Kahuku can expect the unexpected from Leilehua on Friday when the teams meet in the Division I semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships at Aloha Stadium.

Leilehua’s offensive masterminds are always up to new wrinkles, but that doesn’t mean the Red Raiders will junk their vaunted defense. They’ve seen gadget plays, as they did in this situation, early in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red final against Farrington. Kahuku’s defense didn’t flinch.

The Govs, perhaps the most conservative team in the league, faced third and long in the first quarter. The state’s leading rusher, Tyler Taumua (21), stood in the shotgun with a four-wide set.

Kahuku didn’t change much at the line of scrimmage. Before Taumua began his count, middle linebacker Johnny Tapusoa (17) squeezed between his defensive tackles, and outside linebacker Rashaan Falemalu (12) lined up as the left defensive end. In the heart of the secondary, defensive back Mason Kualii-Moe (10) peeled back an extra 5 yards just before the snap, giving the Govs the entire middle of the defense.

Two key things occurred with the snap as Taumua rolled left: 1, defensive tackle Mark Sauvao (55) had the wits to spin off Farrington’s left guard, opting to go lateral against a dangerous playmaker rather than go upfield, and 2, with Tapusoa committed to the pass rush, Kualii-Moe became the key stopper in the center of the field.

Taumua used his running back, Tavale Masalosalo (5), as his blocker. Once the elusive ballcarrier tucked the ball under, he cut back inside of Masalosalo’s block on the edge, got past pursuing defenders Sauvao, defensive tackle Toiva Tufaga and linebacker Benetton Fonua.

As Taumua ran against the grain, there was Kualii-Moe, once one of the state’s top wide receivers. With the rest of the Kahuku secondary in deep zone coverage, Kualii-Moe took his angle and wrapped his arms around Taumua’s knees. What could have been a big play turned into a mere 5-yard gain, setting the tone for Kahuku’s defense in a 23-0 win.