High school football state tournament brackets released with some surprises

STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER

Kahuku defensive back Shaun Niu Jr. jumped a pass intended for Mililani receiver Isaiah Padello and picked it off in the Red Raiders’ 35-0 win over Mililani on Friday at Skippa Diaz Stadium to win the OIA Open Division title.

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Sixteen teams from four islands will compete in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships beginning Friday, Nov. 11.

With the regular season ending on all islands on Saturday, brackets for the tournament in all three divisions were released Saturday night.

There were no surprises in the Open Division. OIA champion Kahuku and OIA third-place Campbell will meet in the semifinals for the third consecutive tournament. Punahou, which snapped Saint Louis’ run of six straight ILH championships, will play in the state tournament for the first time since 2016 against OIA runner-up Mililani.

That doubleheader will take place Friday, Nov. 18, at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium, which will host all three Open Division games and the championship games in all three divisions.

Every championship game since the first state tournament was held in 1999 had been at Aloha Stadium until it was condemned in December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every game of the state tournament last year was held at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium.

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Defending Division I state champion ‘Iolani earned the top seed this year and BIIF champion Konawaena was rewarded with the No. 2 seed and a bye in the first round.

MIL champion Lahainaluna, which hasn’t missed states since 2006, will host Aiea as the No. 3 seed and OIA champion Waipahu, the No. 4 seed, will host fifth-seeded Kapaa on Friday, Nov. 11.

Surprisingly, both OIA champions in Division I and Division II, despite running the table undefeated, were seeded fourth.

Nanakuli, which won all nine games against conference opponents, will host Pac-Five in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 12. OIA runner-up Kaiser will travel to Hanapepe Stadium on Kauai to face KIF champion Waimea, which earned the No. 3 seed.

MIL champion King Kekaulike, which is 4-6 this season, is the top seed in the division and will host the Nanakuli/Pac-Five winner. Na Alii’s only other state appearance came in 2006 when it beat Kauai in the Division II final.

Honokaa, the BIIF champion after going 10-1 during the season, is the No. 2 seed and will host the Kaiser/Waimea winner. Both of those games are Saturday, Nov. 19.

The Dragons’ only other state appearance came in 2009.

Three of the four semifinal games in Division I and II will take place at the same time on the same night on neighbor islands.

HHSAA State Tournament

Open Division

Friday, Nov. 18 @ Mililani

• Kahuku vs. Campbell, 4 p.m.

• Punahou vs. Mililani, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 25 @ Mililani

• Championship, 7 p.m.

Division I

Friday, Nov. 11

• Kapaa @ Waipahu, 7 p.m.

• Aiea @ Lahainaluna, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19

• Waip/Kap @ ‘Iolani, 3 p.m.

• Aiea/Lah @ Konawaena, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 26 @ Mililani

• Championship, 7 p.m.

Division II

Saturday, Nov. 12

• Kaiser vs. Waimea @ Hanapepe Stadium, 1 p.m.

• Pac-Five @ Nanakuli, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19

• Nan/P5 @ King Kekaulike, 7 p.m.

• Wain/Kais @ Honokaa, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 26 @ Mililani

• Championship, 4 p.m.