There aren’t any rose-tinted glasses on the North Shore, at least not within Red Raider nation.

When Kahuku and Leilehua meet on Friday in the Division I semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships, the Red Raiders defense will be on, well, red alert. When they met in the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs nearly three weeks ago, Kahuku escaped with a 9-7 win.

“When we look at the film, there were a couple of instances when they overthrew open receivers. Otherwise, it would’ve been a different game,” Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. “It’s a matter of them bettering themselves and the same for us, too.”

Leilehua (10-1-1) has done its best to get better, coming off a 35-24 win over Kealakehe on the Big Island over the weekend.

“Any time you can get back to states and get back to the semifinals, you feel honored. It’s a privilege,” Mules interim coach Mark Kurisu said. “All the hard work you put in since February, this is what it’s coming to.”

Kahuku (10-1) had a bye last week after winning the OIA crown.

On paper: Kahuku is a classic smashmouth squad with the capacity to throw and the athletes to make big plays on both sides of the ball, but only when called upon. Leilehua is a newer kind of classic, a team that throws out of necessity.

Mules senior Kenan Sadanaga has passed for more than 3,000 yards with 39 touchdowns, including 12 to shifty slotback Jeremiah Andrade, who has 68 catches and nearly 900 yards. Keanu Kamakaiwi, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound sophomore, has emerged as a go-to ballcarrier in short-yardage situations.

Leilehua’s penchant for no-huddle drives and quick snaps on second- and third-and-shorts is tough to counter for many defenses. Kahuku is an exception, flexible and physical enough to stand through the onslaught with basically the same personnel defensively.

That’s why an outfit that averages 281 passing yards per game (Leilehua) can be nudged out of rhythm by a Kahuku defense that allows 152 total yards per game.

The Red Raiders rely on their offensive line and a ground game paced by Aofaga Wily, who is nearing 1,100 rushing yards despite missing much of the season due to injury. Backup Mahonilai Fakatou (6.1 yards per carry) has returned from injury, while Tre Kubota, who stepped up in his absence, has battled an illness.

The skinny: Leilehua’s creative trick plays could make a difference, but Kurisu insists the Mules will stick to the basics.

“Like how we did against Kealakehe, we’re going to keep it simple and let our guys play fast,” he said.

“You don’t want to have too many new wrinkles,” Torres countered. “But they’ve got something new, guarantee.”

The key to dealing with gadget plays is always discipline.

“We don’t want to give them leverage on us. You always adjust to your linemen to get a better shot of defending it,” he added. “If they catch us misaligned, that puts us at risk.”

Imagination will be valuable for any offense against Kahuku, which shut out Farrington in the OIA Red final.

X factor: The kicking game remains a big plus for Leilehua, which got two field goals and a number of touchback kickoffs from center/placekicker Tim Momiyama last week.