Football
Perfect seasons at stake in both state title games


For the first time, the First Hawaiian Bank Division II state football title game will pit teams with unblemished records.

Kickoff is 4:30 p.m.  Friday for Division II and 7:30 p.m. for Division I at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

Kapaa (9-0) is trying to become the ninth Kauai Interscholastic Federation team to accomplish a perfect season (undefeated and untied). The last was Waimea in 1983 (8-0). Among Waimea's victories that season was a 16-14 win against Waianae in what was part of the then-Oahu Interscholastic Association-Neighbor Island Bowl.

The bowl matched the OIA's second- and third-place teams against Neighbor Island champions. In the other game in 1983, Baldwin beat Radford, 8-6. Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Saint Louis beat Big Island champion Konawaena, 35-0. The inter-island series lasted only through 1985.

Radford (12-0) is looking for its first perfect season since 1981, when it won the Oahu Prep Bowl to finish 13-0. The Rams are trying to become the eighth OIA team to finish with a perfect record.

Radford and Kapaa have little history between them. Their only meeting was during the 1966 preseason with the Rams prevailing 42-0 in a contest played on the Garden Isle.

This is Radford's third title-game appearance. This is Kapaa's first title-game appearance and the fourth for the KIF. Both teams are looking for their first D2 title.

Meanwhile in the 7:30 p.m. Division I championship, Kahuku (12-0) is seeking its first perfect season since 2012, when it won its last state crown. The Red Raiders have the second-most perfect seasons (2003, 2012, 2013).

Kahuku's opponent, Saint Louis (9-1), leads the state with eight unbeaten and untied seasons, its last coming in 1996, all under Cal Lee.

The meeting between the two schools will be the rubber match of the all-time series, which is tied at 7. They have met nine times for either the Prep Bowl title (Saint Louis, 4-0) or state championship (Kahuku, 4-1).

This will be the sixth meeting in the state tournament for the title between Saint Louis and Kahuku. The Crusaders won the inaugural crown in 1999 against Kahuku, which has since won the last four meetings.

Kahuku is 7-2 in title games; Saint Louis is 3-5.



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

MIL no ka oi - Baldwin, Maui declared Division I co-champs

Game called in the third inning as rain causes safety issue; both teams go home champions in first ever...

Kamehameha-Hawaii topples Damien to claim first state title since 2016

The Warriors blasted eight hits for a nine-run first inning to run-rule the Monarchs to win their first...

Maui shuts out Saint Louis to reach Division I finale for first time since 2017

Nicholas Nashiwa's two-out, RBI single to left, the Sabers' only one of the game, proved to be the difference...

Bears squeeze by Warriors to set up all-MIL final with Maui

Kaden Anderson pitched five innings and made an incredible running catch to deep right-center field to...

No. 1 Mililani claims fourth D1 state crown, first since 2014, with rout of No. 2 Kamehameha

Sunni Kahanu belted a pair of home runs and drove in five runs and Hinano Bautista fired a four-hitter...

No. 10 Kapaa dominates PAC-5 to end perfect season with D2 state title

The Warriors hammered out 12 hits in their 12-run rout of the Wolfpack to win their first Division II...