Entering the weekend’s first-round games in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I football championships, the Leilehua Mules had never appeared in a state tournament without winning at least one game.

In that respect, they made it 9-for-9 on Saturday night with a 40-13 victory over Lahainaluna at Sue D. Cooley Stadium in Lahaina.

Running back Cameron Keeve tied a Division I state tournament record with four rushing touchdowns as he amassed 256 yards on 20 carries, as OIA champion and fifth-seeded Leilehua (10-3) won its ninth straight game and advanced to face top-seeded Konawaena (9-2) at Julian R. Yates Field in Kona at 7 p.m. Friday.

Keeve found the end zone once in the first quarter (19 yards), twice in the second (2, 21), and once in the third (71) to carry his team. The last of those made it 34-6.

The D-I state tournament rushing yardage record is 262 by Kahuku’s Malosi Te’o in 2005. Keeve's 256 ranked fifth for rushing in Leilehua history, per Hawaii Prep World.

Fourth-seeded Lahainaluna (6-5), the MIL champion, dropped its opening state playoff game at home for the third straight year.

Leilehua is in pursuit of its second all-time state title and first since quarterback Andrew Manley led the Mules to the 2007 crown.

In the other D-I first-round game, host Kapaa of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation thumped OIA runner-up Kailua, 38-12 at the Baptiste Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Quarterback Evan Daligdig rushed for two touchdowns, including a 31-yarder in the first quarter to help the KIF champion to a 21-0 lead after one period.

The third-seeded Warriors (7-2), seeking their first title at the state D-I level, advanced to face second-seeded Damien (8-1), the ILH champion, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Farrington. Kapaa's lone state title came at the D-II level in 2021.

Kailua (6-7) was making its first state appearance since 2003, when it traveled to Maui to play Baldwin in the first round and lost 20-13. The Surfriders dropped to 1-4 in state tournament games on Neighbor Islands.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.