Bears, Buffs square off in D1 semis


RB Steven Lakalaka has rushed for 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns to lead the Buffanblu rushing attack. ScoringLive file photo
A week after defending their home turf, the Baldwin Bears will take their show on the road to Aloha Stadium Friday night and waiting for them will be the Punahou Buffanblu.�

Baldwin (9-1), which won the Maui Interscholastic League and is ranked seventh in the ScoringLive/OC16 Power Rankings, upset No. 2 Farrington in Wailuku in last week's first round of the First Hawaiian Bank/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I State Championships. The Bears trailed the Govs entering the fourth quarter, but outscored them 14-6 in the final 12 minutes to pull off a stunning 28-24 win at War Memorial Stadium.�

Quarterback Keelan Ewaliko's game-winning 33-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds left completed the Baldwin rally. The junior accounted for 221 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns to lift his team past the Oahu Interscholastic Association runner-up Govs.�

Baldwin has reeled off nine straight wins following a 48-10 loss to Edison (Calif.) in its season opener back on Aug. 26. The Bears went virtually unchallenged during its league schedule, winning by an average of over 32 points per game, including four shutouts. Their closest MIL game came in a 33-22 win at Kamehameha-Maui on Oct. 7.�

The Bears post an average of nearly 353 offensive yards while allowing just over 180 per game. Contrary to past seasons, the ground game has been leading the way for Baldwin this year, with over 223 rush yards per game. The Bears' stingy defense allows just 77 rushing yards and 103 pass yards each time out.

Punahou (10-2), the third ranked team in the SL/OC16 Power Rankings, lost a non-league game against Campbell back in week three, before it won six straight until an Oct. 15 loss to Kamehameha. Since then, the Buffanblu have played just twice - winning both - in the past four weeks. Their last game was a 24-17 win over Kamehameha on Nov. 3 in the ILH season finale.�

The Buffablu, who drew a first-round bye in the six-team state tournament, are led by running back Steven Lakalaka, who has rushed for 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Larry Tuileta has thrown for 1,280 yards with 14 touchdowns against seven interceptions on the year.�

Defensively, Punahou allows under 10 points per game while scoring an average of 26 points per game on offense. The Buffanblu have posted three shutouts of their opponents this year, including a 35-0 thrashing of Saint Louis on Sept. 16.�

Kickoff between the Bears and Buffanblu is set for 4 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.


Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].