Only a high school football team as powerful as No. 1 Kahuku can overcome 19 penalties for 179 yards and still win a state semifinal game 43-0.

The Red Raiders did just that yesterday, bowling over No. 6 Wai'anae at Aloha Stadium to advance to Friday's First Hawaiian Bank State Championship against Punahou, which beat Baldwin, 30-7, in the other semifinal.

Not even the constant shower of yellow flags could slow Kahuku yesterday, as the Red Raiders rushed for 320 yards and threw for 99 more despite a running clock in the fourth quarter due to the 35-point rule. Their defense was just as impressive, limiting Wai'anae to 97 total yards, including just 34 on the ground.

"That's just an awesome team — they're running on all cylinders," Seariders coach Danny Matsumoto said. "Their defensive line did a hell of a job, and we just couldn't punch it in. We didn't execute some plays on defense, but give them the credit for that, too, because they block so well. They're just a super team."

Wai'anae started badly, gaining only five yards on its first possession and then fumbling the punt attempt to give Kahuku the ball on the Seariders' 29. Running back Malosi Te'o scored from 2 yards out four plays later to give the Red Raiders a 7-0 lead.

Te'o scored again, this time on a 27-yard scamper, to put Kahuku up 13-0 with 1:21 remaining in the first quarter.

Darius Fuller's 46-yard kickoff return helped Wai'anae advance into Red Raiders territory, and the Seariders eventually gained first-and-goal from the 2. But three tackles for losses pushed the ball back to the 19, and then Micah Wily picked up a fumble and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown to make it 19-0 with 8:12 left in the half.

That's how it stood at intermission, despite Kahuku being flagged 13 times for 107 yards.

"We've done that before, and it's not something we're proud of," Kahuku coach Siuaki Livai said of the penalties. "When we get on the players about it, sometimes our aggressiveness gets taken away. We don't coach (penalties), but the kids are flying around trying to make things happen. We'll keep working on it."

Kahuku built the lead to 25-0 early in the second half on Kaulin Krebs' 23-yard TD pass to Redmond Tutor, then made it 31-0 midway through the third quarter on Joe Whittacker's 30-yard touchdown run. Te'o's 5-yard scoring run with five seconds remaining in the quarter made it 37-0 and started the running clock.

Wai'anae was able to penetrate deep into Kahuku territory a few times before that, only to be stopped cold. The Seariders lost the ball on downs at the 31 midway through the second quarter and was intercepted on fourth-and-goal from the 3 late in the third.

"Our defense has been doing the job for us all season," Livai said. "Wai'anae has some very powerful boys, so to stop them in the red zone like we did, that says a lot."

Livai said his team was especially eager to erase the memory of last year's upset loss to Leilehua in the state semifinals.

"I didn't have to remind the boys that it could end right now," Livai said.

Te'o said the Red Raiders learned their lesson from last year.

"We weren't going to take anybody for granted," he said, "and we finally got that bitter taste out of our mouth."

WAI'ANAE (9-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0

KAHUKU (10-1) 13 6 18 6 — 43

Kah — Malosi Te'o 2 run (Gary Nagy kick)

Kah — Te'o 27 run (kick failed)

Kah — Micah Wily 82 fumble return (run failed)

Kah — Redmond Tutor 23 pass from Kaulin Krebs (run failed)

Kah — Joe Whittacker 30 run (pass failed)

Kah — Te'o 5 run (pass failed)

Kah — Jason Evans 29 pass from Jacob Kahawai'i (kick failed)

RUSHING — Wai: Nui Stevens 13-42, Darius Fuller 3-8, Liko Manuel 2-(minus-19), Henry Keomalu 2-(minus-7), Curtis Jones 5-4, David Ferreira 3-8, Joshua Telles 1-(minus-2). Kah: Krebs 3-2, Kamuela Alisa 7-35, Te'o 16-140, Whittacker 5-107, Kaliki Unga 6-36.

PASSING — Wai: Manuel 3-13-1—20; Keomalu 1-7-2—43. Kah: Krebs 4-6-0—59; Kahawai'i 2-2-0—40.

RECEIVING — Wai: Douglas Newman 4-63. Kah: Devin Unga 1-21, Evans 4-55, Tutor 1-23.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.