Kamehameha and Radford again enter today's Zippy's Cheerleading State Championships as heavy favorites in the Large and Medium divisions, respectively.

But do not expect that to temper any sense of excitement from the Warriors, Rams or the other 14 teams participating in the competition, which starts at 2 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. Now in its eighth year and still one of the nation's few sanctioned state cheerleading tournaments, the event is never short on thrills.

"It's always exciting," said Kamehameha coach Melissa Beimes, whose Warriors have won four of the last five Large Division titles. "The total atmosphere at Stan Sheriff is different, and it's time to compete for a championship. We're always excited to see what everybody else brings."

What Kamehameha and Radford — which has won three straight Medium Division crowns — bring is mostly advanced stunts and tumbling.

Kamehameha is one of the few schools able to execute "single-base" stunting, using only two girls to support a flyer.

"It's something you see more at the college level," Beimes said. "Most (high school) teams use three or four girls, because the flyer has to have confidence in the girls underneath them."

Radford, the three-time O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion, also is known for its advanced stunts, tumbling and precise execution. The Rams scored 337.5 points (out of a possible 375) to win the OIA title by a comfortable margin two weeks ago despite some injuries and illness earlier in the week.

"Both Kamehameha and Radford have talent, are well-coached and have a lot of experience competing outside the state," said Baldwin coach Jo Ann Yap. "They're pretty much at another level."

Baldwin, the eight-time Maui Interscholastic League champ, has a young Medium Division team with two seniors, one junior, four sophomores and a freshman.

"Our level of skill is not where it needs to be," Yap said. "It's rough because with football games, the Maui County Fair, homecoming ... we've had a full slate and it's hard to master all the skills in the time frame we have."

Order of performance:

Medium Division — 'Aiea, Baldwin, Kamehameha-Maui, Pearl City, Radford, Kamehameha-Hawai'i, Kealakehe, Kalaheo, Kalani.

Large Division — Moanalua, Kapolei, Waimea, Farrington, Mililani, Kamehameha, Kailua.