WAIPAHU -- Mountan Mitchell scored two goals and defending champion Punahou knocked off Kapolei, 3-0, Friday night in the semifinals of the JN Automotive Group Division I state boys' soccer tournament at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex.

The Buffanblu will take on Kaiser, which will be making its debut in the state title game, 7 p.m. Saturday. The game, as well as the Division II championship between Honoka'a and Kapa'a, will be televised live on OC 16.

Mitchell scored on headers in the 31st and 44th minutes, while Quinton Love's eight-yard boot off a cross from Kelvin Naito accounted for scoring.

Defending champion Punahou topped Kapolei, 3-0, to reach the HHSAA Division I Boys Soccer Championship title against Kaiser.

With a commanding lead, the Buffanblu could substitute starters freely, allowing starters to stay fresh against a Kaiser team that won by the penalty-kicks tie-breaker. Plus, Punahou got to let more players get involved.

"It was a chance to get guys on the field," Punahou coach David Trifonovitch said. "They want to play on the stadium, under the lights. It's a good opportunity for the younger guys. If they get a little piece of it now, then maybe next year they'll get a little more comfortable."

As the score indicated, Punahou had control. The Buffanblu had 19 shots on goal to Kapolei's four.

Punahou will be seeking its 18th title, while Kaiser isn't just seeking its first, but will be playing in the championship game for the first time. Punahou assistant Oth Souk Ngonethong was a star soccer and football player for Kaiser during the 1980s.

"Both teams deserve it," Ngonethong said. "Kaiser played well to get there. They have a lot of good players. If we show up to play and we show up to play, it should be a good game."

"This is the first year Kaiser has made it to the state finals," Ngonethong said. "My years, we made it to the states, but not the finals."

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