Photos: Chase Eveleth ’25
Eddie Hamada Field — Even on their home turf, Iolani couldn’t break through the Buff and Blue.
The Punahou Varsity I (Open) football team cruised to victory in a cross-town rivalry matchup against Iolani’s Raiders. The Buff and Blue got the ball rolling early when Dane Kellner housed an 80-yard punt return in the early first quarter. On the ensuing drive Linebacker Iloa Kaio picked off Iolani’s CJ Villanueva, giving the Puns the ball in scoring territory and sparking a momentum shift that never swung back.
Nelson Aau was big for Punahou as he cashed in 3 touchdowns and rushed for 115 yards. Aau punched in an easy touchdown to widen the gap in the first quarter giving the Buff n Blu a 14-0 lead over the Raiders. Aau picked up right where he left off last game when he scored 2 touchdowns in a loss to the Campbell Sabers.
The Raiders struggled offensively against a powerful Punahou defense as they were held to a season-low 140 total yards in the game. The Buff and Blue were able to pick up early stops, preventing Iolani from gaining any type of momentum. Iolani quarterback CJ Villanueva completed 12 of his 24 passes for 75 yards. Kekame Kane was on the receiving end of six of those passes and racked up 41 yards. Kane led the team in receptions and receiving yards. However, Keon Preusser was right behind Kane with 5 catches for 38 yards.
Punahou was able to capitalize off of their defensive stops with punt returner Dane Kellner returning 2 punts for touchdowns. Before this game, Kellner had not scored on a punt return. Brady Lau also chipped in as he sealed the deal by rushing for a 33-yard touchdown late in the 4th quarter. Lau, who usually lines up at receiver, was able to take one to the crib from the backfield. Buff n Blue quarterback Hunter Fujikawa threw 7 times completing 4 of his passes for 41 yards.
Next week the Raiders will host Kamehameha’s Varsity 2 team for their second league game of the season. In their last meeting, the Raiders dominated the Warriors winning 55-0 at home, and will look to regain some momentum.
As for the Buff and Blue, they will open up their ILH regular season away at the Kamehameha Kapalama campus next week Saturday. The meeting between #4 Buff and Blue and the #8 Warriors will be the first since October of last year. It is an important game for both teams as they start the fight for a berth into the state playoffs.