanks to a defensive pass interference call against Saint Louis on third down.  Three plays later, Sua-Godinet threw a jump ball down the right sideline and two-way player Dylan Kane came down with it for a 30-yard gain.  This helped set up Sua-Godinet’s three-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Young on play-action just before halftime.  Fitzsimmons’ PAT was good and the Warriors had a 24-21 lead at the break.

Kuhns was 10-for-11 passing for 192 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, but found himself unable to complete a pass in the second half until the 7:34 mark of the fourth quarter.

“The coaches always do a good job making adjustments,” said Cosbie.

The Warriors got the first score of the second half after a defensive takeaway.  On the Crusaders’ first play from scrimmage of the second half, linebacker Calen Scot Holt stripped Noga from behind and Warrior defensive back Mason Chow came up with it for the turnover.  Kamehameha ran four straight rushing plays before they hit Saint Louis with a play-action pass play that was good for 36 yards.  Simao ran it in from seven yards out a play later and the Warriors had a ten point lead with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter.

Scot Holt came away with another takeaway for the Warriors on the Crusaders’ ensuing drive, this time in the passing game.  Saint Louis droved all the way into Kamehameha territory before the drive stalled at the Warriors’ 35-yard line.  The Crusaders gambled on a fourth-and-five situation and was unable to convert, resulting in Kunns’ first interception of the game.  The turnover led to the Warriors’ final score of the game, a 43-yard field goal by Fitzsimmons.

Saint Louis had a chance to cut the deficit midway through the fourth quarter, but a dead ball foul against the Crusaders resulted in a loss of downs bringing up fourth down.  The dead ball foul was a result of the Crusaders not adhering to the sideline warning that was issued to them early on in the game.  Kuhns was able to find Stubblefield on the key fourth down, but he was tackled shy of the first down marker resulting in another failed fourth down conversion.

The Crusader defense was able to do their part on the ensuing Kamehameha drive, forcing the Warriors into a three-and-out and a punting situation.  With the ball back, Kuhns was able to find Allan Cui III on a screen pass for a 30-yard score to make things interesting with 2:34 remaining in the ball game.  Mariota’s PAT was good, cutting the deficit in six.

Kuhns and the Saint Louis offense were able to get the ball back with 41 seconds remaining in the ball game, but there would be no heroic comeback for them.  On the second play of the final drive, Kuhns’ ball was tipped and intercepted by Kane with 26 seconds left to seal the win for the Warriors.

“It was great (and) humbling,” said Simao on the victory.  “(Saint Louis) came back, they never stopped fighting and we expected that; they were hungry.  Their performance against Punahou (kind of) startled us, but we came back; we stayed strong and we stayed together. That’s what Warriors do, we stay together and we fight in bunches.”



Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].




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