It’s the dream scenario, isn’t it?

Walking into a raucous stadium for the game every player in the state has been aiming for all season and coming through with the performance that resonates beyond the postgame celebration.

Sometimes a legacy lives on in the numbers — such as Punahou quarterback Cayman Shutter’s 400 yards passing in the 2008 Division I state championship game or Kahuku running back Malosi Teo’s 262 rushing yards in 2005.

In other cases, statistics have little to do with a performance’s lasting impact. Kahuku coaches continue to cite Chris Kemoeatu’s gritty effort on Kahuku’s offensive line in the 2000 championship as a lesson in perseverance for Red Raiders teams that followed.

Either way, the question heading into Friday’s finals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships at Aloha Stadium is simple.

Who’s next?

The Division I rematch between Kahuku and Punahou at 7 p.m. presents another opportunity for someone to perhaps enter local football lore.

‘Iolani will go for its sixth straight Division II title and seventh overall when the Raiders face a Lahainaluna team (4 p.m.) seeking its first.

Before looking ahead to Friday’s doubleheader, a glance to the past can provide some perspective. Following is just a small sampling of memorable performances in state championships or Prep Bowls delivered …

… through the air.
Saint Louis quarterback John Hao’s 329-yard, four-touchdown night against Kahuku in 1989 stood as a Prep Bowl/state championship passing record until Shutter threw for 400 yards and two scores in leading the Buffanblu to a 38-7 win over Leilehua in 2008. Robby Toma’s 147 receiving yards is also a state finals record.

Not that Shutter was mindful of the numbers while helping Punahou win its first state title.

“When you’re playing at a high level as a team you get to a point where you’re not thinking about stats, or even points,” said Shutter, now a backup quarterback for the University of Hawaii. “You get to a point where you’re just focused on that play and that moment.

“You look up in the fourth quarter and there’s 25,000 people in the stands and 38 points on the scoreboard and that’s when you get a chance to soak it in.”

… on the ground
In his final game at Kahuku, Malosi Te’o was handed the ball 30 times and he darted his way through the Punahou defense to run for 262 yards in the Red Raiders’ 28-21 win in the 2005 Division I final.

His total included a 79-yard touchdown run and stands as the top rushing performance in a Prep Bowl or state championship game as he helped the Red Raiders rally from a 21-12 third-quarter deficit.

He surpassed the previous record of 212 set by Kahuku’s Mulivai Pula in 2001 and tied by Kamehameha’s Jayson Rego in 2004. He’s also among nine Kahuku players to run for triple figures in a Prep Bowl or state championship.

… by two of the biggest names in college football.
Manti Te’o and Marcus Mariota emerged as two of the nation’s most prominent figures this season and both won high school titles before embarking on their college careers at Notre Dame and Oregon.

Te’o, Malosi’s cousin, was credited with eight tackles, including two sacks of Leilehua’s Andrew Manley, and forced a fumble in Punahou’s 2008 victory. One of his three carries also became a highlight moment when he was hit behind the line of scrimmage but broke free from six would-be tackles to grind out a punishing 4-yard gain.

Mariota’s final game at Saint Louis was a prelude to his breakout season at Oregon as a dual-threat quarterback. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 43 yards in a 36-13 win over Waianae in 2010. He led Saint Louis to touchdowns on its first three possessions, including a 79-yard pass to Jeremy Tabuyo.

… to end a dynasty.
Saint Louis’ dominance stretched through 13 Prep Bowls (1986-’98) and into the inaugural state championship in 1999.

Kahuku was on the losing end in five of the seven years leading up to 2000. This time the Red Raiders came through with a 26-20 win that altered the prep football landscape.

Current Kahuku head coach Reggie Torres was on the junior varsity staff at the time, and recalled Kemoeatu playing through painful infections in his knees to help the Red Raiders rush for 270 yards, with Pula accounting for 112 and two touchdowns. Kemoeatu also recovered two fumbles to preserve Kahuku drives, including one that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

Torres was in the locker room at halftime and recalled Kemoeatu’s agony as trainers tried to treat his swollen knees.

“In the second half he wouldn’t even go back in the huddle, it was rough for him,” Torres recalled. “He would just get back on the line and fire out … and he had some crushing blocks.

“He was in pain and he just played his butt off. Most guys wouldn’t even have been on the field and he played through it and you couldn’t even tell he was hurt.”

… by a QB called up from the JV.
Manley hadn’t played a varsity game before being summoned during the OIA playoffs in 2007. The sophomore’s composure and accuracy helped Leilehua reach the state tournament, and his legend grew when he threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Edieson Dumlao with 36 seconds left against Saint Louis in the final.

Manley didn’t throw for a great percentage (18-for-42) and his 181 yards doesn’t rank among the elite statistical performances. But leading the Mules to two fourth-quarter touchdowns to turn a 10-point deficit into a 20-16 win elevated him in the pantheon of title-winning passers.

“Andrew was resilient and kept playing and when we needed to make that final drive the entire offense came together,” Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda said. “The line blocked well and Andrew made a perfect throw.”

… after classification finally became a reality.
Aiea quarterback Kali Kuia’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Alden Demello in the fourth quarter was the difference in Na Alii’s 9-7 win over Damien in the inaugural Division II championship game in 2003.

Trailing late in the game, an interception by the Aiea defense gave Kuia a chance to put together the game-winning drive.

“(In the huddle) I told the guys, ‘This is our last time on this field together as a team,’ ” Kuia told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin after the game. “I said, ‘This is our last game and our last drive and we need to go out and try our best.’ ”

‘Iolani appeared in seven of the next eight D-II finals, winning the past five. Running back Mike Hirokawa was instrumental in starting the Raiders’ reign by rushing for 217 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-20 win over Radford in 2005. Foy helped extend it by throwing five touchdown passes in a 49-14 win over Kaimuki as a sophomore in 2010.

… when the Prep Bowl was still new.
The first Prep Bowl was a defensive battle, with Waianae’s Victor Humalon’s touchdown pass to William Pimental accounting for the only score in a 6-0 win over Saint Louis in 1973.

The distinction of the Prep Bowl’s first 100-yard rusher belongs to Kamehameha’s Clyde Kaui. He ran for 115 yards in a

20-19 win over Leilehua in 1974 and his 91-yard touchdown run remains the longest in a title game.

… in tribute to a beloved coach.
After Radford coach John Velasco died a day before facing Waianae for the OIA West championship in 1981, the Rams carried the emotion into a Prep Bowl matchup with Saint Louis, with Loyal Garner’s “Blind Man in the Bleachers” becoming the game’s unofficial anthem.

Rams quarterback and current Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo completed just two passes for 68 yards, 63 going to Greg Pace for the lone offensive score in the Rams’ 14-2 win.

Defensive backs Brian Norwood and Via Manuma combined to force a fumble that George Reny returned 94 yards for the game’s first touchdown and the Radford defense repeatedly turned away Crusaders scoring opportunities.

“We were getting pushed all over the field. But Mr. V always told us, when it gets down to nitty gritty, you gotta believe in yourself,” defensive lineman Tavita Sagapolu told Paul Carvalho of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

… against a former team.
Boyd Yap posted 56 rushing yards and 33 receiving for Kamehameha in the Warriors’ loss to Waianae in 1978. Yap returned to the Prep Bowl the following year, this time with a Kaiser team coached by Ron Lee. Playing against Kamehameha, he ran for a then-record 166 yards and three touchdowns to power the Cougars to a 27-7 win.

… on a record-setting scoring night.
Pac-Five’s 56 points in a 1985 win over Waianae is the highest total in a Prep Bowl/state final. Garrett Gabriel passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns, both going to George Smith, who finished with 124 yards. Kevin Vegas ran for 116 yards on just nine carries and scored twice.