Don't count out the defending state football champs just yet.

Punahou — coming off a disappointing 28-10 loss to Kamehameha that dropped its overall record to 1-3 — stunned Saint Louis last night, 23-21, before an estimated crowd of 4,000 at Aloha Stadium.

The Buffanblu, still ranked No. 8 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media, improved to 2-1 in the now-wide open Interscholastic League of Honolulu title chase.

The No. 1-ranked Crusaders fell to 4-1, 1-1.

Saint Louis, trailing since late in the first half, closed to 23-21 with 3:20 remaining in the game after Jeremy Higgins' 4-yard touchdown on a naked bootleg to the left side. But his two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

The Crusaders forced Punahou into a three-and-out after the ensuing kickoff, and got the ball back with 47 seconds left and no timeouts. Higgins then completed three passes to advance the ball to the Buffanblu 42-yard line with three seconds remaining, but his final pass — on a short crossing pattern — fell incomplete as time expired.

Saint Louis had taken a 6-0 lead midway through the second quarter after a pair of short field goals, the first by Jesse Correa and the second by Aaron Goo. But Punahou answered with Steven Lakalaka's 13-yard TD run and Kaimi Fairbairn's extra point to go up, 7-6, with 3:23 left in the half.

The Crusaders struck back quickly, with Higgins connecting with Duke Bukoski on a 70-yard scoring strike on third-and-10 with 2:55 remaining. The PAT attempt was blocked.

But the Buffanblu responded just as quickly, with Kaiana Eldredge hitting Forrest Kim on a perfect post-pattern pass for an 80-yard touchdown play two snaps after the kickoff. Their two-point conversion pass failed, so Punahou took the 13-12 lead into the locker room.

The Buffanblu then stretched the lead to 20-12 early in the third quarter on a 45-yard TD pass from Eldredge to Jeremy Ioane and Fairbairn's extra point.

Saint Louis cut it to 20-15 with 1:57 left in the third quarter on Goo's 30-yard field goal.

After the Crusaders failed to convert on fourth-and-1 from their own 14 with 8:36 remaining in the game, Fairbairn pushed the lead to 23-15 on a 40-yard field goal two minutes later.

Kaeo Aliviado returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards, and Higgins directed a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive to cut it to 23-21.

SAINT LOUIS (4-1, 1-1) 3 9 3 6 — 21

PUNAHOU (2-3, 2-1) 0 13 7 3 — 23

SL — FG Jesse Correa 21

SL — FG Aaron Goo 24

Pun — Steven Lakalaka 13 run (Kaimi Fairbairn kick)

SL — Duke Bukoski 70 pass from Jeremy Higgins (kick blocked)

Pun — Forrest Kim 80 pass from Kaiana Eldredge (pass failed)

Pun — Jeremy Ioane 45 pass from Eldredge (Fairbairn kick)

SL — FG Goo 30

Pun — FG Fairbairn 40

SL — Higgins 4 run (pass failed)

RUSHING — Punahou: Eldredge 4-(minus-12), Stabren Caires 14-93, Liloa Travis 2-2, Lakalaka 4-28, Matthew Parrish 1-(minus-5), Alaka'i Aglipay 1-0. Saint Louis: Sean Valente 4-11, Vonn Feao 6-37, Marcus Mariota 5-21, Derek Nakasato 4-10, Higgins 7-28, Emmett McShane 2-1.

PASSING — Punahou: Eldredge 2-4-1—125, Travis 2-7-1—6. Saint Louis: Higgins 21-38-0—257, Mariota 1-4-0—6.

RECEIVING — Punahou: Kim 2-86, Ioane 1-45, Deforest Buckner 1-0. Saint Louis: Jordan Fukumoto 7-63, Shaun Ahlo 6-56, Joshua Tupua 2-17, Kaeo Aliviado 3-24, Bukoski 1-70, Nakasato 2-20, Caleb Yuen 1-13.

DAMIEN 37, WORD OF LIFE 18

Makana Ka'anoi completed 13 of 21 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, and carried 10 times for 137 yards and three more TDs to help the Monarchs to their first victory of the season at Aloha Stadium.

Damien (1-4 overall, 1-2 ILH) took a 12-0 lead midway through the second quarter after Ka'anoi's 9-yard touchdown pass to Shayvis Wilson and 2-yard TD run, but the Firebrands (0-4, 0-2) cut it to 12-6 on Richard Landford's 1-yard touchdown plunge with 1:25 remaining in the half.

The Monarchs then made it 18-6 on the final play before intermission — a 31-yard TD pass from Ka'anoi to Wilson.

Ka'anoi and Wilson connected again on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 7:14 remaining in the third quarter to make it 24-6, and Ka'anoi broke free on a 62-yard option keeper for a TD with 3:26 left in the quarter. Darius Demello's extra point put Damien up, 31-6.

Landford scored on a 4-yard run to cut it to 31-12 with 9:22 remaining in the game, but the Monarchs answered with Ka'anoi's 18-yard TD scamper to make it 37-12 with 5:01 left.

WOL (0-4, 0-2) 0 6 0 12 — 18

DAMIEN (1-4, 1-2) 6 12 13 6 — 37

Dam — Shayvis Wilson 9 pass from Makana Ka'anoi (kick failed)

Dam — Ka'anoi 2 run (pass failed)

WOLA — Richard Landford 1 run (kick failed)

Dam — Wilson 31 pass from Ka'anoi (pass failed)

Dam — Wilson 28 pass from Ka'anoi (run failed)

Dam — Ka'anoi 62 run (Darius Demello kick)

WOLA — Landford 4 run (run failed)

Dam — Ka'anoi 18 run (kick blocked)

WOLA — Cyprus Fesili 5 run (pass failed)

RUSHING — Word of Life: Landford 9-73; Awa Poggi 16-94, Cobey Young-Bailey 5-7, Christian Pi'imoku 2-9, Fesili 6-25, Ryan Alvarado 4-28, Warren Malaki 1-3. Damien: Ikaika Mokiau 8-19, Ka'anoi 10-137, Wilson 2-15, Derick Shoda 3-(minus-2), Dustin Lungay 1-(minus-3).

PASSING — Word of Life: Young-Bailey 9-17-0—97. Damien: Ka'anoi 13-21-2—217.

RECEIVING — Word of Life: Isaac Iwamoto 2-14, Nathaniel Lim 1-17, Poggi 5-49, Javison Caires 1-17. Damien: Dylan Yonamine-Baysa 1-9, Mokiau 4-67, Wilson 6-114, Austin Ching-Manaku 1-14, Shoda 1-13.