Kahuku comes close in loss to Maryland's Saint Frances
Oct. 1—Ranked No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10, Kahuku dropped to 6-2 (4-0 OIA Open ), but came up with incredible defense.
Kyree Benton saved his best for last, and Saint Frances (Md.), the nation's No. 3-ranked team, escaped Kahuku with a 22-15 come-from-behind win on Friday night.
Trailing 15-14, quarterback Michael Van Buren found Benton for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds left to give Saint Frances the lead.
"I feel elated. Happy. Blessed. Really tough week coming over from the East Coast. Our guys responded. They never wavered. They never gave up, " Panthers coach Messay Hailemariam said. "They had faith in themselves and in each other. The coaches, we all stayed together and we kept it a family. In reality, it takes that kind of bond to win games like that."
Saint Frances, located in inner-city Baltimore, has played across the country in Texas, Florida and South Carolina, and is now 5-0. Ranked No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10, Kahuku dropped to 6-2 (4-0 OIA Open ), but came up with incredible defense. Saint Frances did not score on offense until the fourth quarter.
"I trusted my defense tonight and they played a heck of a game. I'm so proud of them, " Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said. "Our coaches put together a great game plan. We learned from the St. John Bosco (loss ) how to play against these big guys. How to keep leverage, maintain discipline, and our guys made plays. It was a great football game. The turnovers killed us."
Defense was the theme for both teams. Saint Frances' Da'Shawn Womack was unstoppable with his size and closing speed.
"First time in Hawaii. I always thought about my family because my family always travels with me. I was thinking, if I come out of here with a dub, I'll be able to bring my family back out here to visit, " Womack said. "My brother (teammate ) Lamar, he never been to Hawaii. He passed away."
Lamar Patterson, the team's top wide receiver, died in a train accident in early February.
"His energy for the team. He was always positive about everything, " Womack said.
A packed house at Carleton Weimer Field saw Kahuku on the brink of a major upset. Kahuku had a 15-8 lead and the ball on the Saint Frances 24-yard line after recovering a pooch kickoff in the fourth quarter. However, on fourth down, Womack, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive lineman, returned a fumble by Waika Crawford 60 yards, cutting the lead to 15-14.
The Panthers were whistled for two penalties, both enforced on the ensuing PAT attempt. From the Kahuku 33-yard line, Van Buren's found Williams, who was down at the 10-yard line. Kahuku kept a 15-14 lead.
After a Kahuku punt, Saint Frances got the ball at its 16-yard line with 3 :32 left. After a holding call, the Panthers were on their own 7. Three plays later, Kahuku came up with its biggest takeaway of the game, but the Panthers refused to give up.
Van Buren found Benton for his first catch of the game, a 10-yard TD with 39 seconds left. A photo showed Benton stepping out of bounds and the 1-yard line, but officials made the touchdown call official. After running the ball in, Saint Frances had a 22-15 lead.
Kahuku had the ball on its 28-yard line after Kaimana Carvalho's kick return, but was unable to muster any positive yardage and turned the ball over on downs. Saint Frances took a knee in the final seconds, ending an epic showdown.
The battle was almost exclusively a defensive stalemate for three quarters, which suited Kahuku well.
