Discipline. Unity. Self-sacrifice. One team.

That’s what the Lahainaluna Lunas are, just as much as five-time Division II state champion ‘Iolani. When the two powerhouse programs meet tonight in the final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Championships, they’ll share some striking resemblances.

Both teams like to use quick dives up the middle to set up fly sweeps around end. Neither has a surplus of gigantic players, but precision, technique and execution are the norm. With veteran coaches on both sidelines — ‘Iolani’s Wendell Look and Lahainaluna’s Garret Tihada and Bobby Watson — a lot of the old has met with new wrinkles, forming two highly successful teams with high-scoring offenses.

While ‘Iolani relies on an aerial attack and the Lunas pound on the ground, the biggest difference could be on defense, where the Lunas have permitted a miserly 3.7 points per game. Hercules Mata‘afa might be the best defensive lineman few have heard of, but he had three tackles for loss against Nanakuli last week.

That’s the same Nanakuli squad that edged Konawaena in the quarterfinals, which is the same Konawaena team that nearly upset ‘Iolani three months ago in a 43-40 shootout.

Lahainaluna and ‘Iolani met for the D-II title in 2007, a 28-21 win by the Raiders.

>> See video interviews of both coaches at hawaiiprepworld.com