Saint Louis quarterback Tua Tagovailoa attempts to evade a tackle attempt by Kamehameha's Tainoa Foster. Tagovailoa passed for 256 yards and accounted for three scores in the Crusaders' win. Johnny Wilson | Special to SL

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Saint Louis' defense and special teams made late clutch plays to fend off relentess Kamehameha, 31-27, Saturday night at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

An interception by Isaiah Tufaga with 55 seconds left and a blocked PAT by Isaac Slade-Matautia earlier proved to be the difference for the teams that met for the 161st time in their illustrious history. Saint Louis increased its series lead to 90-61-10, the sixth-longest rivalry in the state.

"It's a blessing," Saint Louis quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said of the season-opneing win. "It's always a belssing."

Saint Louis (3-0 overall, 1-0 ILH), second in the Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings, won its ILH season opener for the first time since 2012, when it beat Iolani, 68-39. No. 5 Kamehameha (3-1, 0-1) has dropped its third consecutive meeting to the Crusaders dating to last year.

"We made too many mistakes throughout the game," Kamehameha coach Doug Cosbie said. "Their (the Crusaders) offense is too good to be spotting all these points."

Tagovailoa completed 14 of 26 passes for 256 yards and two TDs with one interception. He also ran in a TD. Running back Jahred Silofau led all rushers with 103 yards on 13 carries.

Tagovailoa left the field twice with leg cramps on the humid night.

"I didn't prepare (properly) drinking, putting the fluids into my body," he said. "I suffered the consequences."

Kamehameha QB Thomas Yam completed 21 of 36 for 286 yards and one TD, but was intercepted three times (Noa Purcell, Kainalu Paikai and Slade-Matautia, who returned his 39 yards for a TD.

Receiver Kumoku Noa led all receivers with 177 yards on five receptions, including a 55-yard TD.

For the second game in a row, the Crusaders reached the two-century mark in penalties. They were called 21 times for 210 yards. Two weeks ago against Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), they were called 19 times for 210 yards.

"We can play better, I think, " Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said. "We hung on. The main thing is  we got the win."

As for the penalties…

"It's a lot," Lee said. "They were calling every little thing. It's as if they have a quota to make."

The Warriors trailed 31-14 before at the half and held the Crusaders scoreless in the second half. Kamehameha cut its deficit to 31-21 on Yam's two-yard TD run and Adam Stack's PAT with 6:09 in the third quarter.

Later in the quarter, Kamehameha had an apparent 46-yard TD pass fro Yam to Noa nullified by a holding penalty; the Warriors eventually punted a touchback.

Saint Louis took over with eight seconds left in the third from its 20, but saw its drive end on fourth-and-11 from the Kamehameha 20 when Alema Kapoi sacked backup Chevan Cordeiro, who replaced Tagovailoa seven plays earlier when the starter suffered his second cramp of the game. Four plays earlier, Cordeiro had an apparent 19-yard TD to Leelan Oasay nullified by a holding call.

Kamehameha started at its 35 with 9:25 left in the game and drove to the Saint Louis 2. But on fourth-and-goal, Koby Ford caught a swiing pass from Yam in the right flat, but Purcell dropped Ford for a seven-yard loss.

But Saint Louis punted after three downs; backup Ikaia Bernardino (to Tagovailoa) boomed a 46-yarder to the Kamehameha 37 with 4:50 left.

On first down, Yam connected with Noa on a 62-yard pass to the Saint Louis 1. Yam rushed the ball in with 4:30 left to pull the Warriors to 31-27.  But Slade-Matautia blocked the PAT to force the Warriors to have to go for a TD on its next series, keeping the strong-legged Stack out of the equation.

Saint Louis started from its 20 and eventually faced fourth-and-three from its 47. Kamehameha called time when the Crusaders showed they were going for it; Saint Louis followed with a timeout of its own and still went for it. But Tagovailoa'a pass to Ronson Young fell incomplete, giving the Warriors favorable field position at Saint Louis' 49. Fatu Sua-Godinet started the drive, but was sacked for no gain on third down at the 43. On fourth-and-4, Sua-Godinet rolled right and fired to Noa near the right sideline, but Tufaga got in front of the receiver for the interception to stop the threat.

Noa returned the opening kickoff 32 yards to the Kamehameha 39. Nine plays later, Yam scored on a QB draw from three yards. Stack's PAT gave Kamehameha a 7-0 lead with 8:49 in the first quarter.

Saint Louis wasted little time, scoring on its first series on Tagovailoa's 10-yard run with 6:23 in the first. Jacob Tobias' PAT tied the game at 7.

Kamehameha's next series by stalled by Purcell's interception that he returned 20 yards to the Warriors' 29. The Crusaders had an apparent eight-yard TD run by RB Jonathon Manalo nullified by a personal foul penalty. Two plays later, Tagovailoa scrambled out of pressure and hit a diving Leelan Oasay for a 19-yard TD pass to make it 14-7.

Saint Louis widened its lead early in the second quarter on Tobias' 32-yard field goal to make it 17-7.

Noa returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Saint Louis 38, but the Warriors gained nothing on four plays.

The Crusaders responded in a big way, moving 62 yards in three plays that ended with Tagovailoa's nine-yard TD pass to Chandler Washington-Villanueva to make it 24-7 with 7:58 in the half.

Saint Louis ensuing kickoff, a possible onside try, ended up at Kamehameha's 41. Three plays later, Yam hit Noa ona 55-yard TD pass to pull the Warriors to 24-14 with 7:28 in the half.

Kamehameha's Koolau Feltman intercepted a Tagovailoa pass at the Kamehameha 40, but the Warriors' drive ended when Stack's 44-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.

Later in the half, Slade-Matautia returned a Yam interception 39 yards to a TD to make it 31-14.

Yam was intercepted by Paikai just before the half to allow the Crusaders to preserve their lead into the break.