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Punahou, Kahuku advance to state football final

Billy Hull

For the ninth straight year — spanning the existence of classified brackets — the Interscholastic League of Honolulu’s representative will play for the D-I championship.

For the third time, that team will be Punahou, which got four touchdown passes from Larry Tuileta in a 35-0 win over Baldwin on Friday night in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I State Football Championships at Aloha Stadium.

Running back Steven Lakalaka added 75 yards and a touchdown and DeForest Buckner led the Buffanblu defense with 41⁄2 of his 11 tackles going for a loss.

The Buffanblu will face Kahuku next Friday at Aloha Stadium after the Red Raiders pulled out a 13-10 win over Leilehua in double overtime.

Aofaga Wily scored on a 3-yard touchdown run in the second overtime period after Tim Momiyama kicked a 37-yard field goal for Leilehua.

Momiyama missed a 42-yarder in the first overtime period that would have won it for the Mules.

Kahuku is the only team to beat Punahou in the state tournament, winning 28-21 in the 2005 title game.

The Red Raiders will try to become the first non-ILH team to win the state championship since Leilehua did it in 2007.

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