ILH title on line tonight

The first time they met, both sides were defensive and Punahou eked out a 17-14 win.

The second time, a fumble return for a touchdown turned momentum Kamehameha’s way, and the Warriors won 17-10.

This time, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu football championship is at stake. Kickoff is 7 tonight at Aloha Stadium.

"I’m excited. The kids are very excited," Punahou coach Kale Ane said.

Kamehameha’s defensive unit has been stellar despite some inexperience coming into the season. Now that the offense has forged ahead on the ground and through the air, coach David Stant can’t help but notice similarities to the 2009 state title team.

"I think we have fewer impact players on this squad. It’s more of a team effort in every win, players working together to make the team better," Stant said.

Punahou had the elite seniors back for their shot at the ILH title. Saint Louis returned as defending state champion. Kamehameha took its lumps early and learned following nonconference losses to Farrington (26-21) and Kahuku (13-3).

"We’ve become a closer team. The boys started believing in each other. Dropping two straight games was a challenge for the team because people were telling them how junk they were, how they’ll lose all the games this year," Stant said. "But the boys keep on trusting in the coaches and each other. It’s a joy to coach this team. They are all unselfish players."

Ane thought the second matchup was going to be higher scoring.

"But both defenses are pretty stout. Both take advantage of miscues. It comes down to who executes and who makes mistakes," he said.

"We’ve gotten better on the O-line and D-line," Stant said. "They are winning in the trenches. If we can win the battle up front, we have a chance."

On paper: Another Thursday night game in the ILH doesn’t seem to be a problem for Punahou, which toppled Saint Louis 31-19 last week to force tonight’s tiebreaker.

Third-ranked Kamehameha (7-3, 6-1 league) and No. 5 Punahou (9-2, 6-1) run somewhat similar offenses, using pistol sets. With fleet running backs Bronson Barretto (5-foot-8, 178 pounds) and Tyler Meditz (5-9, 155), Kamehameha has averaged 140 rushing yards per game.

"Barretto can see and feel the flow of the defense to find open holes. He also has the confidence that if he is going to one way, he will make it work even if it’s not the right choice," Stant said. "Meditz will run the play and find holes in the defense, and he also has great catching ability. He runs with little effort and makes people miss. They complement each other in this system."

While Kamehameha’s offense relies on two running backs and two quarterbacks (Nephi Stevens, Cid Camanse-Stevens), the system at Punahou has asked much of senior running back Steven Lakalaka and sophomore quarterback Larry Tuileta. Lakalaka, with nearly 900 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns along with 29 receptions, is a bull’s-eye target of Warriors defenders.

In the first meeting, Lakalaka bolted for 147 rushing yards and a touchdown. The second time, he had 57 yards on 20 carries and was unable to cross the goal line.

Kamehameha’s defense has limited Tuileta, who has 13 touchdown passes with just seven picks, to a combined 28-for-61 passing for 278 yards in two games. Tuileta has also thrown three picks against Kamehameha.

The skinny: The fumble return for a go-ahead touchdown by safety Pono Choy, off a strip of Lakalaka by Noah Borden, was met with doubt from Punahou fans who say the running back’s knee was down on the play.

Other than that, the game was a stalemate, and with both teams still relatively healthy with the exception of Punahou defensive end Luke Kaumatule (knee), the only difference is that Kamehameha rested last week.

X factor: Punahou place-kicker/punter Kaimi Fairbairn is a major weapon on kickoffs, when the football sometimes splits the uprights, and on field goals. His long this season is 55 yards, and he can go as far as 60 at Aloha Stadium. (See the online video for that at hawaiiprepworld.com.)

Kamehameha’s Kanekoa Pawn-White also is one of the state’s elite kickers. With touchback range on kickoffs, he can neutralize Punahou’s normal advantage in the kicking game.

That leaves this chess match, possibly, in the hands of under-utilized or overlooked elements. One might be Punahou H-back Jacob Ioane (6-0, 215), a bulldozing lead blocker for Lakalaka with pass-catching skills. Another could be Kamehameha tight end Keoni Bush-Loo (6-4, 240), who has emerged as a short-yardage go-to target.