Manti Te'o's three second-half touchdown runs propelled No. 3 Punahou over No. 6 Kamehameha, 31-17, last night in Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I football at Aloha Stadium.

The Buffanblu (5-2 overall, 3-2 ILH) overcame a 17-10 halftime deficit with Te'o's TD runs of 8, 3 and 2 yards.

The Warriors (3-3-1, 2-3) were hampered by two interceptions in the second half.

The first half started in a kicking match. Punahou's Robert Izuta booted a 23-yarder in the first quarter to give his team a 3-0 lead. But Kevin Doo's 38-yarder in the second tied it at 3.

A controversial fumble that Jordan Gomes returned 16 yards to the Punahou 24 set up Michael Hoke's six-yard TD pass to Ryne Haitsuka with 5:03 left in the half to put the Warriors ahead, 10-3. The fumble came after a 12-yard gain by Te'o, who the Buffanblu contended was down before the ball squirted out.

Gomes then returned an interception 52 yards for a TD to make it 17-3.

The Buffanblu pulled to within a TD with 37 seconds left in the half on a 28-yard TD pass from Cayman Shutter to Dalton Hilliard.

Hilliard's 47-yard kickoff return to open the second half helped the Buffanblu score on their first series that ended with an eight-yard TD run by Te'o to tie the game at 17.

Later in the third quarter, the Buffanblu got a 34-yard run by Hilliard and a brilliant 38-yard diving catch by Robbie Toma from Shutter to the Kamehameha 3, setting up the go-ahead TD on Te'o's three-yard TD run with 3:34 left.

An interception by Geoffrey Miller set up the Buffanblu's final score of the game, Te'o's two-yard TD run to cap a drive that started at the Warriors' 27.

Te'o also played a great game defensively with four tackles for lost yardage, including a sack.

Hilliard had 90 yards on 17 carries, while Te'o had 43 on 11.

Truman Chun led the Warriors with 63 yards on 16 carries, while Hoke totaled 184 yards passing.

KAMEHAMEHA (3-3-1, 2-3) 0 17 0 0—17

PUNAHOU (5-2, 3-2) 3 7 14 7—31

Pun—FG Robert Izuta 23

Kam—FG Kevin Doo 38

Kam—Ryne Haitsuka 6 pass from Michael Hoke (Doo kick)

Kam—Jordan Gomes 52 interception return (Doo kick)

Pun—Dalton Hilliard 28 pass from Cayman Shutter (Izuta kick)

Pun—Te'o 8 run (Izuta kick)

Pun—Te'o 3 run (Izuta kick)

Pun-Te'o 2 run (Izuta kick)

RUSHING—Kamehameha: Hoke 9-37, Brandon Dumlao 5-27, Truman Ray Chun 16-63, Kaulupono Perez 3-3. Punahou: Kimo Makaula 2-(minus 5), Hilliard 17-90, Manti Te'o 11-43, Shutter 3-(minus 1).

PASSING—Kamehameha: Hoke 18-31-3—184, Team 0-1-0—0. Punahou: Makaula 4-9-1—41, Shutter 8-15-0—116.

RECEIVING—Kamehameha: Maika Mataele 4-28, Liko Oliveira 3-25, Ekolu Soon 3-29, Rylee Urasaki 1-(minus 2), Carl Minns 2-25, Jantz Bullock 4-64, Brandon DeMello 1-15. Punahou: Keola Kane 4-42, Toby Reeuwijk 1-5, Robbie Toma 2-53 Galen Arakawa 2-16, Hilliard 3-41.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.