Buffanblu surge past Cavaliers, 56-42


ScoringLive staff
September 2, 2017, 11:26pm

Punahou WR Andrei Iosivas makes a move against a Serra defender. John Lujan | SL

SAN DIEGO — Call it a successful business trip.

Punahou scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and took the lead for good on Sitiveni Kaufusi's 19-yard touchdown run with 1:39 left in regulation to top Junipero Serra (Gardena, California), 56-42, Saturday in a non-league contest at Manchester Stadium at Cathedral Catholic High School.

Senior quarterback Stephen Barber accounted for six total scores to help the Buffanblu improve to 3-0 before their Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I season opener against Kamehameha next Saturday.

Barber's favorite target of the evening was Andrei Iosivas, who finished with six receptions for 189 yards and three TDs. Iosivas' final scoring grab of the day, a 29-yard TD, tied the game at 35-all early in the fourth quarter.

Kaulana Makaula's 58-yard pick-six gave the Buffanblu their first lead of the game since the second quarter, but Serra came right back and tied it on Blaze McKibbin's 13-yard TD pass to Bryan Addison.

Kaufusi's 19-yard scoring run put Punahou back on top with under two minutes to play.

The Cavaliers got the ball to the Punahou 30-yard line with 0:31 left in the game and took a shot for the end zone, but it was intercepted by sophomore Alakai Gilman at the one-yard line to seal the deal.

On the next play, Barber ran a simple keeper off the left tackle and was met with a wide open field, taking it 99 yards for an insurance score with nine seconds left in regulation.

The matchup was a part of The Honor Bowl 2017 organized by The Honor Group and presented by the San Francisco 49ers. Now in its eighth year, the two-day five-game slate featured Christian High School (El Cajon, California), Boron High School (Boron, California), Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, California), Orange Lutheran (Orange, California), Helix Charter (La Mesa, California), Paraclete High School (Lancaster, California), Corona Centennial (Corona, California) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida).

Serra finished 2016 with a 7-4 record, taking home the Mission League Championship before losing in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Playoffs.