It was bizarre, it was fortuitous, and it helped spur Pac-Five's comeback victory.

Ku Botelho, the son of Pac-Five head coach Kip Botelho, was in the right place at the right time in a 21-12 victory over Radford in the first game of the Father Bray Classic last night at Aloha Stadium.

In the third quarter, Ku Botelho scored on the rare punt recovery in the end zone. Radford, which led 12-0 at halftime, punted from deep in its own territory on the first possession of the second half.

The Rams punter kicked the ball straight up in the air and it hit at the 10 and bounced backward into the end zone where Ku Botelho recovered it for a touchdown with 10:24 left in the third. Josh Mun's PAT made it 12-7.

"The ball just popped into my hands," said Ku Botelho, a senior. "I didn't know what to do. I was wondering what the call was. I didn't know."

Radford head coach Fred Salanoa said: "Our players have to know how crucial that snap and that punt are when we're pinned back to our end zone."

On the next Rams possession, linebacker Adam Hom intercepted a pass at the Radford 28. Three plays later, Jaime Rivera scored from 11 yards out to put Pac-Five ahead 14-12 with 8:55 left in the third.

Later in the third, Ku Botelho, a defensive back, came up big again. On first-and-10 from the Rams 36, the Radford quarterback threw over the middle and Ku Botelho stepped in front of the receiver, picked off the ball and ran 45 yards for a score, which made it 21-12 with 3:53 remaining.

"He just had a flat coverage and he just jumped the route," Kip Botelho said. "That's what you're supposed to do. That was a part of the turning point for us; that pick-6. That kind of turned it around."

Radford had a first-and-goal from the 6 midway through the fourth, but turned it over on downs.

Pac-Five overcame a disastrous 11-second stretch in the second quarter.

Rams linebacker Brodrick Tavui scored on a 60-yard fumble return with 3:55 left before halftime. After Pac-Five fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, Epa Maika connected with Shawn Putman-Curry on a 32-yard touchdown pass just 11 seconds later to make it 12-0 Radford.

On the first touchdown, Pac-Five's Jon-Ray Rodrigues attempted a lateral to running back Rivera on the left side, but Tavui knocked the ball down, picked it up and sprinted to the end zone. The extra-point kick failed.

The kickoff was fielded by a Pac-Five upman, and his fumble was recovered by Radford's Alan Brown at the 32.

On the next play, Radford's Maika, who played the first half, hit Putman-Curry who was wide open down the left sideline.

Pac-Five's Rivera rushed for 64 yards and Rodriguez passed for 131.

RADFORD (0-1) 0 12 0 0—12

PAC-FIVE (1-0) 0 0 21 0—21

Rad — Brodrick Tavui 60 fumble return (kick failed).

Rad — Shawn Putman-Curry 32 pass from Epa Maika (pass failed).

P5 — Ku Botelho recovered punt in end zone (Josh Mun kick).

P5 — Jaime Rivera 11 run (Mun kick).

P5 — Botelho 45 interception return (Mun kick).

RUSHING — Radford: Luke Failauga 14-37, Maika 1-5, Mosiah Manuma 5-3, Ezekiel Pulou-Falaniko 1-1. Pac-Five: Phillip Sarubbi 7-32, Rivera 20-64, Jon-Ray Rodrigues 5-(minus 32), Christian Bueno-Kanei 1-4, Zac Fujimoto 2-8, team 3-(minus 34).

PASSING — Radford: Maika 5-12-0—77, Manuma 4-13-2—43. Pac-Five: Rodriguez 9-21-2—131.

RECEIVING — Radford: Putman-Curry 4-70, Brad Osborne 2-8, Pulou-Falaniko 2-48, Lolohea 1-(minus 6). Pac-Five: Matt Shibata 3-51, Bueno-Kanei 2-22, Dylan Gomez 1-19, Sarubbi 2-10, Fujimoto 1-29.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.