For Ian Estrada, it doesn't getting any better than this.

There are just four teams left in the NCAA Division III football playoffs and one of them has a distinct Hawaiian touch.

Estrada, a senior defensive end, is one of 22 players from Hawai'i on the fifth-ranked Linfield (12-0) football team, which plays at No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-0) Saturday. No. 3 Wesley (13-0) visits top-ranked Mount Union (13-0) in the other semifinal.

The Wildcats, champions of the Northwest Conference, defeated St. Thomas, 31-20, last week in a third-round game. They defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor, 53-21, in the second round and topped Cal Lutheran, 38-17, in their opening game.

"It's just been a dream season really," said Estrada, a 2005 Kamehameha graduate from Kailua. "We're playing for something that we've been striving for all year, not just August to December."

The unbeaten campaign has been especially memorable for Estrada, a self-described "super senior" after sitting out the 2006 season with an injury.

"This year is different because, honestly, I think our talent is a little better than years past and we're closer as a team," said Estrada, who has recorded 22 tackles, eight tackles for losses, five sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. "In the past, when we weren't successful at times, people began blaming each other and you really can't have true teamwork that way."

Linfield, located in McMinnville, Ore. (about an hour southwest of Portland), returned to the postseason for the first time since 2005, when its season ended with a 44-41 third-round loss to Wisconsin-Whitewater. Linfield has posted 6-3 records in each of the past three seasons.

The difference, according to Estrada, has been a team-first approach.

"We do have those players that do stand out at times, but when those guys don't have their best games, it's been nice to have other guys pick up their slack," he said. "I think we have this mentality that we don't worry about stats, because of our scheme and what we're trying to do, certain guys will have more tackles than others, but as long as we're winning, stats don't matter."

The Wildcats are averaging nearly 42 points per game, while allowing just 23 per game. Linfield is holding its opposition to just under 300 yards while averaging 436 yards per game.

"I just think, overall, we're a pretty cohesive team this year," said senior center Kyle Otineru, a 2006 Saint Louis graduate from Honolulu. "We don't really have a big name star. We've always had guys that were all-conference in the past, but this year we were just kind of an unknown group of guys — and we take pride in that."

Otineru's position coach, Doug Hire, said: "I think we have good team chemistry and leadership from our kids. We haven't played our best ball yet, but we're just plugging away and we'll continue to compete."

Hire, a 1983 Pearl City High graduate, is also an assistant head coach. During his four-year playing career at Linfield, the Wildcats went 38-4-1 and won national championships in 1984 and 1986. He was inducted into the Linfield Hall of Fame in 2007.

"He's pretty much the main reason I came here," Otineru said. "I had a scholarship from Mississippi Valley State, but after talking to coach Hire, I realized I wanted to be here. I don't really have a scholarship here, but it's a good environment and he takes care of the Hawai'i guys. It's kind of like having family around."

Estrada echoed that sentiment.

"He's always making jokes and hanging out around us," Estrada said. "He tells us stories about everything, when he used to play here and was on a few championship teams, but mostly he's just like that uncle that you need to talk story with every once in a while."

Otineru said having a lot of players from Hawai'i has helped to stay motivated.

"It makes the hard work easier," he said. "It's still hard work, but at least, you're out there with your friends."

For both seniors, Saturday's game could be their last — a thought that has kept Estrada focused on the task at hand.

"Not to compare ourselves to Division I, but we only have one bowl — one championship game and we've had to go 12-0 to get to this point," Estrada said. "Every week has gone by so fast and I'm grateful for every game we get to play.

"In Division III, you don't have the NFL to look forward to. Some of the lucky guys get a look in Canada or Europe, but this is it for most of us. Now that that I'm closing in on the end of my career, I thought that I'd be feeling a lot more pressure, nervousness and anxiety, but it's more like, if I'm going to go out, I'm going to go out with a bang."

MORE FOOTBALL

• Oregon junior quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (Saint Louis '06) completed 14 of his 21 passes for 201 yards in a 37-33 win over rival Oregon State Thursday. Masoli, who threw a 73-yard TD pass in the first quarter, also ran for 40 yards on 10 carries. Oregon (10-2) won its first Pac-10 Conference title since 2001 and will play Big Ten champion Ohio State (10-2) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Masoli was named to the All-Pac-10 Second Team earlier this week. Oregon State junior Suaesi Tuimaunei (Kahuku '06 of Lä'ie) earned First-Team honors as a special teams player. Tuimaunei mostly played the gunner position on both punt and kickoff coverage units. OSU sophomore linebacker David Pa'aluhi (Wai'anae '07) was an honorable-mention selection.

• Washington senior defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (Hawai'i Prep '04 of Waikoloa) made seven tackles, with four for losses, including three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Huskies' 42-10 win over California Saturday. Cal senior defensive lineman Tyson Alualu (Saint Louis '05 of Honolulu) recorded a game-high eight tackles with 1 1/2 sacks. Alualu was named First-Team All-Pac-10, while Te'o-Nesheim and Arizona State senior offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao (Farrington '05 of Honolulu) earned Second-Team honors.

• San Jose State junior safety Manu Ngatikaura (Kahuku '04 of Lä'ie) had seven tackles and junior linebacker Braden Storaasli (Damien '06 of Kapolei) added two stops in a 55-20 loss at Louisiana Tech Saturday.

• NMSU freshman linebacker BJ Adolpho (Kahuku '06) made six tackles and recovered a fumble in a 42-7 loss at Boise State. Junior defensive end Ka'ua Adolpho (Kahuku '06) added three tackles with one for loss.

• Idaho junior linebacker JoJo Dickson (Baldwin '07 of Wailuku) was named a Second-Team All-Western Athletic Conference selection.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

• Texas sophomore libero Sydney Yogi (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) had two digs in Thursday's sweep of Texas State and four digs with two assists in Saturday's sweep of TCU in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament. The Longhorns (26-1) meet Texas A&M (20-10) in a Sweet 16 matchup Friday in Omaha, Neb. The winner will play the Iowa State-Nebraska winner Saturday.

• Washington senior libero Tamari Miyashiro (Kalani '05 of Käne'ohe) recorded 14 digs Friday, but the Huskies (24-6) were upset by Colorado State in a second-round match. In Thursday's four-set win over Northern Colorado, Miyashiro had 12 digs and two assists. She completed her decorated collegiate career as ninth all-time on the NCAA's career digs list with 2,382.

• Saint Mary's (Calif.) sophomore outside hitter Chanteal Satele (Word of Life '08 of Mililani) put away 12 kills with five digs and senior middle blocker Megan Burton ('Iolani '06 of Kapolei) had 11 blocks and five kills in a five-set win over UC Santa Barbara Friday in an NCAA Tournament first- round match. Junior setter Kapua Kamana'o ('Iolani '07 of Honolulu) had 21 assists and nine digs for the Gaels. Satele recorded 11 kills, Burton had eight and Kamana'o added 24 assists, 12 digs and three aces Saturday, but the Gaels (23-5) lost in five sets to Stanford.

• Long Beach State sophomore libero Lauren Minkel ('Iolani '08 of Honolulu) had 10 digs, one ace and a kill in a three-set loss to UCLA Friday in an NCAA first-round match. The 49ers ended their season with a 22-9 record.

• George Mason (Va.) freshman libero Koala Matsuoka (Kamehameha '09 of Wahiawä) had a team-high 14 digs, but the Patriots (23-9) lost in straight sets to Iowa State Friday in an NCAA first-round match.

SWIMMING & DIVING

• UCLA junior Brittany Beauchan (Punahou '07 of Kailua) was named UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week Monday after she broke school records and set personal bests in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke races at last weekend's USA Short Course National Championships at Federal Way, Wash. Beauchan swam 1:00.45 in the 100 to win the B final and place ninth overall. Her time of 2:10.43 in the 200 was good for sixth in the A final. She was also on the fourth-place (1:41.13) 200 medley relay team and the third-place (3:40.06) 400 medley relay team.

• Boise State freshman Jennifer Cahill (Baldwin '09 of Wailuku) placed fourth (17:07.88) in the 1,650-yard freestyle race of the Missouri Invitational Sunday in Columbia, Mo.

• Lindenwood (Mo.) sophomore Sarah Billamosa (Pearl City '08) won the 200-yard butterfly (2:18.67) and swam the opening leg of the winning (4:10.31) 400-yard medley relay team in a meet against Saint Louis Friday.

• Fordham (N.Y.) freshman Thomas Yi (Kalani '09 of Honolulu) was third (1:57.12) in the 200-yard backstroke, third (1:59.31) in the 200 individual medley, fifth (1:47.44) in the 200 freestyle and was on the third-place (1:37.91) 200 medley relay team in a meet against Boston College and Williams College.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

• Willamette (Ore.) sophomore forward Taylor Mounts ('Iolani '08 of Kailua) had 10 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and one block in a 87-62 win over West Coast Baptist Saturday. In a 93-90 loss to UC Santa Cruz Friday, Mounts had 21 points, six rebounds, one assist and a block. He had 17 points with four rebounds in Thursday's 83-69 loss to Cal Lutheran.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

• UNLV sophomore forward Jamie Smith ('Iolani '08 of Kailua) had 10 points, nine rebounds and four steals while playing in 39 minutes of Sunday's 74-63 win at Nevada. Smith recorded seven points with five rebounds in a 71-66 win at San Diego Thursday.

• Idaho sophomore guard Shaena-Lyn Kuehu (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) scored 12 points in a 74-67 loss to St. Mary's (Calif.) Saturday. Kuehu had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and freshman guard Kanisha Bello (Waiäkea '09 of Hilo) added 13 points and five rebounds in Thursday's 61-55 loss to Wyoming.

• Cal State Northridge junior forward Analee Viena-Lota (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) scored a game-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, with eight rebounds in a 80-47 loss at Gonzaga Saturday. Freshman guard Janelle Nomura (Punahou '09 of Honolulu) added six points and three rebounds, and freshman Violet Alama (Kalani '09 of Honolulu) added two points, two rebounds and two assists for the Matadors. Gonzaga junior guard Tatriana Lorenzo (Kamehameha '06 of Wahiawä) had three points, one rebound and one assist.

• Concordia (Calif.) junior guard Nicole Fu (Maryknoll '07 of Honolulu) scored a team-high 19 points Thursday, but the Eagles lost their first game, 85-69, at Westmont (Calif.).

• Middlebury (Vt.) senior guard Alana Wall ('Iolani '06 of Honolulu) had 10 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 51-46 win over Union Saturday.

• Holy Names (Calif.) junior guard Jamie-Leigh Ronolo (Moanalua '07 of Honolulu) scored 14 points in Friday's 70-50 win over Chapman (Calif.).