Kapaa and Lahainaluna started and will finish the 2018 season against each other. ScoringLive photo illustration

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This season has come full circle for Kapaa and Lahainaluna.

The Warriors and Lunas faced off in the season opener and now they are the last two teams standing to play for all the marbles to close the 2018 season.

The top two seeds in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II Football State Championships meet in the title game for the first time since 2016 at Hawaiian Financial FCU Field at Aloha Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 1:30 pm on Saturday, Nov. 24 in the first game of a championship triple header.

The Lunas traveled to Vidinha Stadium on Aug. 4 and came away with a 30-10 win over Kapaa to start their season. Since then, both teams have evolved throughout the course of the season.

"We grew a lot. We are a different team for sure," Kapaa coach Philip Rapozo said. "We are a lot better than we were at that time. The thing is Lahainaluna is probably a lot better than they were at that time. I feel good where we're at."

"They have grown as a team from that time until now. One thing we've seen that developed throughout the season is that our team likes each other has and they have a lot of fun with each other," Lahainaluna co-head coach Garret Tihada said of the growth of his team.

The Warriors' wouldn't have it any other way as they have another opportunity to avenge the preseason loss and dethrone the defending state champions.

"We want to get it done for sure. We think we can do it. I thought we could do it with our other teams too and we have to take the best opportunity and see what we can do," Rapozo said.

No. 15 Kapaa (7-2 overall) edged out a scrappy Kaimuki team to win, 20-12 in the semifinals this past Saturday.

In a seesaw battle, the Warriors trailed early on in the second quarter, but took the lead after Ryno Banasihan's 50-yard touchdown on a third-and-26 and Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo's PAT.

Kaimuki would reclaim the lead in the third quarter, but Kahanu Davis rushed for a 9-yard touchdown to go up, 14-12, and the Warriors and never looked back.

"That was good for us. We haven't been in a battle like that where it was back and forth. That showed me a lot of the team we have and it's going to carry on and it's going to help us. You're not going to hold Lahainaluna scoreless. You have to be ready to be in a battle," Rapozo said.

Baba Nao rushed for a team-high 91 yards and scored on a 31-yard touchdown with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter, but the kick was blocked.

"We wanted to stay patient and we didn't want to panic and air it out. We knew they were a lot bigger than us. You don't want to give them the ball back. We did a good job in not panicking and staying with our game plan and it paid off," Rapozo said of getting a running game going in the second half.

Kaimuki made it all the way down to the Warriors' 21 before Stetson Telles-Kelekoma (6 1/2 tackles) intercepted Jonah Faasoa to seal the game.

Raffy Perono and Heath Rosa each had seven tackles and Rosa had the team's other interception to lead the Warrior defense.

"If you don't stay disciplined and don't do your assignment, it's going to run right through you. That happened to us the first game against Lahainaluna and we weren't disciplined and the results showed with the score. I like the way we fought, we bent but didn't break. We had depth on D and we got guys rest so that helped us a lot," Rapozo said of the defense's performance.

Turnovers is something Lahainaluna would like to avoid after losing three fumbles against the Rough Riders.

"That's what it's going to come down to," Tihada said of ball security. "We have to keep the ball out of their hands. We cannot turn over the ball like we did against Roosevelt where we had three early in the game. Somebody like Kapaa will capitalize on that."

Seventh-ranked Lahainaluna is seeking their third-straight state championship and drubbed Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Roosevelt, 48-10, in the semifinals to improve to 10-0 overall.

It was their fifth game scoring 40 points or more and sixth time it mercy ruled an opponent this season.

Lahainaluna's special teams were just that Saturday night as Kamalei Watson's 86-yard kick return score was a direct response to an early Roosevelt FG, and Tre Rickard's back-to-back punt return TDs in the fourth quarter emphatically sealed the Lunas' win #DominateTheScene pic.twitter.com/mLcaBaT6qe

— ScoringLive (@scoringlive) November 19, 2018

The Lunas special teams provided a boost with a kick off return and two punt returns for scores. After Roosevelt's field goal, Kamalei Watson took the kickoff 86 yards for Lahainaluna to jumpstart a scoring onslaught.

Tre Rickard had punt returns for 48 and 54 yards for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to send the game into running clock.

"You see what happens when you don't care of special teams. All teams in this tournament have good special teams and that's why we're all here. We have to be disciplined and have to do our jobs and play football," Rapozo said.

"When you face a team like Kapaa where it's pretty equal in the other two phases, special teams is what's going to make the difference," Tihada said of the importance of special teams.

Kaihulali Casco who had three catches for 120 yards, caught two touchdown passes for 72 and 39 yards in the second and third quarters respectively and Joshua Tihada added a 46-yard TD run to finish with a team-high 63 rush yards.

Lahainaluna had more passing yards than rushing yards (174 to 77) with Nainoa Irish throwing for 92 yards on 3-of-4 passing and Storer was 4 of 5 with 68 yards and neither passer was intercepted.

"They (Roosevelt) dictated that. They stuffed our run and forced us to go up top. We had a lot better passing game this year than we've ever had. It's not if we got to throw the ball and it's not like we're panicking it's still not something we're extremely comfortable with," Tihada said.

Brysen and Tre Rickard came up with both interceptions and Devon Sa-Chisolm and Sheldon Frias each had seven tackles to lead a defense that forced three fumbles and had four pass breakups.

The Lunas are looking to be the first team since Iolani to win three D2 titles in a row.

"It says that the kids have dedicated their time during the offseason and worked really, really hard. To get here, it's what you do in the offseason, it's not what you do when you step on the field and you get your pads. All these things are accomplished in the offseason," Tihada said.

The Warriors hope third time's the charm as it seeks its first football state title in school history.