Kamehameha DB Taylor Taliulu intercepted this Larry Tuileta pass to setup a Warrior field goal in the second quarter. Brien Ing | SL

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Punahou RB Steven Lakalaka elevates to make a catch late in the first half to set up a Kaimi Fairbairn field goal. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Punahou WR Malik Johnson hauled in this 18-yard strike from Larry Tuileta to try and bring the Buffanblu back. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Kamehameha's Pono Choy (25) and Taylor Taliulu (23) celebrate the go-ahead score for the Warriors. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Sat, Oct 15, 2011 @ Aloha Stadium [ 7:00 pm ]

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Kamehameha

17

Punahou

10

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kamehameha (7-4-0)	0	3	7	7	17
Punahou (11-3-0)	0	3	0	7	10

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Larry Tuileta 217 yd 1 TD

Cid Camanse-Stevens 34 yd

Steven Lakalaka 50 yd

Bronson Barretto 75 yd 1 TD

Taylor McClafferty 89 yd

Keoni Bush-Loo 18 yd

HALAWA - Kamehameha head coach David Stant knew it was do-or-die against No. 4 Punahou Saturday night.

Led by its defense and special teams, the sixth-ranked Warriors held off the Buffanblu in a 17-10 win to remain in contention in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I race. A crowd of about 8,000 at Aloha Stadium saw Kamehameha improve to 6-3 overall and pull into a tie with the Buffanblu at 5-1 in the ILH.

Punahou, which fell to 8-2 overall saw its six-game winning streak halted, would have sealed up a state tournament berth with a win.

"They did great," Stant said of his defense and special teams. "There were a bunch of guys that made big plays tonight."

The Warriors' special teams won the field-position battle throughout the game as a result of kicker Kanekoa Pawn-White's four touchbacks, punter Trey Kodama's four punts of 40-plus yards and several long punt returns by Alii Pedrina.

Defensively, Pono Choy had a 60-yard fumble return late in the third quarter that broke a 3-all tie. Fellow defensive back Taylor Taliulu registered a first-half interception that resulted in Kamehameha's first points - a Pawn-White field goal - and Zen Ikehara, Kamuela Grugier-Hill and Kory Rasmussen each recorded a sack to hold the Punahou offense in check for most of the night. Grugier-Hill also blocked a 52-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter.

"We just thought that if we lost this game, we're pretty much done," said Taliulu, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior cornerback. "Our seniors would be done, so we just wanted to come out firing with a lot of intensity in the beginning and keep our season going."

Stant said his team's sense of urgency was prevalent throughout a slightly-adjusted week of practices.

"We started out the week hard - we went three days of full pads - and we did a lot of banging in the beginning of the week, then we kind of pulled back on Thursday and Friday, so hopefully that helped," Stant said.

Punahou's standout running back, Steven Lakalaka, was limited to 50 yards on 19 carries by the Warriors. In the Buffanblu's 17-14 win over Kamehameha two weeks ago, he ran for 151 yards on 22 attempts.

"We're real satisfied with that. Our D-line worked real hard and we had our (defensive backs) come up and try to make plays," Taliulu said of Lakalaka. "We tried to stop him because we know that he is one of the big factors in that Punahou offense."

Kamehameha got on the board with Pawn-White's 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter, which was set-up by Taliulu's 16-yard interception return from midfield.

The Warriors had a chance to extend their lead midway through the quarter and appeared to do so on an 11-yard pass from Nephi Stevens to Pedrina. However, it was ruled that Pedrina did not have control of the ball when he landed in the end zone. One play later, Kamehameha turned it over on its first of two first-half fumbles.

Stant said he tried to keep his team composed following the turnovers. Kamehameha turned it over four times, including fumbles on its first three drives, when the teams last met.

"We talked to the boys and we told them to take care of the ball, handle the ball, because the only way we're going to lose is (if we play) like how we did last time, with the four turnovers," Stant said.

Punahou tied it on the final play of the second quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Kaimi Fairbairn to make the score, 3-3, at the half.

Late in the third quarter, with Punahou driving, Kamehameha linebacker Noah Borden forced a fumble, which was picked up by Choy and returned for the game's first touchdown. The 60-yard scoop-and-score, followed by Pawn-White's extra point, put the Warriors ahead, 10-3, after three quarters.

"We tried to play team defense, with everybody doing their assignments, doing their jobs and that's how it comes out," said Choy, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound senior safety. "We came out hard this game, we knew that we had to win."

Special teams failed the Buffanblu early in the fourth quarter. With the Warriors' lining up for a 50-yard field goal, Punahou was flagged for encroachment. However, on the ensuing 45-yard attempt, the Buffanblu gave Kamehameha a first down after it roughed the kicker. Stevens rushed for one yard on the ensuing first down from the 13-yard line, but Punahou was penalized again, this time for an illegal hit to the helmet, which left first-and-goal from the 6. Bronson Barretto punched it into the end zone on the next play as he took the handoff, started toward the middle of the field, then cutback to his left and scampered untouched into paydirt. The PAT by Pawn-White was good to make it 17-3 with 9:56 to play in the game.

"Kamehameha deserved to win. They played really well, David and his staff did a great job preparing for us," Buffanblu head coach Kale Ane said. "We're disappointed, but we know that we have another chance, so we've just got to pack it up and get ready for the next one."

Punahou closed the scoring with 1:23 to play on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Larry Tuileta to Malik Johnson, but the Warriors recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

"This feels real good. We've been preparing all week," Taliulu said. "The last time we played them, we felt that we could do better so it feels good to come out and have a good victory."

Tuileta had 217 passing yards on 21-of-39 passing and wide receiver Taylor McClafferty had a game-high eight catches for 89 yards for Punahou.

Barretto finished with 75 yards rushing on 18 carries for Kamehameha, which was 7-of-16 on third downs.

The Warriors play No. 8 Saint Louis Friday while the Buffanblu meet the Crusaders a week later. If Saint Louis wins both games, it would result in a three-way tie and force a playoff for the ILH's lone berth into the Hawaii High School Athletic Association/First Hawaiian Bank State Championships. The Crusaders lost to both teams in the first round of ILH play.