Pookela Moses-Espanto returns a punt for a TD in the Chargers' 7-0 playoff win over Kaimuki. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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15 minutes a day could probably save you some money on your car insurance.

For the Pearl City football team, that same amount of time spent on special teams has saved the Chargers in their two meetings against the Kaimuki Bulldogs.

Pookela Moses-Espanto scored on a 31-yard punt return for the Chargers' lone touchdown in a 7-0 win over Kaimuki last Friday night in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II semifinals at Bino Neves Stadium.

"Special teams won the game today," said Pearl City coach Robin Kami. "That punt return was a great one for us."

It was the second time that special teams pushed Pearl City over the Bulldogs this season.

In the regular season meeting between the two teams, Zameer Khan booted a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter to break a 7-all game. The Chargers extended their lead to 10 points early in the final period of play before Kaimuki rallied to make it a 17-15 game with 3:30 left in regulation.

The Bulldogs had a first-and-goal situation at the Chargers' 4-yard line late in the game, but was unable to gain positive yardage on their next three plays. Pearl City ultimately sealed the deal when Zion Tupuola-Fetui blocked Richard Burton's potential game-winning field goal from 25 yards out with 16 seconds left in the game.

"We work 15 minutes everyday on special teams," said Kami. "Now the players are realizing why everyday we work special teams. There's three phases of the game. You have to win two out of three to win this game."

Moses-Espanto was the hero for the Chargers in the second meeting between the two squads. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound junior isn't the team's primary punt returner, but saw the bulk of the return duties after the Chargers muffed a punt before their first series of the game.

"We just went try him out," said Kami. "He does well at practice. His looks are deceiving, but at practice he's 100 percent. After practice, he's running 100-yard sprints on his own."

The Pearl City junior put the Chargers on the scoreboard after a strong defensive effort put the Kaimuki offense in a hole. Pearl City turned the ball over at the Kaimuki 8-yard line on an interception, but pushed the Bulldogs backward four yards in the next three plays to force Sio Uhatafe to punt from the back of his own end zone.

"We were put in a position that we weren't used to," said Kaimuki coach David Tautofi. "That kind of made us a little uncomfortable, something that we didn't expect. That was the straw that broke our back."

Uhatafe's ensuing punt bounced to the Kaimuki 31, where Moses-Espanto scooped it up and followed the block of Chase Cudiamat down the left sideline for the score.

From there the Chargers did just enough to hold off the Bulldogs down the stretch.

"I think it gave us the momentum that we needed to push forward," Moses-Espanto said on his TD. "We were all tired, but I think it really helped push us forward."

Pearl City will take on Waipahu for the league crown on Thursday, Oct. 26.