Backup quarterback Nick Kapule has done an admirable job in place of Ephraim Tuliloa, leading Punahou to wins over No. 5 Kamehameha and No. 2 Saint Louis in consecutive weeks. Steve Erler | Special to SL

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A common practice to purify gold is to try it by fire. Punahou backup quarterback Nick Kapule has gone through a similar refining process.

The junior signal caller has done an admirable job in place of the injured Ephraim Tuliloa (shoulder) and has led the top-ranked Buffanblu to a 3-0 start after the first round of Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division-I play.

His numbers speak for themselves. In three regular season games Kapule has passed for 940 yards and 10 touchdowns — both league-highs — against three interceptions.

Kapule made his first start of the year against fifth-ranked Kamehameha and helped Punahou rally from a 17-7 halftime deficit to score 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 28-17 victory. A week later Kapule and the Buffanblu outlasted second-ranked Saint Louis in a thrilling 51-45 win in double overtime.

"We played two great teams with two great defenses the last weeks," Punahou coach Kale Ane said after his team's win over Saint Louis. "They came after him (Kapule) and he got hit. He kept his poise and the team rallied around him. He made the plays when he had to, ran when he had to, made great decisions and he never panicked. He's really unique for a backup. This is just his second game (in the lineup) and the team is really comfortable with him and I'm very, very proud of him."

Although his start against Kamehameha wasn't the first of his career, the Warriors were definitely a tougher opponent than the Damien team that Kapule made his debut against in 2014.

Kapule was fearless against Kamehameha, looking for the home-run ball against an aggressive defensive front in the first half. Although you have to admire Kapule's boldness, the result was less than desirable with five sacks taken before the break.

The second half was a different story. After taking the hits in the first half, Kapule got the ball out quicker in the second half and was not sacked at all the rest of the way.

"He just needed to make decisions quicker," Ane said on Kapule. "I think he just needed to go through the process of being in a situation like that. It's still relatively new for him. At halftime we just talked about being more poised; take what they give you and not try to go deep all the time. He came through, didn't panic and he did great."

Punahou adjusted to a hungry Kamehameha defense and Kapule made the Warriors pay with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

"We recognized the blitz earlier and we just hit our hot routes and my receivers made plays for me," Kapule said.

He finished the contest having completed 23 of his 39 pass attempts for 311 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

Kapule had another rough start in the contest against Saint Louis and was intercepted on his first pass attempt of the game. Like Kamehameha, the Crusaders would take the early advantage and held a 24-10 lead with 1:26 remaining in the second quarter. 

At that point I began to question whether or not Punahou had the firepower needed to keep up with Saint Louis' offense. My thoughts were quickly answered as Kapule and company went no-huddle and sliced through the Crusaders' defense with an effective two-minute drill drive to make the score 24-17 at halftime.

Saint Louis would not concede to the Buffanblu easily however. The Crusaders quickly pushed their lead back to two scores early in the third quarter. But Kapule and the Buffanblu kept plugging away and pieced together solid, effective drives. Running back Wayne Taulapapa ran hard in between the tackles and Kapule used his mobility to make clutch throws.

Punahou managed to get some stops on defense and the offense was able to tie the game at 38-all to force overtime. Saint Louis scored first on offense in the extra period, but Kapule tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Takeyama to bring the game into a second overtime period.

Saint Louis quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted on a risky shovel pass and Taulapapa was able to power his way in for the game-winning score.

Kapule's performance in recent weeks is even more impressive when you consider the fact that the current receiving corps were non-factors in 2014. With Kanawai Noa, the all-time leading receiver in state history, gone off to play for the University of California-Berkeley, receivers Eamon Brady, Keala Martinson, Judd Cockett and Takeyama have emerged as reliable pass-catchers.

"Our receivers are kind of small, but the way they work shows that they have big hearts," said Taulapapa. "Those guys are always working real hard with Nick all the time in practice and it continues to show on the field so we're happy about it."

The chemistry between Kapule and his receivers is evident off the field as well.

"These receivers are my best friends," he said. "We work together and hang out together. We just have that connection and that's great."

Now when Tuliloa is healthy again, I fullly expect him to see some playing time in games. He was the starter to start the season and should be given a chance to make an impact somehow. However, Kapule should be the starter for the rest of the season and should be the guy out on the field when the game is on the line. The more he continues to grow and matures, the more dangerous of a team the Buffanblu will be as the season progresses.