Taimane Purcell’s 2-yard touchdown run broke a 10-all tie in the fourth quarter as No. 4 Kamehameha pulled out a 24-10 win over No. 7 Punahou on Friday night at Kunuiakea Stadium.
The victory kept Kamehameha in first place in the ILH Open Division with a 3-1 league record (4-4 overall) and ended Punahou’s chance of making a late-season run for a potential tiebreaker. A win for the Buffanblu would have marked their first after two ILH losses, setting up a dramatic scenario next week against Saint Louis (2-1) with one game left.
Instead, Saint Louis will need a win over the Buffanblu on Friday to finish 3-1 and force a tiebreaker matchup with Kamehameha for the league title and the lone state-tournament berth.
“Our boys were able to step up this game and make big plays in big situations,” said Purcell, who battled leg cramps late in the game.
The touchdown run was Purcell’s only rushing attempt of the game. He also started on defense and recorded one of Kamehameha’s four sacks on Punahou quarterback Hunter Fujikawa. Kalei Harbottle, Kaimana Fake, and Jory Muafono also contributed sacks, as they limited Punahou to just 37 rushing yards. Fujikawa finished 16-for-34 passing for 160 yards with one interception, picked off by Tau Purcell.
“It’s the expectation. This is nothing to get too excited about. We’ve got to come back in and work next week,” Taimane Purcell said.
Clinging to a seven-point lead, Kamehameha put the game out of reach with a sky-high moon ball from quarterback Mana Forges to versatile Jayden Braun for a 39-yard touchdown with 4:36 left on the clock. Braun had already saved a bad snap as holder on a 39-yard field goal by Tyler Fujimoto in the first half. He finished the game with five receptions for 96 yards.
“I’ve just got to make the play and get it for my kicker so he can make that field goal,” Braun said. “Shout out to my family and friends, and God. Thank God for everything.”
Forges completed 18 of 24 passes for 177 yards. He fumbled twice but recovered both times. Kamehameha did not commit a turnover.
Punahou entered the game having lost their earlier matchup against Kamehameha 31-30 and had momentum in the second half after tying the game at 10.
“We played well. We sputtered on offense at times and we made some plays on defense. We’re a young team and I like our leadership, the opportunities we had. We’re disappointed to lose, but I’m super proud of their effort,” said Punahou coach Nate Kia.
Punahou was gifted the first break of the game when a punt snap by Kamehameha dribbled short of punter Fujimoto, allowing Punahou’s Kaison Aquino to recover the football at the Warriors’ 3-yard line. Kamehameha’s defense responded strongly, stopping Punahou on three run plays.
Tyler Endo’s 21-yard field goal gave Punahou a 3-0 lead with 2:06 left in the first quarter. The Warriors then responded with a 12-play, 73-yard scoring drive. Running back Ezekiel Gabriel began the series with a 19-yard gain and capped it with a 3-yard touchdown run behind the left side of his offensive line, putting Kamehameha ahead 7-3 with 8:49 remaining in the first half.
Another troubled punt snap appeared destined for disaster when it glanced off up man Taimane Purcell, but Fujimoto recovered and delivered a 53-yard coffin-corner punt that bounced out at the Kamehameha 3-yard line.
Moments later, with sheets of rain falling diagonally onto the field, Tau Purcell intercepted Fujikawa’s pass and returned it 12 yards to the Punahou 26-yard line. Kamehameha faced a fourth-and-1 at the 17 but was flagged for a false start. Fujimoto lined up for a 39-yard field goal, but a bad snap hit the ground. Holder Jayden Braun salvaged the play, enabling Fujimoto to split the uprights and extend Kamehameha’s lead to 10-3 with 46 seconds left in the first half.
Though Kamehameha had the momentum, Punahou tied the game in the third quarter. A 10-yard punt by Fujimoto in the rain landed out of bounds at the Kamehameha 33-yard line. On the ensuing snap, Fujikawa fired a dart to Brady Lau on a deep post for a 33-yard touchdown, knotting the score at 10 with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Both defenses then took command until Kamehameha had the ball early in the fourth quarter. On third-and-1, Forges connected with Braun on a 30-yard bomb to the Punahou 17-yard line. Three plays later, Taimane Purcell lined up at quarterback in a goal-line formation and dove over the line for a 2-yard touchdown, giving Kamehameha a 17-10 lead with 8:35 remaining.
The Warriors put the game out of reach on Forges’ 29-yard strike to Braun, who drew single coverage on second-and-1. Kamehameha led 24-10 with 4:36 left.
Friday’s clash marked the 203rd meeting between these storied programs on the gridiron. Punahou holds a 103-94 series advantage with six ties. The point differential favors Punahou, 3,090 to 3,079.
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