Football
Crusaders get defensive, cruise past Warriors


  



Fri, Sep 6, 2019 @ Aloha Stadium [ 6:00 pm ]


Final 1 2 3 4 T
Saint Louis (12-1-0) 20 20 0 242
Kamehameha (3-7-0) 0 0 7 07

HALAWA — No. 1 Saint Louis scored early and often and got a lot of help from its defense in a 42-7 thumping of No. 5 Kamehameha Friday night.

The Crusaders (4-0 overall, 3-0 league) got four takeaways, including a pair of interception returns for touchdowns, and built a 40-0 lead by halftime en route to their 30th consecutive victory before a crowd of about 2,000 fans at Aloha Stadium.

The Warriors (1-3, 0-3) were seeking their first league win and are the lone remaining winless team in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's three-team Open Division standings.

Saint Louis moved into a tie with idle-Punahou atop the division.

There was no signs of any type of a letdown following the Crusaders' big 31-19 win over Nevada-powerhouse Bishop Gorman last week. The defense was particularly up to the task, holding the Kamehameha to just 50 yards of total offense, including minus-39 rushing yards.

Just two plays into the contest, Saint Louis defensive back Harvey Welch stepped in front of a Jonah Yuen pass along the left sideline and took it back the other way for a 22-yard pick-6.

"On film we saw the double-out a lot, so I just read it and I jumped it," said Welch, a junior safety.

Saint Louis wide receiver Roman Wilson said the defensive score was nice, to be sure, but did nothing to change the offense's approach on its opening series.

"It's nice to come out there and have him do that and put us in a good situation, but in our mindset it's just zero-zero and we just gotta score," Wilson said.

Welch's score came just 16 seconds in. Just six plays into the Warriors' ensuing drive, Yuen was picked off by Kaiser Cambra-Cho on a third-down pass. That turnover set-up Kaohu Kamakawiwoole's 1-yard TD run behind left tackle four plays later.

Following a Kamehameha three-and-out, de Laura capped the Crusaders' next possession with a 34-yard TD pass to Wilson, who shook the cornerback with an inside move before beating the late-arriving safety to the deep ball from de Laura.

"It was a good pass," said Wilson, a University of Michigan commit. "Honestly, I didn't know if I was going to get under it, but I did. It was a good pass and I just happened to be there."

The scoring play was set-up by a 10-yard scramble by de Laura one play prior, on third-and-6. However, the senior quarterback said he got an earful from the sideline after he missed an open Wilson downfield on the play.

"I mean, I missed it the play before, so coach kind of snapped at me before we called that play and said we were going to run the same thing so I saw that the safety stayed shallow and Roman went right over so I just aired it out over," said de Laura, who also threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Makena Ramos-Kamaka late in the second quarter — his final play of the night.

De Laura finished 10-of-12 passing for 175 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed six times for a game-high 52 yards despite being sacked once.

"We could have done better as a team," de Laura said. "We made mistakes, had some selfishness, we just gotta get in the right mindset and start thinking of the team."

The PAT that followed Ramos-Kamaka's TD reception was no good to make it a 20-0 lead just over eight minutes into the game.

Saint Louis extended its lead to 27-0 with Kamoi Latu's 60-yard pick-6 two plays into the second quarter and 33-0 after a 4-yard TD run by Jason Cruz.

The Crusaders had 257 yards of total offense by halftime. They ended four of their six first-half drives with touchdowns.

"I wouldn't say we were worried about a letdown," Wilson said. "You know, we just had to come back this week, treat it the same and work as hard as we did for the Gorman game. Kamehameha is still another team that can beat us, it's not impossible."

The Warriors' lone score also came on the defensive side of the ball. Three plays into the second half, Paliku Kamaka intercepted backup quarterback Connor Apo and carved his way down the left sideline for a 42-yard pick-6.

Saint Louis closed out the scoring with Quincy Likio's sack of Yuen in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter for a safety.

Seven different players had a hand in the Crusaders' six sacks, including 1 1/2 by linebacker and Notre Dame-commit Jordan Botelho.

Kamaka was a bright spot for the Warriors. The junior defensive back recorded two interceptions and recovered a fumble — all in the second half.

Both teams return to Aloha Stadium for their next games on Sept. 14. Kamehameha, which was coming off of a bye last week, will take on No. 2 Mililani at 5 p.m. and Saint Louis will meet No. 4 Kahuku in the 8 p.m. nightcap.

Punahou and Waianae will play in the 2 p.m. matinee to kickoff the triple-header.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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