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The campuses of 'Iolani and Kaimuki are divided by Date Street only a couple football fields apart, and the connection between the schools' coaching staffs is even closer.

Six members of Kaimuki's staff - including head coach Clint Onigama - graduated from 'Iolani, their opponent in Friday's First Hawaiian Bank/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division II State Championship game.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.

"We knew this was a possibility, but it's a good thing," said Onigama, a former Raiders quarterback who graduated in 1997. "It's exciting."

Bulldogs offensive line coach Shaun Ushijima, a 1981 'Iolani grad, shared his experiences from the 1980 Prep Bowl 7-7 tie against Wai'anae with the Kaimuki players before Wednesday afternoon's practice.

"I told them they'll remember these last practices, this last game," Ushijima said. "Twenty years from now, they'll still be talking about this season. That's what we still do."

The six 'Iolani graduates found their way into the Kaimuki program almost by accident. Onigama's sister was a faculty member who brought him into teaching summer school there a few years ago, and it evolved into a full-time job teaching math.

He was an assistant to former head coaches Daniel Mafua and Darren Johnson before taking over as head coach in 2009.

"At first, I never thought I'd be teaching or coaching here, but these kids have a way of growing on you," said Onigama, who grew up in Hawai'i Kai. "They're really good kids, they just need a little guidance. They've bought into what we preach 100 percent."

Onigama said the Bulldogs' 12-1 season has had a positive effect on the school in general.

"You can see that everybody takes more pride in Kaimuki," he said. "There hasn't been as much graffiti, fighting, disrespect. It's a better environment overall, and that's a credit to the hard work of everybody involved."

When Onigama became head coach last year, he had classmate Marcus Meaney as an assistant coaching the defensive backs. At a University of Hawai'i baseball game this past spring, Meaney ran into Ushijima and asked him if he was interested in joining Onigama's staff.

Pat Samsonas, a 1993 'Iolani graduate and former head coach at Kaiser, also came on board and fellow Raider graduates Beau Uehara ('95) and Tyler Street ('06) joined the staff as JV coaches.

All six former Raiders - each of whom either played or coached under 'Iolani head coach Wendell Look - are expected to be on the Kaimuki sideline on Friday.

"We were all brought up under the same system, we already know what is right and wrong," Onigama said. "It's nice to be on the same page without having to draw things out."

Ushijima, who coached at 'Iolani for 15 years, said he draws a different satisfaction from assisting at Kaimuki.

"(Giving back) extends past 'Iolani, it's good to help other communities and experience different kids," said Ushijima, who also coached at Kaiser for four years under Samsonas. "We're trying to teach what we learned at 'Iolani - to be good kids, to be humble. We want to instill the same values at other schools."

That includes an emphasis on academics. Onigama said every healthy player on the Bulldogs roster passed Monday's grade check and will be eligible for Friday's championship game.

"It helps that I'm on campus and can chase guys down to go to class and do their work," Onigama said. "We stress academics, we tell them every day that school is a lot more important than football."

As far as Friday's game, Onigama and Ushijima said knowledge of 'Iolani's playbook will help, but won't be enough by itself.

"The thing about Wendell, he has them running it to perfection," Ushijima said. "They execute so well."

Ushijima said while the two staffs have been "ragging each other" since the matchup was set last Saturday, no official wager has been set.

"We have to line our own field here, so I'll tell Wendell if we win, they can come over and line our field," he said.