Siale Hafoka’s interception in the end zone with 1:31 sealed host Lahainaluna’s 7-0 win over Kaimuki on Saturday night in the opening round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II State Football Championships.

Lahainaluna, the MIL D-II champion, will travel to Kauai and play top-seeded Kapaa next Saturday in the semifinals. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

"We had no offensive touchdowns on them," Lunas co-head coach Garrett Tihada said. "They’re the real deal. I know they didn’t get a lot of competition on Kauai, but they have no weaknesses."

The Lunas overcame a big effort by senior Billy Masima. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior rushed for 173 yards on 42 carries for Kaimuki, the OIA runner-up. The Bulldogs lost three of their first four games before making a Cinderella run to the OIA D-II title game. They finished 7-5 in David Tautofi’s first year at the helm.

"Coach Tautofi is doing good things at Kaimuki. I think they’ll be OK," Tihada said.

Defense, special teams and, above all for the Lunas, discipline were important. Lahainaluna, coached by Tihada and Bobby Watson, had just 109 yards of total offense, roughly half of Kaimuki’s total (210 yards), but had just 57 penalty yards. Kaimuki was whistled 17 times for 137 yards.

"Discipline is something our coaches work hard on, it showed tonight. It was a draining game," Tihada said.

Kaimuki went to a smashmouth power formation featuring Masima for most of the night.

"We figured they’d do something like that because they’re so much bigger than we are," Tihada said. "It’s amazing, what our defense did was amazing. They battled, played team defense. It was incredible to watch."

Hafoka, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound sophomore, was one of several underclassmen who played key roles for the Lunas (7-5).

"Every game, these young guys surprise me. Offensively, we sputtered and did just enough to win. I can’t say enough about what our defense did tonight," Tihada said.

Hosting a state-tourney game for the first time at Sue D. Cooley Stadium, Lahainaluna got an 11-yard touchdown run by sophomore Elijah Regudo in the second quarter and made that lead hold up.

Kaimuki had plenty of chances, though. The Bulldogs’ best chance at scoring in the first half came during their second series. After stopping the Lunas on a fourth-down bootleg run, Kaimuki took over at its 43-yard line.

With Masima lined up at QB, the Bulldogs did their version of Kahuku’s powerful smashmouth attack. With no wide receivers in the formation, they pounded away and got into the red zone before penalties stymied the drive.

Masima ran for 15 yards to the Lahainaluna 4-yard line, but it was called back by a holding penalty. Two plays later, with speedster Andrew Neves at QB, Kaimuki was whistled for an illegal shift, and eventually a field-goal attempt missed, ending the time-consuming drive.

The Lunas drove 80 yards to paydirt with their ensuing possession. Regudo scored on a fourth-and-2 run through traffic, an 11-yard run that gave the home team a 7-0 lead with 6:29 left in the second quarter.

Kaimuki drove to the Lahainaluna 37, but the Lunas stopped Masima on fourth-and-2. The Bulldogs didn’t get the ball back again until the Lunas downed a punt at the Kaimuki 4-yard line with less than one minute to go in the half.

Kaimuki got a prime opportunity late in the fourth quarter after recovering a Lunas fumble at the 20-yard line. Masima completed a pass to Jahssaiah Maiava at the 5-yard line for a first down, but he fumbled the next snap for an 8-yard loss and Kaimuki went backward from there with penalties. Jaren Feary’s pass into the end zone on third-and-goal from the 23 was picked off by Hafoka, and the Lunas ran out the clock.

Kaimuki arrived at the stadium at roughly 6:40 p.m., well behind schedule. With a required 25-minute warm-up period, the game started after the 7 p.m. scheduled kickoff time.

Lahainaluna 7, Kaimuki 0

Lah–Elijah Ragudo 10 run (Haaheo Au kick)

RUSHING–Kaimuki: Billy Masima 42-173, Ronnie Akau 1-2, Andrew Neves 5-0, Jaren Feary 4-(minus 2). Lahainaluna: Donovan Defang 11-50, Dean Miyamoto 7-28, Ragudo 4-25, David Kawabata 3-11, Justice Tihada 2-7, Mystic Kauhaahaa 1-2, Dylan Delatori 13-(minus 4), Laakea Shim 1-(minus 5), TEAM 2-(minus 5).

PASSING–Kaimuki: Masima 2-4-0-30, Feary 3-4-0-7, Tyace Sarcedo 0-1-1-0. Lahainaluna: Delatori 0-2-0-0.

RECEIVING–Kaimuki: Jahssaiah Maiava 2-19, Matt Faufata-Pedrina 2-14, Neves 1-4. Lahainaluna: none.

Konawaena 42, Damien 33

Kona–Algene Kelekolio 2 run (kick blocked)

Kona–A. Kelekolio 3 run (run failed)

Dam–Marcus Faufata-Pedrina 13 run (kick failed)

Kona–A. Kelekolio 69 run (Harry Hill kick)

Kona–Kamakana Ching 15 pass from Austin Ewing (Hill kick)

Kona–Kayson Mahiai 36 pass from Ewing (Hill kick)

Dam–Bransen Apao 6 pass from Faufata-Pedrina (run failed)

Kona–Kupono Kane 9 pass from Ewing (run failed)

Dam–Apao 6 pass from Faufata-Pedrina (Kaimana Cameron kick)

Dam–Faufata-Pedrina 2 run (Kaimana Cameron pass from Faufata-Pedrina)

Dam–Kepono Kawaakoa 22 pass from Faufata-Pedrina (kick failed)

Kona–FG Ewing 29

RUSHING–Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 28-50, Kawaakoa 8-18, Akila Arrechi 2-16. Konawaena: A. Kelekolio 27-263, Micah Laban 5-56, Ewing 6-31, Cameron Howes 3-8, Paka Cacoulidis 2-7, Tristan Fleming-Nazara 1-5.

PASSING–Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 15-30-1-296. Konawaena: Ewing 17-31-1-218.

RECEIVING–Damien: Austin Ballesteros 5-153, Apao 4-40, Kawaakoa 3-48, Shaun Apiki 2-60, Shawn Borges 1-(minus 5). Konawaena: Kane 5-33, Ching 4-79, Fleming-Nazara 4-53, Mahiai 3-47, Cameron Howes 1-6.