Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Punahou-Kamehameha story

For years, I heard fans -- Kamehameha alums and non-alums -- complain about their Warriors and this supposed problem with finishing second (or third) to Saint Louis. I empathized. Saint Louis ran the table for 18 years in the cannibalistic ILH. I'd be hungry for a morsel or two, too.

But change at the top -- let's not forget that Kamehameha won the state crown in 2004 under Kanani Souza -- doesn't guarantee a jackpot prize. With last night's ILH-opening loss to Punahou, Warrior fans are back to where they were during Souza's era. After all, Saint Louis is the defending league champ and reigning favorite. Punahou was, is, still will be the second-best team in the ILH and in the state, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Top 10.

The results haven't changed, but the whole schematic of Kamehameha's offense has. There are still a lot of base plays that have carried over. Single back, slot, power running. But the single back (Ace) set with double tight ends is history, and with 24 wide receivers in fall tryouts, new coach David Stant had to feel blessed. Does a chef worry that he has too much sugar, too much salt and too much butter in his kitchen?

It'll take time for the offense to gel. A 1-1-1 start against solid competition isn't bad considering what Stant is asking of his offense. His receivers find seams 12 to 18 yards into the secondary that they didn't always seek last year. It makes the receivers live, hittable targets, as we saw last night, in vulnerable areas of the field. But it also makes use of Kamehameha's depth at the position, and there is immense depth.

There was a stretch through the first half when both teams used Pistol formations and aired the ball out, trying to find mismatches and weaknesses in the opposing secondary. Though Punahou looked unstoppable during its touchdown drive early on, both defenses locked down. Kamehameha's defense is still stellar. The 28 points Punahou scored is not, not, not indicative of how well the Warriors played. They stood up the Buffanblu twice in KS territory during the third quarter.

This is the first time this fall that Punahou quarterbacks Kimo Makaula and Cayman Shutter combined for less than 50-percent accuracy.

As the season unfolds, Kamehameha's offense will reach closer to its potential. Coach Stant was hard on himself after the game, but I hope he doesn't rein in the playcalling too much. These kids are smart enough to fulfill his vision of what offensive football can be. And as the years go by, the evolution of the Warriors' offense will bring success to the program. He could pare down the playbook and get his team closer to its goals. But if he doesn't, that's fine, too.

You just never know how resilient kids really are until they're challenged to expand their imaginations and their supposed limitations. Time will tell what these Warriors can do.

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