Kaimi Fairbairn's 31-yard field goal in overtime lifted Punahou over Kamehameha, 17-14, in Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I football Friday night at Aloha Stadium.

The Buffanblu (6-3 overall, 4-3 ILH) saw their 14-7 lead diminish after a turnover gave the Warriors (5-4, 3-3) possession at the Punahou 11, setting up the game-tying score, an 11-yard TD run by RB D.J. Kawewehi with six minutes, eight seconds left in regulation.

In OT, each team starts a series from the defense's 20. Punahou had the ball first and moved 15 yards on their first three plays, only to move backward on successive five-yard penalties. It eventually settled for Fairbairn's chip shot from the right hash.

Kamehameha only moved eight yards after its first three plays. But Kanekoa Pawn-White's 29-yard field goal try sailed wide left, leaving the Buffanblu a high note to end their season.

"It was a great way to end," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "I'm really excited for our kids. We talk about how bittersweet it is to finish your last game, but we added a couple minutes to it."

Fairbairn, who took some warmup kicks during the three-minute break before the overtime, credited his coaches, holder and snapper.

"I just focus on technique and following through," Fairbairn said. "I didn't worry about what the kick was for. I just remembered by technique and follow-through."

As elated as Fairbairn was about his kick, he felt for Pawn-White, being he is a fellow kicker.

"That's really rough," Fairbairn said. "I told him keep his head up after the game was done. I just remembered that I don't want to feel like that."

The game could not be more evenly matched. The Warriors averaged 3.6 yards per pass, while the Buffanblu averaged 3.4. The Warriors averaged 3.4 yards per rush to the Buffanblu's 3.3. Each team's leading rusher - Punahou Steven Lakalaka and Kamehameha's Kawewehi - each had 24 carries for 117 yards and one TD.

The teams exchanged TD in alternating quarters. Lakalaka scored the game's first TD in the first quarter on a seven-yard run. The Warriors tied in the second quarter on a one-yard QB sneak by Christian Akana.

The Buffanblu regained the lead on a one-yard QB run by Kale Dyas. The Warriors tied the game on Kawewehi's 11-yard TD run.

While the season ended for Punahou, Kamehameha still has a date next week with Saint Louis, which clinched the ILH Division I title last weekend.

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