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Here we go. Are you ready for some football.
The First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships begin this weekend, with two first-round games Friday and another two on Saturday.
Here is a quick look at the matchups:
DIVISION I
Aiea (8-3) at Lahainaluna (9-0)
The MIL champion Lunas are extremely tough at home and are trying to shake off what they took really hard a year ago — a 38-0 loss to ‘Iolani in the Division I title game.
In addition, Lahainaluna is one of only two undefeated teams at any level in the tournament. The other is ‘Iolani (9-0), which received a first-round bye.
Aiea (8-3) appeared well on its way to an OIA title, leading Waipahu in the OIA title game. Second-half struggles spelled doom and the Marauders came back for a 38-3o victory.
Na Alii are another team that felt the sting of a state tournament loss last year, dropping a 21-0 decision to ‘Iolani in the D-I semis. Aside from two close losses to Waipahu this season, their only other defeat came at the hands of the Open Division Kapolei Hurricanes.
Kapaa (5-3) at Waipahu (9-1)
For one team, the Warriors, it’s been a year of overcoming early struggles.
he Garden Island champion Kapaa squad, which went all the way to the Division II championship a year ago before moving up a class, lost preseason games by wide margins to Saint Louis of the Open Division and also Aiea. Also, in league competition, the Warriors have had their hands full against Waimea, losing to the Menehunes once and beating them slimly twice.
For the othe teamr, the Marauders, it’s been a year of success, punctuated by clutch moments in times of need.
For Waipahu, the only blemish was to Open Division Campbell Sabers, 51-4. Aside a 14-7 close win against Kailua and two down-to-the-wire wins over Aiea (14-10 and 38-30), all the Marauders’ wins were relatively lopsided.
DIVISION II
Kaiser (6-4) vs. Waimea (6-2), at Hanapepe Stadium
The Cougars can score in a hurry. The Menehunes have played some exceptionally tough defense.
So it will likely boil down to which of those two units rule the day.
One other thing is in Kaiser’s favor, though. The Cougars are incredible at comebacks attempts and are never quite out of the picture until the final whistle blows.
The Menehunes have had a resurgence of success with former Waimea player Kyle Linoz at the helm. And they nearly won the KIF title, losing just 3-0 in the title game to the Warriors.
PAC-5 (3-4) at Nanakuli (9-1)
The most recent upswing in fortunes for Nanakuli and its fans in “the Valley” will not be deemed an overhwelming success unless the Golden Hawks capture the Division II state title.
Sure, they’re happy with their first OIA D-II championship since 2014, but the fans want more and will only be fully satisfied when their community is solidly in the upper echelon of the Hawaii high school football landscape every year.
And it’s hard to find a weakness in the Golden Hawks’ game. They can run, pass, play defense and ball out on special teams.
This is a momentous game for PAC-5, which is playing in its second state tournament game. But the Wolfpack, under coach Kena Heffernan, had a spotty journey through their ILH schedule.
If they are able to add a win (or multiple wins) in this tournament, historic ground will be broken. In the team’s only other state tournament appearance, PAC-5 lost to Roosevelt 20-7 in the 2018 D-II first round.
PAC-5 fans yearn for a return to the type of success the Wolfpack enjoyed in 1982 and 1985, when they put a legitimate fear into statwide opponents with two Oahu Prep Bowl (a precursor to the state tournament) victories.
The full state tournament schedule is below.
FIRST HAWAIIAN BANK/HHSAA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Seeds are in parentheses)
WEEK 15
FRIDAY, NOV. 11
State Division I first round
>> Aiea at (3) Lahainaluna, 7 p.m.
>> Kapaa at (4) Waipahu, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 12
State Division II first round
>> Kaiser vs. (3) Waimea, at Hanapepe Stadium, 1 p.m.
>> PAC-5 at (4) Nanakuli, 7 p.m.
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WEEK 16
FRIDAY, NOV. 18
State Open Division semifinals
>> Campbell vs. (1) Kahuku, at Mililani High field, 4 p.m.
>> (2) Punahou at Mililani, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 19
State Division I semifinals
>> Kapaa/Waipahu winner at (1) ‘Iolani, 3 p.m.
>> Aiea/Lahainaluna winner at (2) Konawaena, 7 p.m.
State Division II semifinals
>> PAC-5/Nanakuli winner at (1) King Kekaulike, 7 p.m.
>> Kaiser/Waimea winner at (2) Honokaa, 7 p.m.
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WEEK 17
FRIDAY, NOV. 25
State Open Division championship game
>> Semifinal winners, at Mililani High field, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 26
State Division I championship game
>> Semifinal winners, at Mililani High field, 7 p.m.
State Division II championship game
>> Semifinal winners, at Mililani High field, 4 p.m.
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ALSO AT BedrockSportsHawaii.com:
HHSAA: New Cheerleading Scoring System A Success; Also, Moanalua And ‘Iolani Win State Championships
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The Football Season As It Unfolds:
