In what appears to be a clear contrast in styles, tomorrow's First Hawaiian Bank State Football Championship semifinal game between Leilehua and Kahuku is shaping up as a classic boxer-vs.-slugger matchup.

Kickoff is set for about 4:05 p.m. at Aloha Stadium; it will be followed by Farrington vs. Punahou at 7:05 and both games will be televised live statewide on OC16.

Leilehua, the defending state champion, has the type of finesse offense that will jab-jab-jab at openings, with the occasional cross or uppercut that will catch the opponent off-guard.

Kahuku, the reigning O'ahu Interscholastic Association champ, will stand in the center of the ring and go toe-to-toe in trying to bull its way to victory. The Red Raiders aren't interested in winning points from judges; they want to wear down their foe with constant pounding in the trenches.

If styles indeed make fights, then this battle promises to an entertaining one.

OFF THE INJURY LIST

By edging Farrington, 22-19, in double overtime on Nov. 7, Kahuku not only won its fifth OIA title in six years but also earned a first-round bye for the state tournament.

Red Raiders coach Reggie Torres said his team spent the extra week off "healing."

"All of those playoff games — against Mililani, Wai'anae, Farrington — were so physical, we were losing kids, starters, in each game," Torres said. "We finally got the last one back (Monday), and now we're fully healed."

One of the most significant returning players is defensive end Kona Schwenke, a 6-foot-4, 203-pound junior who suffered a knee injury in the OIA quarterfinal victory over Mililani and hasn't played since. Schwenke is an effective pass rusher and can cause obstruction in the passing lanes.

Strong safety Kamalani Alo suffered a concussion against Wai'anae the following week and did not play against Farrington. He was cleared this week.

Also, senior tailback St. John Lessary III has recovered from a sprained knee that slowed his production in the OIA title game (seven carries, 26 yards).

"That extra week off was great for us," Torres said. "If we had to play last week, we wouldn't have had all those guys ready."

MULTI-FACETED MULES

Even with a healthy defensive unit, slowing down Leilehua's sophisticated hybrid attack is a huge challenge for anybody.

At the controls is junior Andrew Manley, regarded as one of the state's top quarterbacks. Manley is big (6-3, 215) and has a powerful right arm that has completed 258 of 405 passes (63.7 percent) for 3,146 yards and 28 touchdowns. He has two sure-handed receivers in Edieson Dumlao (62 catches, 810 yards, 11 TDs) and Cheves Aberilla Ramento (44, 803, 7), and running back Rico Newman (61, 693, 6) also will go out on pass patterns.

In any one series, the Mules will come out in multiple formations, making it difficult to determine assignments and coverage.

"They move people around and give them opportunities to get open," Torres said. "You have to go over all their formations, and every game is different so you have to be ready because what they will do is unknown."

Torres said Kahuku will counter by disguising coverages and blitzes to try and disrupt Manley.

"We want to try and take away his pre-snap read, and make him throw the ball earlier than he wants to," Torres said. "But it's hard because on that out pattern he really gets the ball there quickly, and if you let them get into a rhythm, he'll pick you apart."

Mules coach Nolan Tokuda said a key for his offense will be giving Manley enough time in the pocket. The passes must be accurate, because Kahuku has big playmakers in the secondary like Alo, Jray Galeai, Aulola Tonga and Irwin Ah-Hoy.

"We've had to fix our protection scheme because we haven't had continuity on the offensive line," Tokuda said. "We've brought (linebacker) Nate Hall and (defensive lineman) Maunaloa Aitaoto over to help with our O-line play, but they haven't been playing together there very long. This will be another test."

BALL CONTROL A KEY

Of course, one of the best ways to stop Leilehua's offense is to keep it off the field.

That's where the Red Raiders' trademark ground game comes in, munching minutes off the clock.

An offensive line that included three sophomore starters struggled a bit in the early season but has progressed in the weeks and games since. Sophomore center Jamal Napeahi (6-1, 265) and guard Steven Si'ilata (6-0, 250) are now joined by classmate Christopher Thee (6-0, 220), a guard who was called up from the JV.

Lessary (711 yards rushing, 6 TDs) is a smooth runner who is complemented by Viliami Pasi (305 yards, 2 TDs) and Alapeti Magalei (289 yards, 2 TDs).

"We have to force them to throw the ball, but we also have to minimize the big plays," Tokuda said.

Either way, Tokuda said, "It should be fun ... it should be good for the fans."