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If Friday night's championship game of the First Hawaiian Bank/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division I State Tournament is the grand ball, there is no question which team fills the role of Cinderella.

After overcoming their share of troubles early in the season, the Wai'anae Seariders - with their 6-7 record - find themselves playing for all the marbles. Wai'anae, the third-place team from the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, will make its first appearance in a state title game, where it will meet Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Saint Louis (10-1).

Kickoff between the Seariders and Crusaders is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Aloha Stadium. The game will follow the Division II title game between 'Iolani and Kaimuki at 4 p.m.
 
For the Seariders, it is an unlikely end to a season that began with three straight losses. However, Wai'anae's first two games were against the state's top two teams: a 27-7 loss at Kahuku and a 42-3 loss to Saint Louis at Aloha Stadium. A 13-6 home loss to Campbell the following week sent the Seariders reeling, but with their backs against the wall, they torched then-unbeaten Mililani at John Kauinana Stadium, 42-28, in the first of three meetings between the teams.

However, the Wai'anae offense sputtered in a 9-6 loss to Aiea before rebounding with a 29-10 victory over Kapolei. Following a 30-26 road loss at Leilehua, the Seariders concluded the OIA Red West with a 41-20 win over Radford. A 3-3 league record slotted Wai'anae into the West's third seed in the 10-team OIA Red Tournament, where it met East no. 2 Kailua in a quarterfinal game.
 
Senior quarterback Pule Wilson was nothing short of spectacular against the Surfriders, throwing for 239 yards and five touchdowns to lead his team to the 49-7 road win. The win set-up a rematch with Mililani in the semifinal round, but the Trojans prevailed, 38-28.

However, the following week, it was discovered that No. 1-ranked and tournament-favorite Kahuku had an ineligible player on its roster and led to the Red Raiders forfeiture of their entire season. Consequently, the third-place game between semifinal losers Leilehua and Wai'anae, which was to determine the OIA's third and final state qualifier, essentially became just for seeding purposes. With the Mules winning, 28-20, at Hugh Yoshida Stadium, the Seariders finished as the OIA's no. 3 team.

Perhaps the loss to Leilehua was a blessing in disguise for Dan Matsumoto's team. Instead of traveling to Wailuku and playing Maui Interscholastic League champion Baldwin, Wai'anae had the luxury of staying home and hosting Big Island Interscholastic Federation titlist Kealakehe.

The Seariders took a 28-0 second quarter lead against the Waveriders and cruised to a 34-16 first-round win, against setting up a rematch with Mililani in one of two state semifinal pairings.

Against the Trojans, Pule Wilson and the Wai'anae offense was nearly unstoppable. The Seariders scored touchdowns on seven of its 12 possessions, including 5 of 6 in the second half. Pule Wilson ran in three touchdowns and passed for another score while running back Jaylen Mitchell rushed for 120 yards and two TDs to lift Wai'anae to the 48-41 win. It wasn't until the game's final play - when linebacker Chavez Kauwalu tackled a Mililani receiver at the Seariders' 3-yard line - that the game, the highest-scoring in state tournament history, was sealed.

Mitchell, the team's leading rusher, is averaging an astronomical 8.4 yards per carry. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound sophomore, despite just 71 attempts and four touchdowns on the year, is perhaps, the Seariders' most dangerous weapon on offense. Fullback Bryson Panui has 583 rushing yards and five TDs while Pule Wilson has 14 scores and 568 rush yards.

Wilson, who is 6-foot and 185 pounds, has completed 56 percent (88 of 156) of his passes for 1,429 yards with 15 TDs against seven interceptions. His brother, James, has contributed 223 rushing yards and 167 receiving while also playing safety on defense. Ho'okena Kamana also goes both ways for the Seariders. The safety/receiver, who had a pick off Mililani's Trent McKinney in the last game, has 230 receiving yards on the season. Kamana and James Wilson tied for a game-high nine tackles apiece against the Trojans.

Sophomore defensive tackle Kennedy Tuimaseali'i, at 6-1 and 300 pounds, is a load to handle for opposing offensive linemen. The rest of the d-line is made up for tackle Apoga Siafagaloa (5-10, 285) and ends Peter Ulu-Fano (6-0, 185) and Kaeo Alana (6-1, 185). Chavez and Kainoa Kauwalu lead the linebackers while Eldridge Kui'e'e and Josh Naki are the cornerbacks.