O'ahu fans of University of Hawai'i football can get a sneak peek at one of the Warriors' recruits when the No. 7 Kealakehe Waveriders invade No. 5 Wai'anae tonight in a first-round game of the First Hawaiian Bank State Football Division I tournament.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Raymond Torii Field.

Highly touted Kealakehe tailback Gabe Tuata recently told UH he would accept its football scholarship offer. But to-night, he is more concerned with helping his team get past the Seariders (7-4), who ousted the Waveriders (12-0) in last year's opening round, 21-14, on the Big Island.

"It's on my mind," said Tuata by phone about playing in front of a crowd which might be cheering him next year as a Warrior, but not tonight. "But I won't let it linger in my mind. I'll play just like it's another game."

If that's the case, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red champion Seariders will have a challenge. Tuata has rushed for more than 1,600 yards this season. Wai'anae coach Danny Matsumoto viewed a tape of a Kealakehe game. He said Tuata is comparable to Mililani running back Jordan Torres, who has 1,397 yards rushing, because of his speed and strength.

"We gotta swarm, we gotta tackle," Matsumoto said. "We have to get around the ball because he cuts back a lot, too."

Kealakehe coach Cliff Walters isn't worried about how Tuata does.

"First of all, he's a very humble kid," Walters said. "Not boisterous, very humble. He knows that because he got some press that he has to do his best. But like I tell him, I'm sure some of the best players that went to UH looked pretty average coming out, but developed at the University. Just go with the flow and enjoy the game; don't worry about that kind of pressure. In the end, (a Wai'anae player) could end up being your teammate. And judging from the talent on that Wai'anae team, I'm willing to bet some of those guys will end up being his teammate."

Meanwhile, the Waveriders are trying to break the stigma that Big Island teams can't compete. Except for a Division II game in 2003, when Hawai'i Prep beat Waipahu, 41-16, at Radford, no other Big Island team has won a state tournament game since the tournament began in 1999.

Walters said one of the problems, especially for his team, is hooking up with an O'ahu team in preseason so his Waveriders can improve by facing comparable competition before they reach states. But since 2004, when the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and OIA began interleague play for nonleague games, scheduling has become difficult for not just Kealakehe, but most Neighbor Island schools. Kealakehe ended up playing AC Canada (winning 46-0) and California's Bassett (winning 57-7).

Besides Tuata, Walters has a lot to be proud of his team this season. And not because of the perfect record to date. After winning the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I championship Saturday against Kea'au, the Waveriders were presented the Sportsmanship Trophy from the Big Island Football Officials Association. Walters said it was an honor not only for the team, but for the school. Getting the award on top of winning the league title was a nice accomplishment.

"If there is a confrontation, then this is what I expect them to do as a Waverider: Be a man, turn and walk away," Walters said. "If one player makes an aggressive approach and the other makes an aggressive approach, the problem escalates. But if one of them has the presence of mind to know the team is more important than individual pride, then that's good for the team. It builds discipline and team unity. At the end, it makes them better citizens. That's what we're working for."

Last year, the OIA representative traveled to the Big Island, so this year it is the BIIF's turn to come to O'ahu. It will be a long day for the Waveriders, who arrive here today at about 1:30 p.m. They will leave for Wai'anae early because they're expecting traffic, which is usually heavy on Fridays. But the way the Waveriders see it, this isn't any different than long bus rides BIIF teams regularly make during the season.

"It's just another bus ride," Tuata said. "It should be fun."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.