Lahainaluna, the No. 1 team in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division II Power Rankings, will put a four-game win streak on the line Saturday night, when it hosts surprise-D1 first-round winner Maui at Sue D. Cooley Stadium. Glen Pascual | Special to SL

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The second round of the Maui Interscholastic League football season gets underway this weekend with a marquee matchup featuring the champions of the first round.

Lahainaluna (5-1 overall, 4-0 league), the No. 1 team in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division II Power Rankings, will put a four-game win streak on the line Saturday night when it hosts surprise-D1 first-round winner Maui (2-4, 2-2) in West Maui Saturday night.

Since their lone blemish this year — a 34-10 non-league loss to Kamehameha — the Lunas breezed through the competition in the MIL, including a 32-13 blowout of the Sabers in their first meeting.

When the teams met at War Memorial Stadium back on Aug. 25, sophomore running back Joshua Tihada ran in three touchdowns to lead the Lunas past the Sabers, who got 120 ground yards from sophomore running back Naia Nakamoto

That was the last time Maui tasted defeat.

Since then the Sabers routed King Kekaulike, 55-0, and followed that up by upending two-time D1 league champion Baldwin Saturday.

The Sabers limited the high-powered Bears' offense and reigning two-time MIL Offensive Player of the Year (as named by The Maui News) to just eight points through three quarters en route to a 32-21 victory.

We caught up with the coaches of both teams a few days before their showdown.

ScoringLive: Describe your team's current situation in one word.

Rodney Figueroa, Maui coach: "Togetherness. They're starting to play for each other, they're starting to come tighter, and you can see that in practice. They're helping out each other and backing each other up."

Garret Tihada, Lahainaluna co-coach: "Challenging. It's just getting them to play a complete game — we haven't done that yet — getting everybody, all the kids on the right path as far as understanding what it is to be part of our team, and that's a struggle every year. Some years are harder. This year with so much new kids, it's taken a little longer."

ScoringLive: How near or far is your team from playing to its full potential?

Figueroa: "We're getting there. We've been working hard and we've overcome some obstacles and the team is putting it together now."

Tihada: "I think we're about, maybe sixty percent there."

ScoringLive: Individually, who on your team has been a pleasant surprise so far this season?

Figueroa: "Right now, (junior linebacker) Atu Falekaono. He's an underclassmen and he's a leader. The kids look up to him and he's starting to lead our defense now and then Naia Nakamoto and Solomone Tongi, our two young sophomore running backs who have stepped up on the offensive side."

Tihada: "I think individually nobody has really surprised us. I think as a group the offensive line is starting to come together and work as a unit and that is so, so important."

ScoringLive: Which game this season proved to be most beneficial for your team?

Figueroa: "I think it was the game against Baldwin. It seems like we put it all together on offense and defense. The kids on defense were rallying to the ball to hold Chayce Akaka to 6-of-21 (passing) and three interceptions. I think Tongi had like 150 rushing yards and Nakamoto about 75. The team just seems to play together and for each other."

Tihada: "Even though we haven't lost in the regular season yet, we haven't come out of a game feeling close to satisfied because we haven't played a complete game, but if I had to find a game, it would be the first half of the Baldwin game, where we led 28-0, but we just fell apart in the second half and they came back and scored 20 unanswered (points)."

ScoringLive: What are your thoughts on this week's opponent?

Figueroa: "Tough opponent. Lahainaluna is very well-coached, very disciplined, their kids play with great heart and to them, size don't matter. Those kids will give you over 100 percent. They know that offense well and same with the defense. They're brought up in that system so they play well as a team and they know what they've got to do, and they go out there and execute."

Tihada: "Maui High is probably the most improved team in the league. I take that back, take ‘probably' out of there; They are the most improved team, by far. They have a lot of talent — we knew that going in — and they have decent size, but they're finally starting to put everything together."

ScoringLive: Is there a specific matchup within the game that you feel will be especially important to the outcome of Saturday's game?

Figueroa: "I think in the trenches, on the line. If we can control that offensive line and defensive line — I'm a defensive line guy — so whoever wins that battle will control the game."

Tihada: "I think if our defense can handle or shut down their offense, then it'll be a good night for us. Their offense is greatly, greatly improved over the course of the season. They put up some nice numbers against Baldwin."

Kickoff between the Sabers and Lunas is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sue D. Cooley Stadium.