Running back Ryan Tuiasoa and Punahou get set to battle Saint Louis Friday. ScoringLive file photo

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With just two weeks remaining in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season, Punahou can become the first team in the state to punch its ticket to next month's First Hawaiian Bank/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I Football State Championship.

The Buffanblu can win the ILH Division I title and secure a state tournament spot with a win over Saint Louis Friday. The game will be the nightcap of a doubleheader at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium. Damien and Iolani will precede them in a Division II game at 5 p.m.

Meanwhile, in the Oahu Interscholastic Association, the Red Conference Tournament rolls into its second week with four quarterfinal games at school sites Friday night. Also, the four-team White Conference Tournament gets underway this weekend.

INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE OF HONOLULU

Damien vs. Iolani - Friday, 5 p.m. at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium

The Monarchs (3-6, 0-3) are coming off an 18-16 loss to Pac-Five Friday, in which they held a 13-12 lead in the second quarter. Damien, which generated 203 offensive yards and allowed 456 by the Wolf Pack, have lost six straight in the ILH since a 3-0 non-league start to the season. Junior quarterback Syles Choy (1,231 pass yards, 54 percent completion rate) has thrown seven touchdowns against seven interceptions and has scored eight rushing touchdowns. It is the final game of the season for the Monarchs, who are out contention for the ILH Division II title.

The Raiders (5-3, 2-3) can extend their lead over second-place Pac-Five (2-4) to a full game with a win Friday. A Damien win would force a tie between Iolani and Pac-Five, with the two teams set to meet in next week's regular-season finale.

Iolani has lost three of its last four, with its lone win during that stretch coming on Sept. 28: 48-16 over Damien. Senior quarterback Reece Foy (20 TDs, 2 INTs) has completed over 67 percent of his passes for 1,699 yards.

No. 7 Saint Louis vs. No. 2 Punahou - Friday, 7:45 p.m. at Hawaiian Airlines at Aloha Stadium

The Crusaders (5-4, 4-2) saw their three-game win streak snapped with Friday's 43-19 loss to Kamehameha. Saint Louis committed five turnovers that the Warriors recycled into 26 points in the loss. Senior wide receiver Jeremy Tabuyo ranks third statewide amongst Division I pass catchers with 722 receiving yards on 44 catches and 10 touchdowns.

The Buffanblu (6-1, 5-0) have won five straight since a 21-13 loss at Kahuku back on Aug. 18. Punahou, which has not played a Division-I opponent since Sept. 14, is averaging nearly 38 points and 400 yards per game, while holding opponents to an average of 10 points and just under 175 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Kanawai Noa leads the state with 978 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 42 catches.

The Crusaders and Warriors are tied at 4-2, behind Punahou. The Buffanblu can win the ILH and earn the league's lone state tournament berth with a win in either of its final two games: Friday against Saint Louis or next Thursday against Kamehameha. The only hope for the Crusaders and Warriors is for the Buffanblu to lose both games, which would force a three-way tie with all teams having a 5-2 record. There would then be a two-game playoff, with one team drawing a first-round bye.

OAHU INTERSCHOLASTIC ASSOCIATION

Red Conference Tournament Quarterfinals

Kapolei vs. No. 4 Farrington - Friday, 7 p.m. at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium

The Hurricanes (6-3), the Western no. 3 seed, have won three straight games and are coming off a 30-0 shutout of Castle in last week's opening round. Senior running back Jacob Kukahiko ran for two touchdowns and the Hurricanes' defense came up with three interceptions, a safety and allowed just nine rushing yards by the Knights.

The Eastern Division runner-up Governors (7-1) drew a first-round bye and last played on Oct. 5, when they beat Kailua, 18-7. Farrington is led by its running back duo of seniors Amo Silva (133 rushes, 1,015 yards, 13 TDs) and Tyler Taumua (105 rushes, 623 yards, 8 TDs). Silva, who leads the state in rushing yards, is averaging a staggering 7.6 yards per rush attempt and just under 127 per game.

The teams have two common opponents in McKinley and Waianae. Kapolei beat McKinley, 21-0, in week two and topped Waianae, 17-2, in week four. Farrington won against Waianae, 37-23, in the season opener for both teams and held off McKinley, 26-7, in week six.

No. 9 Campbell at No. 3 Mililani - Friday, 7 p.m. at John Kauinana Stadium (OC16)

This all-Red West quarterfinal will be a rematch of a Sept. 7 regular-season game that the Trojans (7-1) won, 45-26, in Ewa Beach. This time around, the teams will be playing at John Kauinana Stadium, again before a live statewide audience on OC16. In the first meeting, Mililani senior quarterback Jarin Morikawa threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Kainoa Wilson.

Morikawa leads the state with 2,140 passing yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. He is averaging 267 passing yards on nearly 40 pass attempts per game, and is completing just under 60 percent of his throws. The win over Campbell ignited the current four-game win streak the Trojans are on.  As the Red West champion, Mililani had a first-round bye.

The Sabers (6-3), who are the West no. 5 seed, took care of business in a 35-0 blanking of McKinley in last week's first round. Tristan Pebria scored two of Campbell's five rushing touchdowns as it totaled 249 rushing yards as a team and 8.6 yards per carry while the Tigers were held to just 102 total offensive yards. Senior quarterback Justin Tago-Su'e ranks fourth in the Red with 942 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.

The winner will play the Farrington-Kapolei winner in a 5 p.m. semifinal next Friday at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

No. 8 Waianae at No. 1 Kahuku - Friday, 7 p.m. at Carleton E. Weimer Field

The Seariders (5-4) have won four of their last five, including last week's 26-9 first-round win over Kailua. Waianae, the no. 3 seed from the West, pounded out 275 rushing yards, led by Jemery Willes' 122-yard effort on 14 carries. Willes, Alakai Kealoha and Kekoa Kaluhiokalani each ran in a score against the Surfriders, who conversely had minus-1 rushing yard. The Seariders' defense picked off one Kahaku Iaea pass and sacked him four times in the win.

The Red Raiders (7-0) are the Eastern Division champions and the last undefeated team remaining in the state, but a loss Friday would mean an abrupt end to the season. Kahuku, which had a bye last week, has scored no less than 31 points in six of its seven games, and is averaging nearly 36 points per contest. Opponents, however, have been held to an average of under eight points and just over 161 total offensive yards by the Red Raider defense.

The two teams have common opponents in Farrington, Moanalua and Kailua. Kahuku beat all three teams, while Waianae beat Moanalua and Kailua, but lost to Farrington.

Moanalua at No. 5 Leilehua - Friday, 7 p.m. at Hugh Yoshida Stadium

Na Menehune (5-4) will be playing their fourth Red West opponent this season. Moanalua lost to both Mililani (31-21) and Waianae (26-17), but beat Waipahu (31-20) last week in a first-round game. Moanalua, the East's third seed, has won three of its last four and five of its last seven. Against Waipahu, Moanalua gained 217 rushing yards, but was picked off twice in just 18 pass attempts.

The Mules (6-2) were off last week and have not played since a 36-34 win over Waianae on Oct. 6. Leilehua is hopeful for the return of senior receiver Josh Jenks, who is second on the team in receiving yards. The Mules' top receiver, Keoni Piceno, ranks fourth amongst Division I pass-catchers with 610 yards and four touchdowns on 59 receptions.
The winner will meet the Kahuku-Waianae winner in the late semifinal next Friday.

White Conference Tournament Semifinals

Kalaheo at Radford - Friday, 7:30 p.m. at John E. Velasco Stadium

The Mustangs (5-4) finished as the third seed following the nine-week White Conference regular season. Kalaheo is coming off a 50-14 win over Roosevelt Friday and has won two straight since snapping a three-game losing streak. The Mustangs have a pair of runners who have eclipsed the 500-yard mark in seniors Willie Lynch (70 rushes, 579 yards, 14 TDs) and Cristian Johnson (78 rushes, 562 yards, 6 TDs).

The Rams (8-1) are led by junior quarterback Cody Lui-Yuen, who has thrown for a state-high 2,230 pass yards with 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. His favorite target has been sophomore receiver Jameson Pasigan (39 receptions, 617 yards, 10 TDs), who is the team's leading scorer. Radford is allowing just over 10 points and 214 yards per game on defense.

Turnovers were the difference the first time these teams met. The Mustangs turned it over on three interceptions, two of which led to Lui-Yuen touchdown passes as the Rams won, 21-16, back on Sept. 8.

Nanakuli at No. 10 Kaiser - Saturday, 6:30 p.m. at Kaiser Stadium

The Cougars (7-2) are one of the hottest teams statewide, having won their last seven games. Kaiser has blownout most of its opponents and has been held to less than 33 points in just three games this season. Senior running back/safety Kai Gonda has done it all for the Cougars this season. Gonda is third in Division II with 796 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also thrown a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass and has scored on two kickoff returns, two punt returns and a fumble return.

The Golden Hawks (5-3) are coming off a 22-14 win at Waialua in the final week of the regular season, in which senior running back Brandon Felisi ran for a season-high 167 yards and junior quarterback Chazz Troutman threw two touchdown passes. Nanakuli's three league losses were to the other semifinalists: Kalaheo (24-21), Kaiser (47-14) and Radford (42-7).

The last time these teams played - on Sept. 14 - the Cougars racked up 403 yards of total offense, including 272 passing. Kaiser senior quarterback Makana Lyman was 17-of-26 passing for 258 yards and three touchdowns.

The winners of the semifinals will meet in the championship game on Nov. 2 at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.