Punahou quarterback Brett Kan is bright and that is why history didn't repeat itself.

Kan fired a high bullet to the back of the end zone where Kyle Whitford stretched his 5-foot-10 frame to the max to haul in a 4-yard touchdown pass with no time left on the clock to rally the Buffanblu to a 20-18 win against defending Division I state champion Kahuku last night in nonleague action at Aloha Stadium.

"It's just preseason, but I felt a little bit redeemed from last year, a little bit," said Kan, a 3.9 grade-point-average student. "It's an amazing feeling."

Of course, in last year's state championship game, the Buffanblu's comeback try against the Red Raiders ended when Kan threw an interception in the end zone.

Punahou's winning drive came after Kahuku tried to run the clock out from the 6:53 mark. It moved to the Punahou 34, where an apparent hand-off mishap was recovered by Punahou at the Buffanblu 31 with 2:57 left. Kan moved the Buffanblu down the field, but eventually faced a fourth-and-6 from the Kahuku 12, where he hit Miah Ostrowski on an 8-yard pass for a first down to the 4. After an incomplete pass, Punahou used its last timeout with 5 seconds left. That's when Kan dropped back and fired his game-winning pass to Whitford. Because it was the last play of the game, the PAT wasn't necessary.

"It's all about the quarterback and the line," Whitford said. "I wouldn't be anything if it wasn't for those guys blocking. It wouldn't have even been a play."

Added Kan: "I've never seen Kyle jump so high in my life."

Besides the little redemption, it was also sort of a relief for Kan, who was 26 of 45 for 273 yards and three touchdowns. But he was intercepted four times, including one that was recycled for one of Kahuku's three TDs.

"I was getting a little down on myself for sure," Kan said. "You don't want to throw any interceptions in a game. But I just never gave up. My teammates picked me up. They were great. My line did great. The defense made clutch stops. It was a good team effort."

Meanwhile, Kahuku hurt itself with two lost fumbles (both resulting in Punahou TDs), a low snap from center in punt formation that set up Punahou's first TD and the usual lack of success in PAT kicking.

The Red Raiders looked like their old selves when running back Pita Tanuvasa ran off right tackle for a 79-yard touchdown on their third play of the game. But the PAT missed and Kahuku had a 6-0 lead with 8:46 left in the first quarter.

Later in the quarter, Punahou inherited great field position when a long snap from center in punt formation resulted in a 17-yard loss to the Kahuku 20. Running back Kainoa Carlson hauled in a pass from Kan in the left flat to complete a 2-yard TD play. River Kim, who rarely missed a PAT last year, made his PAT to give Punahou a 7-6 lead with 1:09 left in the first quarter.

An errant pitch from Kahuku quarterback Richard Torres was recovered by Punahou at the Red Raiders' 21, setting up Kan's 11-yard TD pass to Ostrowski three plays later with Kim's PAT making it 14-6.

But Shiloah Te'o's ensuing 67-yard kickoff return to the Punahou 28 set up running back Lehi Aumua's 13-yard TD run up the middle. Aumua was stopped short on the 2-point try as Punahou held on to a 14-12 lead with 5:47 left in the half.

Punahou opened the second half by driving to Kahuku's 33, when Kan was intercepted by Torres, who returned it 80 yards for an apparent touchdown that was nullified by a personal foul penalty near midfield. It was a hit out of bounds on the Kahuku sideline.

"It wasn't blatant," Kahuku first-year coach Reggie Torres said. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Kahuku eventually took the lead later in the quarter when Kan's pass to intended receiver Ostrowski, who tipped the ball to linebacker Sifa Heimuli, who returned it 30 yards to the Punahou 2. On second-and-goal from the 1, Aumua leaped over the middle for his second TD of the game; again the 2-point try failed, but Kahuku owned an 18-14 lead with 5:50 left in the third quarter.

But Kahuku could not capitalize on interceptions by Gary Nagy and Siaosi Tafuna. Kahuku also was hampered by 12 penalties for 88 yards.

"We have to go back and correct a lot of little things," Reggie Torres said.

KAHUKU (0-1) 6 6 6 0—18

PUNAHOU (1-0) 7 7 0 6—20

Kahuku—Pita Tanuvasa 79 run (kick failed)

Punahou—Kainoa Carlson 2 pass from Brett Kan (River Kim kick)

Punahou—Miah Ostrowski 11 pass from Kan (Kim kick)

Kahuku—Lehi Aumua 13 run (run failed)

Kahuku—Aumua 1 run (pass failed)

Punahou—Kyle Whitford 4 pass from Kan (PAT not attempted, no time left)

RUSHIING—Kahuku: Aumua 16-72, Tanuvasa 3-82, Neal Lokotui 8-70, Blane Beatty 4-17, Team 1-(minus 17), Ian Fujinaga 4-15, Richard Torres 2-3, William Huihui 2-0, Kaliki Unga 4-9, Junior Mataafa 4-11, Nalu Carvalho 1-(minus 7), Samson Manu-Olevao 2-18. Punahou: Kan 2-1, Carlson 5-24, Dalton Hilliard 2-12, Team 1-(minus 19).

PASSING—Kahuku: Torres 0-1-0—0, Huihui 2-3-0—16, Carvalho 0-1-0—0, Manu-Olevao 1-1-0—6. Punahou: Kan 26-45-4—273.

RECEIVING—Kahuku: Pelefoni Solisi 1-10, Willie Ching 1-6, Onosai Wong 1-6. Punahou: Ostrowski 13-187, Carlson 4-21, Patrick McFadden 1-5, Kameron Steinhoff 3-25, Hilliard 3-17, Keole Kane 1-14, Whitford 1-4.

JV score—Punahou 36, Kahuku 14

DAMIEN 27, KAPOLEI 13

Kama Bailey rushed 25 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns for the Monarchs.

Bailey scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and an 81-yard run in the third.

Damien's George Martin rushed for a touchdown and passed for another.

DAMIEN (1-0) 7 6 14 0—27

KAPOLEI (0-1) 7 0 6 0—13

DAMI—Kama Bailey 1 run (kick good)

KAP—Mason Koa 9 pass from Aaron Santiago (Santiago kick)

DAMI—Kenneth Rossi 4 pass George Martin (kick failed)

DAMI—Bailey 81 run (kick good)

DAMI—Martin 1 run (kick good)

KAP—Santiago 24 pass from Koa (kick failed)

RUSHING—Damien: Bailey 25-185, Martin 4-17, Kaimana Balanon 1-1, Haku Correa 1-4, Chris Cross 2-(minus 1), Shane Philpot 1-(minus 3). Kapolei: Kamuela Foki 12-80, Koa 5-68, Josh Hose 3-20, Santiago 6-10, Cyril Ontai 1-3

PASSING—Damien: Martin 7-15-0—87. Kapolei: Santiago 9-14-0—96, Koa 4-6-0—160.

RECEIVING—Damien: Rhema Sabate 4-37, Rossi 1-4, Rein Ota 1-18, Bailey 1-28. Kapolei: Santiago 4-110, Foki 2-72, Hose 1-17, Koa 3-36, Kelii Aki 3-21.

JV score—Kapolei 32, Pac-Five 7

Reported by Darren Hernandez

KAMEHAMEHA 27, NANAKULI 12

Truman Chun rushed 11 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns for the Warriors.

Chun scored on a 46-yard run in the first quarter and a 14-yard run in the second.

Kamehameha's Pono Perez had 15 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown.

NANAKULI (0-1) 0 6 0 6—12

KAMEHAMEHA (1-0) 7 13 0 7—27

KS—Truman Chun 46 run (kick good).

KS—Bronson DeLuze 8 run (kick good).

NANA—Juan West 35 pass from Chase McGill (kick failed).

KS—Chun 14 run (kick failed).

KS—Pono Perez 1 run (kick good).

NANA—Ritchie Rosa 55 fumble return (kick failed).

RUSHING—Nanakuli: Bradley Tolentino 5-(minus 2), McShane Sausi 6-34, Mcill 5-17, Jerson Bacalso 4-(minus 6), Lalo Respicio 1-1. Kamehameha: Chun 11-144, DeLuze 4-(minus 4), Perez 15-128, Michael Hoke 1-5.

PASSING—Nanakuli: McGill 6-15-1—117, Respicio 2-10-0—15. Kamehameha: DeLuze 4-9-0—69, Hoke 4-13-1—36.

RECEIVING—Nanakuli: Juan West 3-70, Julius Seabrooks 3-22, Chad McGill 1-35, George Pagan 1-5. Kamehameha: Ian Bernardino 1-8, Jarrin Ching 1-5, George Kaai 1-10, Kekoa Osorio 3-70, Perez 1-1, Kanalu DeMello 1-11.

Reported by Chase Souza

SAINT LOUIS 42, MCKINLEY 7

Chase Alcott caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Micah Mamiya and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown to lead the Crusaders past the Tigers at Kaiser Stadium. Saint Louis led 7-0 at halftime.

No other details reported.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.