When No. 2 Punahou plays No. 3 Baldwin tomorrow in a semifinal of the First Hawaiian Bank Division I state football tournament, neither should be in for a surprise.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Aloha Stadium. The winner advances to next week's championship against the winner of the semifinal between No. 1 Kahuku and No. 6 Wai'anae.

"We're pretty similar," Baldwin coach Jimmy Morimoto said when comparing his team with the Buffanblu.

The Maui Interscholastic League champion Bears (11-0) bring a 14-game win streak dating to last season. They have twice made the semifinals, but never beyond. The only undefeated team in the state was granted one of the byes in the six-team tournament, and hasn't played since Nov. 5, when it beat last year's MIL champ, Lahainaluna, 21-0.

While the Buffanblu (10-2) have a storied past having played football since 1891, this is their first state tournament. Unlike previous Interscholastic League of Honolulu champions, the Buffanblu are the first to not have the bye. They have a modest four-game win streak, including a 35-14 victory over 'Aiea in last week's first round. Their two losses have been to Kamehameha.

Both teams are highly successful in their run-and-shoot offenses. Both have experienced quarterbacks with near-identical stats. Both have quick defenses needed to defend the offenses they will face.

Bears' senior quarterback Kalehua Moniz has passed for 2,390 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 11 interceptions. He has a talented all-underclassmen receiving corps in sophomore Chase Nakamura (47 catches for 910 yards, 9 TDs) and juniors Colten Quinabo (44 for 806, 9 TDs), Kainoa Klask (21 for 332, 5 TDs) and Ikaika Lau (16 for 217, 1 TD).

To keep defenses honest, they rotate running backs Chansi Bolosan (48 carries for 222 yards), Kaluana Alo-Kaonohi (23 for 104), Kyle Ka'aihue-Kaimiloa (29 for 109) and Kekoa Range (11 for 43). Alo-Kaonohi (5 feet 9, 190 pounds) and Ka'aihue-Kaimiola (5-10, 190) are linebackers and figure to be punishing-type runners.

The Buffanblu used five defensive backs to defend 'Aiea's run-and-shoot with success. The Bears will react accordingly.

"Teams on Maui have used the nickel (five DBs) against us and we've run the ball well," Morimoto said. "We'll take what they give us."

Punahou employed a 3-3 front against Na Ali'i, stunting the linebackers when it needed to apply pressure on the quarterback. Nose tackles Wil Tafolo (6-0, 340) and Bucky Aona (6-2, 270) provide bulk in the middle, while ends Jonathan Overton (6-3, 235) and Mike Egesdal (6-1, 200) use their quickness for mobility on the perimeter. Linebackers Sean Murphy, Steven Dannaway and Adam Morris apply their speed in rushing the quarterback, chasing down running backs and covering receivers. Speed will be a necessity to contain Moniz, who is a threat when he runs (81 carries for 208 yards, 5 TDs).

But the Bears have issues of their own that can be corrected.

"We've been hurting ourselves with penalties," Morimoto said. "We need to get first downs, keep the ball moving, sustain our drives."

Buffanblu junior quarterback Brett Kan has thrown for 2,342 yards and 22 TDs, with 14 interceptions. Earlier in the season, wideout Miah Ostrowski (82 catches for 1,055 yards, 10 TDs) was a frequent target. But in recent games, receivers River Kim (38 for 477, 3 TDs) and Zac Yamagishi (19 for 225, 4 TDs) have benefitted by defenses keying on Ostrowski, resulting in more touches. Kim also is the team's leading scorer, as he doubles as place-kicker. Along with his three TDs, he has 36 PATs and eight field goals for 78 points.

Punahou runs primarily with Kainoa Carlson (6-0, 198), who has 124 rushes for 488 yards.

The Bears use a 4-4 alignment. Bula Kaupe (5-9, 260) is the workhorse, playing both ways as defensive tackle and offensive guard. Tackle Levi Aki (6-0, 245), linebacker Ka'aihue-Kaimiola and cornerback Jensen Somera are among the keys on defense.

The Bears look forward to what's at stake. They want to prove they can move beyond the semifinals. They want to show they deserved the first-round bye and that their record is not a fluke.

"They'll be playing with a chip on their shoulder because they want to prove they're worthy of their No. 2 seed," Punahou coach Kale Ane said. "They're a very good team."

The postseason has been an adventure for Punahou, which had a 27-year hiatus between ILH titles. After finishing in a three-way tie with last year's champion Kamehameha and 2003 champion Saint Louis in the ILH Division I, the Buffanblu won a draw to earn a bye in a playoff, then beat the Crusaders for the third time this season for the ILH title. Having been out of postseason for so long, the Buffanblu discovered this week other sports at Punahou also use the school's practice fields. Punahou held some practices at the University of Hawai'i this past week, Ane said.

"We've never had this problem before," Ane joked. "We're just happy to have this opportunity to play."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.