Through four games this season, the Baldwin High School football team's defense was ranked an uncharacteristic third in the Maui Interscholastic League.

The Bears had given up 240.8 yards per game, including 134.8 ypg through the air, a figure that was fourth in the six-team league and only two yards a game ahead of fifth.

Three games later, the final figures look a lot more like the Baldwin defenses that have dominated the MIL as the Bears have strung together a league-record 30-game unbeaten streak (29-0-1) that dates back to October 2004.

With a final 201.4 ypg average, Baldwin finished second to Lahainaluna in total defense by 34 ypg. Starting with a 23-20 overtime win over the Lunas, the Bears gave up only 447 yards — an average of 149.0 ypg — in the final three weeks of the season.

Now, the Bears are one game away from their third straight Division I state semifinal berth and fifth overall since the state tournament began in 1999. The Bears, ranked fourth in the Advertiser's poll, host sixth-ranked Farrington, the third-place finisher in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, on Saturday in a state quarterfinal at War Memorial Stadium.

Much of the resurgence is due to the solid play of defensive ends Aoki and Rosa.

"The defense is pretty much the heart and soul of the team,'' Baldwin head coach and offensive coordinator A.J. Roloos said to The Maui News. "Like they say, offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Our defense knows what they have to do. That is what I preach to the offense — 'The defense is going to do its job, we just have to do ours.' ''

Aoki is a 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior who has started for three years at the position, while Rosa is a 6-3, 248-pound junior who is opening Division I college eyes.

"We started off kind of young with all of the seniors from last year gone,'' Aoki said. "But these guys worked hard. We have good guys out here and they all want to get better. Every day, we get better. That is what it is, just get better every day.''

A lot of that development can be traced to the leadership of Aoki.

"Troy means a lot to this defense because with his speed and his strength, he has come a long way,'' Roloos said. "He is a little bit small for his size, but he plays with a lot of heart.''

Aoki, who has watched current college players Levi Aki and Bula Kaupe take the lead role on the defense in previous years, has stepped into the position of defensive captain this season as weakside DE.

"This year, he has stepped up bigtime. That is why he is the captain,'' Roloos said. "He knows how far we are going to go. It is up to the team how far they want to go and he knows it. He is taking charge out there. The defense, he is pretty much running the defense, besides the linebackers. He has helped out the defense a lot.''

With his size, Rosa has drawn notice from Colorado and Boise State, among others.

"Mana, he is a big boy for his size – about 6-3, 250, something like that,'' Roloos said. "He came a long way and he has got some college looking at him already. For sure, he is a D-I player. He has got the size, he has got the speed, he has got the strength, and he is a smart kid in school.''

Aoki is not D-I size, but Roloos said he makes up for it in desire.

"His heart will take him where he wants to go,'' Roloos said. "With his heart, he will make it.''

With Rosa on the other side of the line, Aoki becomes more effective.

"It is great having him out there,'' Aoki said. "I mean, the offensive coordinators look at him and feel like he is the guy, so it makes my job a lot easier.''

Rosa, who started the season wearing No. 52, has switched to the 31 jersey left vacant when linebacker Kyle Ka'aihue-Kaimiola left the team. Ka'aihue-Kaimiola was the MIL Defensive Player of the Year last season.

"The coaches wanted me to play some tight end, so they switched my number,'' Rosa said. "I had 52 since freshman year and it is kind of my favorite number. It is really hard to follow Kyle's footsteps, but I am trying hard; try my best out here to show what I can do.''

Rosa watched from the sidelines, while Aoki was on the field for the final play last season, a 43-yard flanker pass for a touchdown that gave eventual state champion Kahuku a 22-20 win over the Bears in the state semifinals.

"The coaches are trying to push us harder because of how last year ended,'' Rosa said. "They just tell us to never look down and keep working hard. I am never going to forget that game. Looking back at that game, I just really want to get back there and win this year.''

The Bears' defense has a good practice partner in their high-powered spread offense. Baldwin finished second to the Lunas in team offense, with 334.4 ypg.

"What is better than going up against the best every day, pushing you hard every day?'' Aoki said. "You can only get better from good competition. Those offensive guys, they push us every day. That is why our defensive guys are so tough.''