The Lahainaluna Lunas cut it close last night against 'Iolani.

It had nothing to do with the game, but with showing up on time at Aloha Stadium.

The bus picking up the Lunas at the Doubletree Alana Hotel in Waikiki showed up 30 minutes late at 3:30 p.m., according to the team, and they showed up just before the 5 p.m. kickoff.

'Iolani won the final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II State Football Championship, 28-21.

The game started at 5:20 p.m.

The Lunas suited up in the North end zone tunnel and were given 10 minutes to warm up starting at 5:08.

An HHSAA official had asked the Lunas trainer how much time the team needed to warm up.

The trainer said three minutes, but Don Botelho, the HHSAA football coordinator and member of the national federation rules committee, granted 10 minutes.

'Iolani, which had gone into the locker room, came back on to the field while Lahainaluna was warming up.

"It wasn't enough time, but we shouldn't let stuff like that bother us," said Lahainaluna running back Blaise Smith. "'Iolani came out hard and wanted it more."

Lahainaluna quarterback Jake Manning, who had eight rushes for 54 yards, said the team was ready to be picked up at the hotel at 3 p.m., as scheduled.

According to mapquest.com, the distance from the hotel to the stadium in Halawa is 10.46 miles and should take 18 minutes. Of course, that doesn't factor in Friday pau-hana traffic.

"Traffic. We weren't ready for the traffic, but we were ready to go. We were ready for the game," Manning said.

Despite showing up late, Lahainaluna got off to a quick start, scoring on its first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead with 5:24 left in the first quarter.

"They were running the ball on the perimeter on us and we needed to be a little more disciplined," said 'Iolani coach Wendell Look. "We were a little overanxious, and once we settled ourselves down we did a good job."

The Raiders tied it at 14-all early in the second period, but the Lunas took a 21-14 advantage on a 2-yard run by Simione Vehikite with 34 seconds left before halftime.

'Iolani tied it late in the third and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run by Justin Yamamoto with 5:21 left in the game.

Lahainaluna coach Robert Watson declined to give a timeline of events, and wasn't making any excuses for the outcome.

"That has no factor in the game," he said. "Whether we came two minutes before the game or 10 minutes after the game. You guys are looking for excuses as to why we lost the game, and there is no excuse. 'Iolani was the better team tonight. They outplayed us and outcoached us."

Look was impressed with the way the Lunas played.

"The kids, the way they handled everything ... traveling is tough. They did a helluva job."

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.