SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — They've won tournaments together, they've made cross-country flights together and they've made lasting friendships.

But all the good feelings and good times created over the last month will be put on hold for a few hours this afternoon.

West O'ahu Little League of 'Ewa Beach and Rancho Buena Vista of Vista, Calif., will play for the United States Little League World Series Major (ages 11-12) championship at 9:30 a.m. (Hawai'i time) at Lamade Stadium after spending most of this past month watching the other record win after win. The winner this time advances to tomorrow's overall championship. The loser will see its hopes for a first world title end.

"We both came out of San Bernardino (Calif.) so they kind of knew each other from there and they're friends," West O'ahu manager Layton Aliviado said. "It's going to be good to play them. We kind of know them and they're a good team so we just have to be on our toes."

The players became friends when West O'ahu played in the Northwest Regional and Rancho Buena Vista in the West Regional, which were both held in San Bernardino earlier this month. After winning their respective regionals, the teams traveled to Williamsport on the same plane.

"We had kind of thought about it (playing each other) on the plane over but we didn't really think about it a lot," Rancho Buena Vista pitcher/catcher Kalen Pimentel said. "It would be kind of strange playing against them."

Since arriving in Williamsport, West O'ahu and Rancho Buena Vista seemed destined to play each other. They dominated their respective pools before surviving stern challenges in the U.S. semifinals.

They also bring undefeated records into today's game. West O'ahu is is 16-0, Rancho Buena Vista 23-0.

The similarities don't end there.

Both teams feature powerful offenses, outstanding pitching and solid defense. Neither team has allowed more than three runs in any of its Little League World Series games and both have shown a knack for capitalizing on almost every scoring opportunity they receive.

"I look for it to be a very tight game," Louisiana manager Mike Conrad said after West O'ahu defeated his team, 2-0, in Thursday's U.S. semifinal. "Both of these teams are very fundamentally sound and very well coached. They both have outstanding top-tier players. I'm not picking that one."

Pimentel, Vista's ace, is not available to pitch after he threw a complete game in Wednesday's 6-2 U.S. semifinal win over Florida. West O'ahu will likely use its ace, Alaka'i Aglipay, who has not allowed a run in eight innings here and is coming off a complete-game shutout against Florida on Monday.

"Hawai'i is a good team. They're on a roll," Vista manager Marty Miller said. "They've been playing very good baseball. They've been getting better every game. They'll be a huge challenge for anybody that plays them."

Vista will counter Aglipay with a powerful offense that has produced 29 runs in four World Series games. The West champions have scored at least six runs in each game and are dangerous from top to bottom. Even the reserves have hit the ball well with Aaron Kim homering and doubling and Josh Gomez hitting .429.

Pimentel also helps spark the offense, having hit two grand slams while driving in nine runs. Royce Copeland is batting 5 for 6 in his last two games. Copeland, the team's clean-up hitter, ripped two doubles against Florida and is hitting .500 through four games.

West O'ahu has been driving the ball over the fence here, belting nine home runs in four games. The Northwest champions outscored their three pool play opponents, 24-4, while hitting eight home runs.

West O'ahu has power up and down the lineup with five players having hit at least one home run here. Aglipay, Sheyne Baniaga, Vonn Fe'ao and Michael Memea each has hit two. Baniaga's two-run homer on Thursday was the only hit West O'ahu got in its win over Louisiana.

"They have many dangerous hitters," Florida manager Sid Cash said after his team lost 10-0 to West O'ahu last Monday. "Most teams have two hitters that you really worry about. With them you have to be very smart about how you pitch to every one."

Rancho Buena Vista likely will hope that Nathan Lewis can stymie the West O'ahu offense. The left-hander has not pitched in the World Series so that he could rest his arm after throwing a complete-game three-hitter in the West Regional final. Lewis can throw hard and also features a slippery curveball that can keep hitters guessing.

Lewis is part of a team that was battle-tested early while playing in the ultra-competitive California district and divisional playoffs. The Rancho Buena Vista Little League has only been around for 12 years, but this team jelled early and its success this season is the culmination of the league's steady growth.

"Excited we are, but this is like the tournaments we've been playing," Miller said. "It seems like we reach a new high every time we go out and play a game."

'Ewa Beach also has reached new highs, becoming the first team from West O'ahu Little League to reach the Little League World Series. It is the ninth team from Hawai'i to reach the World Series. Only Pearl City reached the world championship final in 1988, losing in the title game.

But while West O'ahu hopes to become the first Hawai'i team to win a world title, that is not that main focus entering today's game.

"I told these guys go out and have fun and do the same thing you've been doing from San Bernardino to now," Aliviado said. "That's all I can tell them is have fun because we came far and I can't believe we're even in the championship of the U.S."