Waialua and Waiakea will be playing first round games at Campbell on Friday, Nov. 4. ScoringLive photo illustration

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One is ecstatic to be in the state tournament, the other grateful.

The Waialua Bulldogs are making their state tournament debut after capturing the school's first league championship since 1955. They edged Waipahu, 36-35, for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II title.

Despite, having a losing record, the Waiakea Warriors (3-8), runner-up of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, are making their first tournament appearance since 2001. They are beneficiaries of the expanded state tournaments. They will travel to Campbell to play a Division I quarterfinal against the Sabers in the second game of a doubleheader.

Waialua opens the tournament Friday in the first game at Campbell when it plays Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II champion Damien.

"We've been getting so much support from our community," Waialua coach Lincoln Barit said. "A couple of vendors donated food, businesses cooking for the boys, the parents coming out. Just a lot of aloha."

Barit said his cell phone was exploding with voice and text messages after the OIA title game. He was still responding with thanks to those messages through Sunday after the game.

The title is especially meaningful to Barit, a 1979 graduate of Waialua. Since the 1955 title, Waialua had only two non-losing seasons until 1992, when the Bulldogs won the new Blue conference title. In 1992, the OIA divided its then-21 school league into three divisions: Red (top tier), White (middle tier) and Blue (lower tier). Since the formation of dividing teams by strength, Bulldogs still struggled, but had sprinklings of respectable records, including a 6-3-1 record in 2006, when the they made the OIA postseason, but lost in the semifinals. Waialua enters this tournament at 7-2.

"I bleed scarlet and gray, man," Barit said of his alma mater's colors. "I'm so happy for the alumni. As soon as we pau the game, I had a hundred-and-fifty-something texts, saying congratulations from everybody. I hope all the alumni feel good too."

On their way to the stadium Friday night, Barit said parents lined the road exiting the school with signs of players names and numbers.

"Then on the way back, in Haleiwa, had people screaming – from Haleiwa Joe's – they were screaming," Barit said. "When we came (near) the school, all the parents (were lined up), torches lighted, everybody screaming, cheering. As we came into the high school, they had the band over there; they were playing. We stopped the bus, told the boys, ‘Go out, this is your time. Enjoy it.' Was awesome. Was real nice. I was really proud of the boys."

The Bulldogs have won their last four games, including wins over Pearl City and avenging a season-opening loss to Kaimuki in the OIA semifinals.

Since 2001, the last BIIF title for Waiakea and its last tournament appearance, it basically has been Hilo or Kealakehe representing the BIIF (save for 2002, when Hawaii Prep won the BIIF, a year before the advent of the Division II state tournament) in the state tournament. In previous years, the BIIF had only one representative in D1. But the adding the open division increased the number of D1 division entries from six to eight. That added the BIIF runner-up.

"It's good for the school," fourth-year Waiakea coach Moku Pita said.  "Football plays big part so I'm happy for them.

"It's a blessing that they did this three-tier (format). Normally, Waiakea's low (in the standings) in Hilo. For (our team) to go with those guys (the Vikings) is pretty good."

Waiakea finished tied for second in the BIIF D1 with Kealakehe. But the Warriors beat the Waveriders during the regular season for the head-to-head tiebreaker that sent Kealakehe to the BIIF title game against Hilo.

Waiakea is thrilled to join the postseason party.

"The reaction is unreal," Pita said. "The kids are real happy, the community is real happy that we're advancing our season longer."

In Waiakea's previous state appearance, it lost to Kailua, 53-6, at Wong Stadium. Ironically, Pita is an alumnus of Kailua. If his name does not sound familiar it is because he was known Bryon "Moku" Apuakehau, a 1987 and 1988 all-state defensive back, who also played running back for the Surfriders.

The Warriors enter the tournament without their tandem quarterbacks, Gehrig Octavio and Makoa Andres. Octavio will be participating in a baseball showcase on the mainland and Andres is injured. That leaves sophomore Ka'iolana Kon starting at QB, Pita said.

Waiakea also bolstered its depth with addition of JV players. There are nine freshmen on the Warriors' roster.