Football
Three tournament survivors seeking perfect season




The perfect season is on the line when top-ranked Punahou plays No. 2 Mililani the 16th First Hawaiian Bank Division I state football championship Friday at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

For the fourth time since the Oahu Prep Bowl/State Tournament eras, both teams enter the season finale undefeated and untied. Punahou is 8-0 and Mililani is 12-0. The teams have gone wire-to-wire in the top two spots of the ScoringLive/OC 16 Division I Power Rankings since the Buffanblu beat the Trojans, 28-22, in last year's title game.

In the Division II title game, Maui Interscholastic League champion Lahainaluna (10-0) will try for perfection against seven-time champion Iolani (7-3). The Lunas are shooting to be the first undefeated and untied Neighbor Island champion since Maui High did so in 1995 (9-0) after winning the now-defunct Neighbor Island Championship series under coach Curtis Lee.

The winner of the Division I championship will become the 19th Oahu team to finish its season unbeaten and untied. Punahou, unbeaten last year, will try to be the first to do it in successive seasons since Saint Louis did from 1986 to 1989, the state record.

Waimea had unblemished records from 1981 to 1983. To show its 1983 season was no fluke, the Menehunes beat Waianae, 16-14, in a game that was part of the Oahu-Neighbor Island Bowl. The Bowl series was basically postseason exhibition games pitting the OIA district runners-up against the KIF and MIL champions. The ILH champion, Saint Louis that season, played then-Big Island Interscholastic power Konawaena.

This will be the first time two Oahu teams enter the State Tournament finale with unblemished records. During the Prep Bowl era from 1973 to 1998, three times teams entered unbeaten and untied:

1994: Saint Louis (13-0) played Kahuku, which entered the game at 11-0.
1988: Saint Louis (13-0) played Waianae, which entered the game at 13-0.
1975: Kamehameha (12-0) played Waianae, which entered the game at 12-0.

Should Punahou win, its 9-0 record would be the fewest wins among the undefeated Oahu teams. Also, its nine wins would be the fewest by a State/Prep Bowl champion since Iolani finished 9-2-2 in 1980, the only time there was a tie in the Prep Bowl (Iolani 7, Waianae 7).



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


MORE STORIES

Pearl City ends Kaiser's season with playoff road victory

The Chargers rapped out nine runs on 14 hits, capped by Jayson Au Hoy's three-run home run in the top...

Shinagawa's catch spurred Cougars in OIA East finale; Painter continues producing for unbeaten Bears

The Kaiser junior centerfielder made a pivotal highlight-reel grab against Kailua Saturday, while the...

Campbell scores 11 runs in opening frame in rout of Leilehua

Ismael Diaz delivered a pair of two-RBI doubles as part of a 29-minute top of the first inning for the...

Kaiser improves playoff seeding with win over No. 7 Kailua to close out regular season

The Cougars plated a season-high 16 runs Saturday night to end the Surfriders' 10-game win streak and...

Roosevelt walks off Moanalua to lock up second seed in OIA East

Bryson Rubio's line drive single scored Tai Pham from second for the game winning run in the Rough Riders'...

Kohala's Kauka repeats as All-Hawaii Division II POY

Sophomore Layden Kauka led the Cowboys to a second straight state title, averaging 15.7 ppg in league...