LIVE BLOG: Saint Louis 27, Punahou 23, F

There’s no tomorrow for one of these teams after Saturday night.

No. 1 Saint Louis and No. 3 Punahou will meet for the third and final time this season in a tiebreaker to determine the overall ILH champion and who moves on to the state tournament starting in two weeks.

The Crusaders forced the one-game playoff after snapping Punahou’s 20-game winning streak against ILH teams with a 30-14 win last Saturday. The Saint Louis defense shut out the Buffanblu over the final three quarters and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who coach Cal Lee said will start tonight, threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another.

Punahou has won the last four ILH Division I titles and hasn’t lost back-to-back ILH games since 2004.

The key to this game? Punahou RB Wayne Taulapapa. This will be Taulapapa’s sixth game in his career against the Crusaders. In Punahou’s four wins, Taulapapa is averaging 166.5 rushing yards per game and hasn’t finished with less than 150 in any of those four victories. In the loss last week, “Big Game Wayne” was held to 92 yards on 18 carries. How he fares will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. We will bring you live play-by-play updates and videos throughout the evening.

6:30 p.m. update: Both teams on the field warming up. QBs Nick Kapule and Ephraim Tuliloa both warming up for Punahou while all three QBs getting in some work for Saint Louis.

6:50 p.m.: Nick Kapule announced as starting QB for Punahou. Tuliloa has been dealing with a shoulder injury all year and was 14-for-24 for 120 yards with three picks last week vs. Saint Louis.

SEASON STATS
Kapule: 6 G, 84-for-127, 1,331 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT
Tuliloa: 6 G 94-for-142, 1,080 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT

TEAM CAPTAINS
Saint Louis: Tytus Timoteo, Nate Herbig, Tanielu Evaimalo, Jon Manalo
Punahou: Laakea Look, Patamo Soa, Kanai Eldredge

Buffanblu will receive. Here. We. Go.

Punahou is on the field ready to go as Saint Louis runs out of the tunnel. Could we get a delay of game here? Crusaders playing games? Saint Louis making them wait.

Enoch Nawahine with a 19-yard return and Punahou starts on its 25. Punahou has a player ejected on the first play. Not sure what happened. Kapule in at QB. First two handoffs are to Taulapapa, who picks up 8 and 3 for a first down. Offsides Saint Louis. First five runs are by Taulapapa out of a no-receiver set. Third-and-6 and Punahou goes four-wide. Pass is way behind the receiver and Punahou will punt. Taulapapa five carries, 24 yards on drive.

Saint Louis will start on its 21. Satiate Lefau in at RB to start for Crusaders. He’s stopped for a loss of 3 on the first play by Look and Logan Williams. WR Drew Kobayashi then goes high near the sideline to haul in an 18-yard reception. Tagoavailoa with a bullet over the middle to Noah Alejado for 21 yards but it’s third-and-9 after he’s stopped for a 2-yard loss. Tagovailoa finds Lefau out of the backfield with a shovel pass and WOW. Look at him turn on the jets. He gets through a couple of tacklers who miss and is gone. 29-yard touchdown reception puts Crusaders up 7-0, 5:10, Q1.

Tagovailoa 4-for-4 for 70 yards on drive.

Robert Nakihei with a big 41-yard return on the kickoff to the Saint Louis 49. After an incomplete pass, Kapule finds Ethan Takeyama for 12 yards. High snap is tough at first for Kapule to control and he just fires it up in the face of a rush. It’s underthrown but the defender slips and Takeyama has it. 37-yard touchdown pass from Kapule and just like that, 7-7, 4:32, Q1. Buffanblu answer in 38 seconds.

Lefau starts off with a carry for 3 yards. That’s his fifth rushing attempt already. Crusaders committed to the run early, which is hard when you can throw 17 yards with ease to Kobayashi as Saint Louis does there. Another laser to Jahvin Spear for 15. Tagovailoa looks healthy and on top of his game tonight. Tagovailoa misses his first throw on a TD to Kobayashi who almost made an insane one-handed snag. Jimmy Gonsalves runs for 1 on third-and-2 and Crusaders face a fourth-and-1 on the Punahou 33. Timeout Buffanblu. Crusaders go for it and try to throw to Lefau out of the backfield but DB Justin Matias reads it perfectly and blows up Lefau for a 7-yard loss. Buffanblu ball.

Tuliloa in at QB and he runs a keeper for 8 yards. Kapule back in and hands off to Taulapapa for 11 and a first down. Incomplete pass by Kapule and the quarter ends with Punahou second-and-10 on the Crusaders 41.

FIRST QUARTER STATS
at Aloha Stadium
Saint Louis (7-1) 7
Punahou (8-1) 7
StL—Saitaua Lefau 29 pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jacob Tobias kick)
Pun—Ethan Takeyama 37 pass from Nick Kapule (Jet Toner kick)

StL
Saitaua Lefau 7-25
Jimmy Gonsalves 1-1
Tagovailoa 1-(-2)

Tagovailoa 7-8-0-95

Lefau 2-22
Drew Kobayashi 2-35
Noah Alejado 1-21
Jahvin Spear 1-15
Ronson Young 1-2

Pun
Wayne Taulapapa 6-35
Ephraim Tuliloa 1-8

Nick Kapule 2-5-0-49

Takeyama 2-49

SECOND QUARTER
Judd Cockett with a 9-yard reception and Taulapapa is stopped on third-and-1 for no gain. Nice play by DB Isaiah Tufaga. Fourth-and-1 at the 22 and Tuliloa is in. He keeps and Tanielu Evaimalo with the huge tackle to stop him short. Crusaders ball. Huge play by Evaimalo.

Lefau stopped for no gain by Williams and then Tagovailoa throws ahead of the receiver too much. Third-and-10. Tagovailoa is rushed by Williams who has him in the backfield but Tagovailoa carries him and carries him and carries him and he almost got it. 8 yards but there’s a hold. Punahou takes the penalty instead of fourth-and-2. Nope they decline it. Fourth down and Saint Louis will punt.

Punahou lets it bounce instead of fielding it and it turns into a 47-yard punt. Punahou ball on its 23. Check that, 11 after the penalty. Takeyama comes up with a big play again as he catches one in traffic over the middle, stops and cuts back to his right to pick up 42 yards. 91 yards on 3 catches for him. Kapule runs for 11 but a 1-yard run by Taulapapa and incomplete pass makes it third-and-9. Tuliloa in. He tries the quick touch pass over the top to the tight end but misses it. Jet Toner in to kick. Toner from 43 yards is good. 10-7 Buffanblu, 7:16, Q2.

Tagovailoa over the middle to Spear for 22 yards and then he evades the rush and kicks in the afterburners to get to the sideline for 11 yards. Shovel pass to Lefau for 13. Lefau stopped for 3-yard loss by Williams, who is having a helluva first half on defense for Punahou. Timeout Saint Louis with 4:53 left in the half. Second-and-14 from the 33. Tagovailoa looks the best I’ve seen in him since the original injury by far. He’s 10-for-12 for 135 yards.

Play resumes and a hold makes it second-and-31 from midfield. Tagovailoa goes deep down the sideline but overthrows Kobayashi, who was well covered. Two defenders in the area. Third-and-a-mile. Alejado with a 16-yard reception but illegal man downfield. Punahou declines the penalty. Fourth-and-15 from the 34. Saint Louis calls timeout. Tagoaviloa to Kobayashi for 24 yards and he holds on! First-and-goal from the 10. Shovel pass to Lefau for a 10-yard TD pass. Second touchdown of the game for Crusaders. Both come on same exact play. XP failed. 13-10, 4:08, Q2.

Chapel with a big scramble on third-and-7 as he gets through the rush and bounces outside for 11 yards and a first down past midfield. Taulapapa now with 51 yards on 11 carries. Dangerous throw there as Kapule double-clutched on the slant out of the fake handoff and threw into traffic. Just incomplete though. Third-and-7 at the 45. Kapule scrambles for 4 but is stopped by Ronson Timbreza. Confusion as Punahou lines up to go for it and Saint Louis uses its final timeout. 1:27 remaining in half. Fourth-and-3 on Crusaders 41. Buffanblu are four-wide. Punahou moves early. Center might have forgot to snap the ball. Buffanblu were going to go for it. Now they will punt and Punahou does a great job downing at the 1 with 1:14 left.

Tagovailoa sneaks it to the 4 and Punahou uses a timeout. Buffanblu have 1 left in the half. Lefau for 2 to the 6 and Punahou uses final timeout. Third-and-5. They get the first down and run the clock.

HALFTIME BOX
at Aloha Stadium
Saint Louis (7-1) 7 6
Punahou (8-1) 7 3
StL—Saitaua Lefau 29 pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jacob Tobias kick)
Pun—Ethan Takeyama 37 pass from Nick Kapule (Jet Toner kick)
Pun—FG Toner 43
StL—Lefau 10 pass from Tagovailoa (kick failed)

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Lefau 11-31, Tagovailoa 5-25, Jimmy Gonsalves 1-1. Punahou: Wayne Taulapapa 11-51, Kapule 4-36, Ephraim Tuliloa 2-8.
PASSING—Saint Louis: Tagovailoa 13-16-0-185. Punahou: Kapule 6-13-10-113, Tuliloa 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Lefau 4-45, Drew Kobayashi 3-59, Noah Alejado 2-37, Jahvin Spear 2-37, Ronson Young 2-7. Punahou: Takeyama 3-91, Judd Cockett 2-13, Kyle Yoshino 1-9.

Looks like Tanielu Evaimalo has gathered the entire Crusaders team at midfield near their sideline. No coaches in the ring, only players and Evaimalo is firing up the troops. Here we go with the second half. Crusaders will start with the ball.

Also, clarification on the player ejection. It was Punahou OLB Chris Hirata. Still unclear why.

Crusaders first-and-10 on the 20. Lefau sprints out wide left for 16 yards and a first down. Four consecutive plays of at least 10 yards has the ball on the Punahou 24. Spear with a 10-yard catch and Kobayashi with a 16-yard catch. Lefau 14-yard run. Dylan Silva runs for 10. Lefau for 8. Tagovailoa keeps for 4. First-and-goal on the 2 and Lefau loses 1. Lefau to the 1. Tagovailoa keeps on third down and is stopped for a loss of 2 by Jared Puu-Robinson. Fourth-and-goal and Tagovailoa takes off but he’s stopped, no, he throws it at the last second. Diving grab by Spear. TOUCHDOWN. 3-yard TD on fourth-and-goal. What a play. 20-10, 7:49, Q3.

Punahou starts on the 30 and Tuliloa runs for 3 before Kapule comes back in. Big pressure off the end forces incomplete pass and third down. Taulapapa handed the ball on third down and he rumbles for 24 yards. Longest run of the night. Kapule is sacked by a host of defenders led by sophomore LB Noa Purcell. Third-and-16. Incomplete. Punt.

A holding call makes it first-and-19 at the 1. Another holding call and this one is in the end zone for a safety. Tagovailoa drops back and hits another long pass but another flag and it’s in the end zone. If that’s a holding penalty, it’s a safety. It is. Punahou with 2 points and gets the ball back. 20-12, 4:45, Q3.

Now an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Crusaders, who have to kick from their 10. It’s returned to the Saint Louis 36. Punahou in business but Taulapapa is whistled for hurdling a defender on the run. First-and-25. Kapule with a deep ball down the seam and Cole Arceneaux does a great job of holding onto the catch after a big hit. Personal foul on Crusaders. Ball at the 12. Tufaga hurt on the next play but he’s up and OK for Saint Louis. Kapule tries a fade to third-string QB Stephen Barber but it’s incomplete. Third down pass is in and out of the hands of the receiver as Purcell makes a great play to knock it out of Cole Arceneaux‘s hands. Fourth-and-11 and Punahou goes for it. Kapule with the fade to the back corner and Arceneaux has it. 13-yard TD on fourth-and-11. What a throw and catch. Huge for the Buffanblu. Punahou will go for 2. They send Taulapapa in motion and pass is good over the middle to Takeyama. we’re tied 20-20, 3:44, Q3.

Tagovailoa to Young for 13 yards on third-and-5. Lefau runs twice for 9. Third-and-1. Handoff to Lefau and Laakea Look absolutely destroys the play and tackles Lefau for a 3-yard loss. Crusaders have to punt.

Taulapapa with an 8-yard carry to get to 95 yards on final play of third quarter. Punahou is third-and-2 on its own 47 to start the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER
Taulapapa gets to 100 yards on carry No. 15 to start the fourth quarter. Barber with a 15-yard reception and then a hold on Saint Louis moves it to the 23. Dylan Toilolo with the sack to move Punahou back 7. Jalen Saole flies in to stop Taulapapa for a 3-yard loss on a late pitch and a receiver falls down to make it fourth-and-20 from the 33. Toner will try a 50-yarder. PLENTY of leg. It is GOOD. 50-yard field goal for Toner gives Punahou a 23-20 lead with 9:37 remaining.

Tagovailoa comes out and fires a missile down the middle to Spear for 27 yards. 9-yard pass to Young is followed by Lefau’s 20th carry. He goes for 4 yards and a first down. Two incomplete passes for Tagovailoa though and it’s third down and 10. Timeout Saint Louis. Crusaders come out and try to get tricky faking the quick throw out and then the shovel pass back inside but it’s dropped by Spear. Crusaders will punt with 7:54 remaining.

Punahou will start on its 6. Takeyama gets 5 on the quick pass and Taulapapa runs for 1. Third-and-4. Kapule goes deep but it’s played perfectly. Incomplete. Three-and-out for Punahou.

Crusaders will start first-and-10 on their 37 with 6:03 remaining. Check that. Penalty on Punahou. Buffanblu will have to kick again. This one is fair caught at the Punahou 42. Difference of 21 yards. Check that again. Illegal formation forces another punt. Toner is in the end zone. Toner shanks that punt and the Crusaders get it at the Punahou 33. So that ends up being a 30-yard difference.

Tagovailoa has now missed on four of his last five throws as he’s incomplete again. Punahou’s secondary has done a good job in this second half. Alejado can only get 1 on the next play and on third down Tagovailoa is rushed and it’s incomplete over the middle. Fourth-and-9 and Crusaders will go for it. 5:32 on clock. Tagovailoa in trouble. He gets it off at the last possible second and it’s complete to Alejado for 11 yards. First down. Lefau on the shovel pass for 13 yards down to the 8. First-and-goal. Tagovailoa runs to the 4. Second-and-goal. Handoff to Lefau who races around the end to the left side. TOUCHDOWN SAINT LOUIS. 4-yard TD run with 3:50 left. 27-23. Kick is up and good after a super delayed call. The ref didn’t know if it got in. No replay is shown. It’s 27-23 with 3:50 remaining. That was weird. The ref under the left post had no idea if that was good.

Takeyama with a 13-yard catch and Taulapapa runs for 6. Injury timeout. Kapule’s pass is batted away. Third-and-4 from the 37. Takeyama for 9 yards and a first down to the 46. Taulapapa runs to the 48 for 6. 2:19 and counting. Taulapapa loses 1. Taulapapa has to come out because his helmet came off. Slant to Takeyama for 9. First down on the 40. Taulapapa stopped for a loss of 4 yards by LB Isaac Slade-Matautia who makes his first big impression tonight. False start makes it second-and-19 at the 49 with 43 seconds remaining. Punahou has two timeouts. Kapule is sacked by Toilolo and Evaimalo. Third-and-24 from the Punahou 46 after the Buffanblu timeout.

Chapel throws one up and it is intercepted by Ronson Timbreza. Saint Louis will hold on and win its first ILH D-I title since 2010. Punahou’s four-year run at the top is over.

at Aloha Stadium
Saint Louis (8-1) 7 6 7 7 — 27
Punahou (8-2) 7 3 10 3 — 23
StL—Saitaua Lefau 29 pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Jacob Tobias kick)
Pun—Ethan Takeyama 37 pass from Nick Kapule (Jet Toner kick)
Pun—FG Toner 43
StL—Lefau 10 pass from Tagovailoa (kick failed)
StL—Jahvin Spear 3 pass from Tagovailoa (Tobias kick)
Pun—Safety, holding penalty in end zone
Pun—Cole Arceneaux 13 pass from Kapule (Takeyama pass from Kapule)
Pun—FG Toner 50
StL—Lefau 4 run (Tobias kick)

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Lefau 21-84, Tagovailoa 9-36, Dylan Silva 1-10, Jimmy Gonsalves 1-1, team 1-(minus 2). Punahou: Wayne Taulapapa 21-105, Kapule 8-18, Ephraim Tuliloa 3-11.
PASSING—Saint Louis: Tagovailoa 22-31-0-288. Punahou: Kapule 14-29-1-189, Tuliloa 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Lefau 5-58, Drew Kobayashi 4-75, Noah Alejado 4-49, Spear 5-77, Ronson Young 4-29. Punahou: Takeyama 7-127, Judd Cockett 4-12, Arceneaux 2-38, Stephen Barber 1-15, Kyle Yoshino 1-9.