Hemmeter Field—Crusaders cruise to a 31-21 victory against the Buff n Blue
The Punahou Buff ‘n Blue suffered another difficult loss, dropping to 0-2 after a close battle with longtime rival, the Saint Louis Crusaders. Despite some flashes from key players like senior safety-turned-two-way-player Donte Utu, Punahou couldn’t keep up with the Crusaders, falling short once again in a hard-fought contest.
Photos: Chase Eveleth ’25
Utu, a Stanford commit, was Punahou’s star of the day, showcasing his versatility with two receiving touchdowns and a clutch interception on defense. His performance, especially after recently expanding his role to play wide receiver as well as safety, provided a necessary spark of energy, but ultimately wasn’t enough to push Punahou over the edge.
When asked about the transition, Utu acknowledged the physical demands but remained optimistic: “There’s been some wear and tear, but it hasn’t been too bad. The upcoming bye weeks will definitely help with recovery.”
Sophomore wide receiver Zion White, another bright spot for Punahou, continued to impress. He added a touchdown of his own, building on the momentum he’s gained throughout the season. White echoed Utu’s areas of improvement saying, “We just need to have more courage as a team and come out stronger. These next two bye weeks will be crucial for us to improve.”
For Saint Louis, the victory was fueled by a dominant rushing attack. Junior quarterback Nainoa Lopes led the charge, scoring two of the team’s four rushing touchdowns.
Senior DL Pupu Sepulona of Saint Louis expressed that he was extremely proud of his team stating “We had a lot of errors but still came out with the win. Winning this game was crucial because we won the first round and a chance at states… Everyone made an impact today; it was a team win.”
Punahou entered the season with high expectations but has struggled to create a complete game. Although there are clear signs of improvement, the Buff ‘n Blue have yet to find the formula to finish close games. Utu summed up the team’s frustration after the loss: “The effort was there, we just need to take care of the smaller details, and we’ll continue to improve.”
With two bye weeks on the horizon, Punahou has an opportunity to regroup and work hard as a team. They will need to win all of their games in the second round of the ILH Open Division to have a chance of winning the State Championship. As White put it, “This is our chance to reset, learn from these tough losses, and come out even stronger.”
Junior offensive lineman Tyler White, who missed today’s game stated, “We just need to have a better sense of urgency, we need to win these next two games and I have complete faith in my team that we can get it done.” Tyler, who has shown significant improvement over the last year, will play in their next game on October 12.
The Buff ‘n Blue remain hopeful that they can turn things around as they prepare for the second round of the ILH Open Division, knowing that the talent and heart are there—but it’s all about execution now.