The rivalry between Kamehameha and Punahou in boys wrestling is heating up.

In the last dual tournament before the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships this Saturday, the Warriors defeated Punahou 31-24 in the final round yesterday afternoon to capture the team title.

The victory halted Punahou's undefeated regular season to the surprise of several ILH coaches. Punahou, which features three returning state champions, has been the leader in league points all season, followed closely by Kamehameha.

“;Punahou has been unbeatable in these types of tournaments,”; said Kamehameha coach Chris West. “;Today we showed that we can compete on the same level as they have been performing at for years.”;

But Punahou didn't leave empty-handed. The girls won the team title 33-27 at the event held at Kamehameha.

Punahou and Kamehameha each won seven matches in the championship round. The Warriors rose to the top because they recorded one more pinfall than Punahou and garnered four bonus points by way of large margins in three of their victories.

Punahou won the early lightweight matches then Kamehameha took over in the middleweight classes and never looked back.

Kameona Hokoana's victory over Punahou's L.J. Remillard (16-2) highlighted Kamehameha's efforts in those middleweight divisions.

“;I fought hard today because I knew that our team wanted to win on our home floor,”; Hokoana said. “;Punahou has wrestled strong in every meet this season. Finally we were able to get ahead of them by our will to win.”;

Once Zach Batara won in the 189-pound division, West knew Punahou wouldn't mount a comeback.

“;Our wrestlers performed great today, especially in the middleweight classes,”; West said. “;Now we have to keep that momentum going.”;

But Punahou coach Matt Oney says he will have his team ready for the league tourney and the state championships, which will be held on Feb. 26 and 27 at the Blaisdell Arena.

“;We just lost our focus today. But it's my job to get them ready and to get them back in a winning frame. In the next two weeks we will be in tournaments that we surely will want to perform at our best,”; Oney said.

On the girls side, the rivalry between Punahou and Kamehameha is just as strong. Kamehameha is the league points leader in the girls standings, followed closely by Punahou.