The ILH opener between Kamehameha and host Punahou on Saturday lacked sizzle early on and ended in a drizzle and a goal-line stand spearheaded by the Warriors’ Evan Cazimero. Cazimero stopped a 2-point conversion run just short of the goal line with 16 seconds remaining as No. 5 Kamehameha held off No. 7 Punahou 31-30.

“I had the responsibility of No. 3 (in pass coverage), but I saw the quarterback come out,” said Cazimero, who added that Punahou’s Hunter Fujikawa was about 1 or 2 yards from scoring on the quarterback draw. “I had to make a play. The defense can bend but not break.”

The Warriors (2-3, 1-0) took a 31-24 lead on Hazyn Botelho’s uncontested 3-yard run with 1:04 remaining.

“I had to make the call to tell the defense to allow them to score, so that we would have enough time on the clock,” Punahou coach Nate Kia said.

The Buffanblu started the final drive at their 20 after a touchback. Seven plays later, Punahou scored on Fujikawa’s 12-yard pass to Brady Lau over the middle with 16 seconds remaining to get the Buffanblu (2-4, 0-1) within one point.

There was confusion on the part of Punahou during the PAT attempt, resulting in a 5-yard delay of game penalty. Punahou did not have a timeout remaining.

“We had a little bit of a miscommunication with the excitement of the PAT at the end, whether we were going for two,” Kia said. “It cost us a little bit.”

The Buffanblu’s PAT attempt came from the 8-yard line. Fujikawa took the snap in shotgun formation and headed up the middle but was met just outside the goal line by Cazimero and then forced backward by a couple more Warriors.

“The type of call we had, his eyes were somewhere else to start the play,” Kamehameha coach Kaeo Drummondo said of Cazimero. “For him to be able to play his first assignment, flip his hips and eyes and see the quarterback running, get off his assignment and stop him short of the goal line—that’s the type of game-winning play we have to make more often.”

Kamehameha’s Carson Akau recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

“A win’s a win. We’re happy with the win,” said Drummondo, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak. “We played sloppy, but if we had won 2-0, a win’s a win. It feels good because the last two years we came over here we were on the short end of it.”

Kamehameha’s Nainoa Melchor rushed 20 times for 129 yards and two scores, and also caught a 19-yard touchdown pass. On the scoring reception, Melchor caught a short pass over the middle, broke a few tackles, and scored on the right side.

“It was a simple protection, but I didn’t see anybody blitzing, so I just tried to get open,” Melchor said. “Next thing I know, I’m running to the sideline to the pylon.”

Kamehameha’s Mana Forges completed 15 of 20 passes for 111 yards. Punahou’s Fujikawa went 21-for-33 for 210 yards and four touchdowns. Lau caught 10 passes for 104 yards and three touchdowns.

The Warriors took a 7-0 lead on their first possession on Melchor’s 1-yard run up the middle and Tyler Fujimoto’s PAT kick with 6:18 to go in the first quarter. The Buffanblu turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, with Warriors’ Cazimero recording a sack on fourth down.

Kamehameha extended their lead to 10-0 on Fujimoto’s 46-yard field goal with 10:34 remaining in the second quarter. Punahou cut the deficit to 10-3 on Tyler Endo’s 30-yard field goal with 2:38 left before halftime.

Kamehameha ran 25 plays for 106 yards in the first half, while Punahou ran 31 plays for 120 yards. Only one play before halftime covered more than 15 yards: Fujikawa’s 21-yard completion to Keola Ane on a short crossing route for Punahou.

On Punahou’s first possession after halftime, Kamehameha defensive lineman Esaiah Wong recovered a fumble at the Buffanblu 40.

“Every time you get a turnover, you’d like to turn it into points,” Drummondo said. “We work on ball destruction a lot, so if we can get the ball on the turf even more that would be great.”

The Warriors extended the lead to 17-3 on Forges’ 19-yard pass to Melchor with 8:15 left in the third quarter. The Buffanblu answered on their next possession on Fujikawa’s 19-yard scoring pass to Lau, making it 17-10 with 5:05 remaining in the third.

Punahou’s Brodey Correa intercepted a pass on the next Kamehameha possession and returned the ball 26 yards to the Warriors’ 22. The Buffanblu tied it at 17-17 on Fujikawa’s 8-yard pass to Lau with 56 seconds to go in the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, Punahou botched a snap in punt formation and Kamehameha’s Kalei Harbottle recovered the ball at the 14. The Warriors retook the lead at 24-17 on Melchor’s 2-yard run with 8:51 to go in the game.

The Buffanblu tied it at 24-24 on Fujikawa’s 12-yard lob pass to Mason Perpignan with 3:20 left. It was Perpignan’s only catch of the game.

—

**KAMEHAMEHA 31, PUNAHOU 30**

– KS – Nainoa Melchor 1 run (Tyler Fujimoto kick)
– KS – FG Fujimoto 46
– PUN – FG Tyler Endo 30
– KS – Melchor 19 pass from Mana Forges (Fujimoto kick)
– PUN – Brady Lau 19 pass from Hunter Fujikawa (Endo kick)
– PUN – Lau 8 pass from Fujikawa (Endo kick)
– KS – Melchor 2 run (Fujimoto kick)
– PUN – Mason Perpignan 12 pass from Fujikawa (Endo kick)
– KS – Hazyn Botelho 3 run (Fujimoto kick)
– PUN – Lau 12 pass from Fujikawa (run failed)

**RUSHING**
*Kamehameha:* Melchor 20-129, Botelho 5-27, Forges 1-2, Ezekiel Gabriel 1-(minus 1), Team 2-(minus 15)
*Punahou:* Bryce Tomas 22-113, Sam Kea 3-27, Aaron Johnson 4-15, Fujikawa 6-8, Lau 1-2, Team 1-(minus 23)

**PASSING**
*Kamehameha:* Forges 15-20-2-111
*Punahou:* Fujikawa 21-33-0-210
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-868249