When Kamehameha beat Punahou 6-0 on October 31, 1903, it was the first meeting between the schools, and they have played either 179 or 180 times since, depending on if they played once or twice in 1977 (that still has to be researched). According to this list from Wikipedia …
List of high school football rivalries (100 years+)
… nothing else in the country even approaches the rivalry as far as number of games played. Nothing else, not even Harvard-Yale, even comes close.
The Buffanblu and Warriors tangle again Sept. 14 at Aloha Stadium. Punahou will host Damien on Sept. 7 on its new field, which probably looks a lot different than it did in 1903. According to this video …
.. the field wasn’t built until later, but accounts of that game in 1903 reported it as being at Alexander Field. It was probably just that, a field in the middle of a forest, until it was leveled and dedicated in 1908.
Back to the present day, Punahou and Farrington held a scrimmage on Saturday morning but had to smack each other around on the lower field because Alexander isn’t ready yet. Our own Jason Kaneshiro was there.
Punahou running back K.J. Sekona scored both Buffanblu touchdowns in a scrimmage with Farrington Saturday morning.
After Punahou went three-and-out on its first possession, quarterback Larry Tuileta completed six of seven passes on his next drive with Kanawai Noa making a leaping catch at the 4-yard line to set up Sekona’s first score.
Sekona carried the ball 12 times in Punahou’s 13-play drive to open the second half and punched in his second touchdown from inches outside the goal line.
With a new cast of starters surrounding him in the Farrington huddle, junior quarterback Montana Liana led the Governors on two productive drives in the first half. The first ended with a missed field goal, and the second was cut short when the officials blew the whistle signaling halftime. The Governors did break through with a touchdown pass in the second half.
The scrimmage was held on Punahou’s lower field — as have all of the Buffanblu’s practices so far — while work continues on installing a new synthetic playing surface at Alexander Field.
Punahou head coach Kale Ane said the field is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.
“It’s exciting,” Ane said. “It’ll be hot, but exciting.”
The scrimmage was Farrington’s second of the week and head coach Randall Okimoto saw improvements over the team’s previous scrimmage against Saint Louis. The Governors open the season next week at Waianae.
Punahou has two weeks to prepare for its opening game at Mililani on Aug. 15. Punahou defensive end Canton Kaumatule sat out the scrimmage to rest a strained shoulder. He expects to be back in practice this week.
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