Punahou might seem a long way from Kalihi, but Kale Ane is never far away.

The longtime football coach has some Kalihi roots, one generation removed.

"My dad grew up right down the street from Farrington," Ane said on Thursday, just one day away from a showdown with the Governors in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships.

"My son married Coach Eki Espinda’s grand-daughter," Ane added, noting Espinda, who coached at Farrington in the 1960s and ’70s.

Governors are never far away from Ane. On Wednesday, Ane came across Bob Apisa, the former Farrington and Michigan State running back, at the PIAA letter-of-intent signing event. Ane also played at Michigan State before moving on to the NFL.

"He’s the best back we’ve ever had from Farrington," Ane said of Apisa, grouping him into a select group with two highly renowned Buffanblu players of the past. "Bob, Mosi (Tatupu) and Manti (Te‘o). They were great, extraordinary athletes."

The Buffanblu coach and his team have prepared as best they can for the Cinderella team from Kalihi. Top-seeded Punahou (9-0) is the heavy favorite against Farrington (9-3) in the 7:30 p.m. game at Aloha Stadium.

Punahou has reached the final the past two years, losing to Kahuku. Before that, there have been just two ventures beyond the semifinals: in 2005, a 28-21 loss to Kahuku, and in ’08, when Te‘o powered the Buffanblu in a 38-7 victory over Leilehua.

Kahuku had the formula — and talent — to slow down high-octane Punahou offenses in ’11 and ’12. This year’s Farrington squad has similar components: a dominant running back (Sanele Lavatai) and a versatile, physical defense.

THE GOVS HAVE thrived under the most unique and challenging situation in recent weeks.

Dayne Ortiz, a starting cornerback, went missing on Nov. 3 after his kayak capsized in rough waters off Mokuleia. Coach Randall Okimoto, his staff and the community came together in support of the Ortiz ohana and their players.

"Talk about adversity all year," Okimoto said. "I’ll never forget this year."

As long as they live, the Governors will wonder about Ortiz, a quiet senior who Okimoto called one of the team’s most improved players.

"The question people ask a lot is, ‘Did they find anything?’ So there still hasn’t been closure," he said, noting that the school has counselors available for teammates who need someone to talk with.

It has been a time of growth and maturation.

"Every time someone would fool around at practice, some of the team members are getting on ’em," Okimoto said. "It is what you want to see, them policing themselves, doing it for the family."

The Buffanblu gave the Govs their support recently, visiting Farrington after a practice.

"It’s a very emotional, very passionate situation and they’ve done very well handling their emotions and playing through it, using it to help motivate themselves," Ane said. "We went down and let them know how we feel for them."

Dealing with personal loss was tough enough. Now Punahou stands between the Govs and a dreamy ascent to the state final. Farrington is up against another challenge.

"Sanele is very questionable for the game. He’s probably not going to play," Okimoto said of Lavatai, who has a shoulder injury.

This comes after a lingering hamstring injury in recent weeks. Since converting from linebacker in the preseason, Lavatai has rushed for 1,059 yards (5.8 per attempt) and 14 touchdowns. The next two rushers on their stat list: Sitaleki Hufanga (182 yards, two TD) and Bryce Tatupu-Leopoldo (163, two).

"If Sanele doesn’t go, we go again with Bryce, Sitaleki and Manu (Masalosalo)," Okimoto said.

PUNAHOU EARNED an opening-round bye as top seed and rested up last week. The Buffanblu haven’t played since sealing the ILH title with a 38-12 win over Kamehameha on Oct. 25. That’s three weeks without a game.

"I’m excited and curious, I guess, about how we’re going to attack that big, athletic defensive front they have," Ane said. "And how we can establish our running game against them. And defensively how we’re going to stop their running game their play-action off of that."

The offensive line, led by senior Davis Miyashiro-Saipai’ia and powered by the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Semisi Uluave, will face a resilient defensive front.

Farrington sets the tone up front with linemen Breiden Fehoko and Motu Heimuli. Safety-linebacker Manly "Pumba" Williams is highly versatile, and cornerback Jacob McEnroe has developed into one of the state’s best.

Punahou’s season-long injury issues have ceased, for the most part. Defensive ends Canton Kaumatule and Ruairi Brady played key roles in the win over Kamehameha. Linebackers Saitui Moea‘i and Ronley Lakalaka have wreaked havoc when unleashed.

"We’re healthy. The bye was great, an opportunity to heal up and get healthy," Ane said.

THE BUFFANBLU have mastered the run-and-shoot offense over the years, starting with the tutelage of then-offensive coordinator Darryl Kan. But smashmouth two- and three-back sets this year have been highly effective, creating an unbalanced offensive line that staggered the strongest of foes.

Sophomore Wayne Taulapapa has been stellar with 911 yards and 12 touchdowns, and his ability to make plays as a pass catcher is another weapon.

Add in triple-option plays out of the three-back set, and defenses have to pick their poison. Punahou has yet to show a passing game out of that sledgehammer formation.

"We’re tinkering with different sets and trying to anticipate how they’re going to stop who we have," Ane said. "Against Kamehameha, we learned a lot."

THE GOVERNORS have benefited from a stout defense that solidified in the second half of the season. But their ability to connect through the air in first-down situations, thanks to the fortitude and accuracy of quarterback Montana Liana, has eased the pressure.

"Farrington has some variety that they’ve shown throughout the season, but their basic is ‘this is what we’ve got, this is what we do; try and stop us,’ " Ane said.

The Govs have come a long way since preseason, when they scrimmaged Punahou and lost two nonconference games by a 71-19 margin.

"I remember we missed a day of practice because of the tsunami (warning), so we only had two or three practices before that scrimmage," Okimoto recalled. "We were so green, starting out with 10 new guys on offense.

"Punahou uses scrimmages to test their physicality. They ran it 10 straight times, so that was good for our defense."

PUNAHOU’S dominant defense, offensive balance and creative new additions to the playbook are fun to watch for Buffanblu fans, but those elements are highly practical, too.

"They’re not the No. 1 seed for no reason. They’re very accurate and skilled. (Larry) Tuileta is good at reading coverages. They mix up things really well, they block well and they have talent, so we have our work cut out," Okimoto said.

Tuileta’s numbers this year don’t compare to his passing production of last season. The senior still has 1,952 yards, 20 touchdown strikes and just three picks to his credit. At the epicenter of Punahou’s multiple systems, he is a maestro.

Still, Punahou is only human. Farrington is capable of superhuman performance, on and off the field.

"We know we haven’t played our best game in so many areas," Okimoto said. "If we have an attitude about getting better, I know we can get better. That’s what we have to do this week."