RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Leilehua's Aviata Faaloua celebrated a second-quarter defensive stop against Kahuku during last week's state semifinals.

Leilehua just wants to
keep playing football

It's an old-school matchup as
the Mules and Warriors meet
for the HHSAA state title

In Wahiawa, scorching summer days are unavoidable.

That's not good information when camp is in session and football gear weighs every player down. But summer's long gone, and the Leilehua Mules practice on a dark and stormy night in early December.

State Football Championships At Aloha Stadium, tomorrow division I » No. 2 Kamehameha vs. No. 6 Leilehua, 8 p.m. division II » Campbell vs. Iolani, 5 p.m.

Cold and wet, sloshing through mud at Hugh Yoshida Stadium, the Mules are far from miserable. In fact, there is a hop in their step, a unity and intensity in each drill. They even sprint with the spontaneous loopiness of kindergartners to the mauka bleachers for a post-practice meeting.

Life is good at Leilehua. After all, it is not possible to knock off the No. 1 team in the state and still be an underdog a week later.

Or, maybe it is. Leilehua (11-2), which didn't qualify for the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs a year ago, is perched high above the field now. A 17-14 win over previously dominant Kahuku put the Mules in the Division I finals of the First Hawaiian Bank State Football Championships tomorrow.

The Mules joke about raising money to play another game on the mainland.

That's how much they love playing football, especially this year. They don't want the season to end.

"I don't look at it as a championship game," said linebacker B.J. Fruean, who has drawn interest from Hawaii and Idaho. "It's just another game."

Reality is, until last week, Leilehua was the only team in the state to hang tough with Kahuku. A 12-6 loss to the Red Raiders in the OIA semifinals was played through a night of wet weather, perhaps negating the Mules' performance in the minds of non-believers.

Kamehameha, meanwhile, is always Kamehameha. Big, strong and fast, the Warriors won the Interscholastic League of Honolulu crown for the first time in 25 years. The Warriors did it with a bone-crunching offensive line and tireless running back Jayson Rego.

They also did it with a defense that was physical enough to stifle Lahainaluna 21-6. Kamehameha was beaten deep just once by the crafty Lunas, who used an unbalanced line to sneak tight end Stanley Malamala downfield for a 64-yard pass. Other than that, the Warriors have been too smart, too consistent and too hungry to deny.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Kamehameha's Ikaika Hardie has gamebreaking ability but will miss fellow receiver Waika Spencer, who is out with an injury.

So, who is the underdog? Maybe both teams. Neither was expected to get this far, at least based on recent history. For the first time in 15 years, Saint Louis or Kahuku aren't part of the season's final game.

Kamehameha has been so close, suffering a string of second-place finishes in the ILH. Leilehua lost to Kamehameha in the 1974 Prep Bowl, 20-19. The Mules have had their ups and downs since winning the 1984 Prep Bowl against Saint Louis 10-0.

This year, under former junior varsity coach Nolan Tokuda, the Mules went back to the past, naming their stadium after their former coach, Yoshida.

In another tribute to the '84 team, they put their gold pants away and went to yellow and green uniforms.

"I said in preseason, if we stayed healthy, we'd contend," said Tokuda, who guided the JV Mules to a 17-4 mark in 2002-03. "Some people didn't like that, and I agree that we should be humble, but that's what I believe."

Here's a look at tomorrow's Division I state title matchup:

» No. 6 Leilehua (11-2) vs. No. 2 Kamehameha (9-2-1)

» When: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.

» Where: Aloha Stadium.

» On paper: Kamehameha's offensive line paved the way for the ILH's top rusher, Rego. Leilehua advanced thanks in part to a hybrid offense that separates the Mules from the pack.

Longtime Kamehameha coach Kanani Souza doesn't mince words. "They have a good scheme that utilizes their personnel on offense, and defensively, they swarm to the ball. They play great against the run, obviously.

"Formation-wise, they remind me of some ILH teams, probably Saint Louis, Punahou and Iolani."

» The skinny: The Mules have been outsized for most of the season. Still, they came up with defensive stops against Kahuku that were eye-popping.

Linebackers Guyes Galdeira (5-foot-6, 175 pounds) and Fruean (6-2, 210) absorbed much of the brunt while other Mules came up with tackle after tackle.

"You gotta want it. You gotta have the passion to make the play," said Galdeira, a junior who played guard and fullback last year.

Leilehua's defensive highlight last week was probably a goal-line stand, with defensive lineman Aviata Faaloua, a 190-pound senior, making the key stop on fourth down. "There's no way he's 190," Fruean said. "He's at least 230, 240."

Or maybe Faaloua plays like he's 240. Whatever the case, Leilehua's defense will have another formidable challenge from another run-first, smashmouth football team.

Fruean is low-key, but focused. "They'll come at us with a smashmouth offense. We'll come at them with knock-your-mouth defense," Fruean said.

Souza likes to see the Warrior defense get recognition as a group, preferring not to single out anyone. Tokuda saw enough in person and on tape.

"(Mana) Lolotai is good, and 44 (Mika Kane), he's tough," Tokuda said. "Their defense is so different. It's something we haven't seen. They flex two or three of their linemen."

Quarterback Bryant Moniz is preparing for something new. "They'll mix up their defense more," he said.

Leilehua co-captain Kama Kekoa has been impressed by Kamehameha's defense. "Their ends are smart. They have good technique and they're well-coached," said Kekoa, a defensive end. "For us, it comes down to alignment, assignment, technique and hustle."

There's no denying that the Warriors have tremendous pursuit to the ball, particularly against running teams.

Leilehua doesn't run first, though. Its hybrid offense, with elements of Florida State, Hawaii, San Francisco and old Mule schemes, spreads the field with a Slot-I set most of the time. "Their cornerbacks are very athletic and fast. They're well-taught," said Tokuda, who had his receivers work specifically on breaking contact at the line of scrimmage this week.

"They play a lot of aggressive man. We don't see that much in the OIA except against Kahuku, but even they had Cover 2," Tokuda noted.

When Moniz connects with 6-2 Anthony Palomares and 6-1 Chustin Senas, the lanes open for running back Justin Lawelawe, who lines up as a fullback against a standard 4-3, but shifts to tailback against dime and nickel packages.

The senior is also a key target for Moniz, who has found his rhythm with quick, 3-step drops against heavy blitzes. The sophomore, who has bruised ribs, is among several Mules playing with injuries.

» X factor: Kamehameha is without Waika Spencer, who injured a knee last week. The 6-5 receiver is a key cog in the offense, giving the Warriors a safe mid-range target when there is little room to run. Ikaika Hardie is one of the state's top gamebreakers, but with Spencer out, the Mules can pay more attention to the Warrior receiver.

That puts some of the onus on Aaron Nichols, a talented wideout who hasn't seen a lot of balls this season. Rego, who had 30 carries last week, could have even more touches this time.

"He's a shifty running back," Fruean said. "He hits the hole hard. I'd compare him to Justin (Lawelawe) and Jinho Tohara (of Kealakehe). Not that big, but they play with a lot of heart."

Another factor will be weather. Tokuda promised that dry weather would help Leilehua's passing game against Kahuku, and it certainly did. If rain falls tomorrow night, the pendulum swings in favor of Kamehameha and its power running attack.