The Crusaders (6-1 ILH, 7-1 overall), ranked third in The Advertiser Top 10, avenged a 16-13 loss in their league season opener to the second-ranked Warriors (5-2, 6-2) to clinch their fifth consecutive Division I state tournament berth in front of 10,845. The Crusaders have won half of the previous four state tournaments.

"It feels so great," said Crusaders senior running back B.J. Batts, The Advertiser Offensive Player of the Year last year. "There's no description for this feeling."

Quarterback Kealii Perbera, who wears No. 14, the same number his coach Darnell Arceneaux wore in high school, performed like his mentor, completing 14 of 21 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns.

It was special for Arceneaux, who guided Saint Louis to three O'ahu Prep Bowl titles. This season was the 25-year-old's coaching debut. He was hired in late June.

"Hopefully, people don't always have to look at age when they judge something," Arceneaux said. "But they should look at experience, look at what they did and look at what they've done."

It wasn't to say it was a smooth ride for Arceneaux, who had to endure a long break between a preseason win against Kaiser and the league-opener against Kamehameha. At the time, the Crusaders looked like a team that needed more games to tune up. Last night, they looked like Crusaders teams of past preparing for another state title run.

"Coach Cal Lee (his coach while at Saint Louis) told me to get better and better with every game," Arceneaux said.

Saint Louis has three weeks off before the state tournament. Arceneaux said he is better prepared for the down time.

"Now we know how to do it," he said. "We know how to condition the guys and know what we have to do to prepare for that game."

Arceneaux had his team ready in all phases of the game last night. The defense came up with four sacks and five interceptions, including a 27-yard return for a touchdown by Keao Monteilh.

The special teams came up with big plays. Makaala Kuewa blocked a punt and returned it four yards for a touchdown and kicker C.J. Santiago booted a 42-yard field goal and had six touchbacks.

"They beat us in all three phases of the game," Kamehameha coach Kanani Souza said. "Credit goes to those guys."

As for the Warriors, it was the same story of falling short of a title, which they haven't won since 1979. It came in a week of turmoil in which the Warriors, already hurt by injuries, lost six players to suspensions for last night's game. Asked if the events of the week were a distraction, Souza declined comment, saying "to use that as an excuse would be taking away (credit) from Saint Louis."

The Warriors took the opening kickoff, traveling 63 yards on five plays with Jayson Rego scoring on a 22-yard run to give Kamehameha a 7-0 lead.

It was short-lived, as the Crusaders came back with 23 unanswered points before taking a 23-13 lead into the half.

• SAINT LOUIS (6-1, 7-1) 17 6 14 14—51
• KAMEHAMEHA (5-2, 6-2) 7 6 6 0—19

Kam—Jayson Rego 35 run (Kepa Gaison kick)
St.L—Shaun Kauleinamoku 28 pass from Kealii Perbera (C.J. Santiago kick)
St.L—Makaala Kuewa 4 blocked punt return (Santiago kick)
St.L—FG Santiago 42
St.L—Desmond Hanohano 4 pass from Perbera (kick failed)
Kam—Pono Kam 1 run (pass failed)
St.L—Hanohano 52 pass from Perbera (Santiago kick)
St.L—Kauleinamoku 15 pass from Perbera (Santiago kick)
Kam—Sy Cullen 13 run (kick blocked)
St.L—B.J. Batts 9 run (Santiago kick)
St.L—Keao Monteilh 27 interception return (Santiago kick)

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Perbera 5-3, Batts 21-92, Wyatt Williams 2-8, Leichman Fiaseu 2-(minus 4). Kamehameha: Kam 4-(minus 8), Cullen 13-61, Jayson Rego 3-36, Nathaniel Nakagawa 1-(minus 1), Matt Coelho 2-6, Structin Tabisola 3-(minus 4).

PASSING—Saint Louis: Perbera 14-21-0—256. Kamehameha: Kam 18-39-5—208.

RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Kauleinamoku 8-156, Batts 1-9, Hanohano 4-75, Kuewa 1-16. Kamehameha: Spencer McCready 1-13, James Hardy 1-11, Coelho 7-123, Cullen 1-14, Waika Spencer 5-29, Nakagawa 2-13, Aaron Nichols 1-5.

• Punahou 52, Pac-Five 14: Quarterback John Morris completed 13 of 14 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns as the Buffanblu finished the ILH season at 4-3.

Running back Micah Strickland rushed for 129 yards and two TDs for the Buffanblu.

Pac-Five senior kicker Darci Hata had two PATs to give her 64 career points, the most by a female in Hawai'i football history, according to an ILH spokesman.

• PAC-FIVE (0-6-1, 2-6-1) 0 7 0 7—14
• PUNAHOU (4-3, 6-4) 21 24 7 0—52

Pun—Reyn Wicklund 2 run (Chris Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pun—Koa Duncan 30 pass from John Morris (Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pun—Wicklund 6 pass from Morris (Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pac—Travis Tyler 21 pass from Jordan Tani (Darci Hata kick)
Pun—Duncan 47 pass from Morris (Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pun—Strickland 20 run (Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pun—Strickland 1 run (Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pun—FG Takemoto-Gentile 24
Pun—Jay Angotti 55 interception return (Takemoto-Gentile kick)
Pac—Keala Kaehuaea 2 run (Hata kick)

RUSHING—Pac-Five: Tani 5-(minus 17), Kaehuaea 7-30, Gyles Lawrence 2-14, Gilbert Gonzales 2-(minus 3). Punahou: Morris 2-(minus 2), Strickland 12-129, Wicklund 3-40, Matt Solomona 1-0, Kainoa Johnson 2-5, Jamie Fujimoto 1-(minus 3), Mat Young 1-(minus 1).

PASSING—Pac-Five: Tani 21-45-4—257. Punahou: Morris 13-14-0—196, Justin Igalis 1-3-1—7.

RECEIVING—Pac-Five: Brent Umehira 4-45, Cheyne Abbey-Chong 6-78, Travis Tyler 7-94, Paul Kaohu-Nishimura 1-14, G. Lawrence 1-10, Kaehuaea 1-0, Logan Taylor 1-16. Punahou: Jamie Fujimoto 1-10, Cameron Grace 2-25, Chad Tamashiro 2-16, Wicklund 2-12, Duncan 4-107, Strickland 1-20, Brian Matsumoto 1-6, Kainoa Higgins 1-7.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.

No comment from Kamehameha president

—Advertiser Staff

Michael Chun, president of The Kamehameha Schools, last night declined comment on what led to the suspension of six of its team's football players from last night's game against Saint Louis.

Two different team sources confirmed the suspension of the players from last night's game.