Just whose hands will be more full tonight, Leilehua's offense or Kamehameha's defense?

That will be answered when No. 2 Kamehameha and No. 3 Leilehua meet in tonight's 7 o'clock semifinal of the First Hawaiian Bank Division I football tournament at Aloha Stadium. The winner plays the winner of the 4 p.m. semifinal between Kahuku and Farrington.

The Warriors (10-1), who drew a first-round bye as the second seed in the tournament and haven't played in three weeks, might have the swiftest and most athletic defense of the four semifinalists. But Kamehameha will face the most battle-tested quarterback in Leilehua's Andrew Manley, the 2008 Offensive Co-Player of the Year, who is 5-1 in state tournament games, including a championship in 2007.

The Mules (9-3) are coming off a dominating 48-12 opening-round win against Baldwin on Maui.

"It's hard to game-plan against a guy like that," Kamehameha coach David Stant said of Manley, the Division I leader with 2,988 passing yards. "If you give him time, he's going to pick you apart in the zone. If you blitz him, he's got that quick release and the receivers will catch the ball."

The Warriors, who allowed 195.9 yards per game and have 16 interceptions, will have to disguise their coverages and blitz packages against the savvy Manley, Stant said.

But Manley will have issues himself because the Warriors might have the two best shut-down cornerbacks in the state in Chaz Bajet and Walter Santiago. They are expected to play man-to-man against the Mules' receivers.

"We're confident in both playing man-to-man," Stant said. "We feel comfortable with our corners."

Manley's favorite receiver has been Kamana Akagi, the second-leading Division I receiver with 1,064 yards and 13 TDs. He is 5 feet 9 and 170 pounds and not the fastest, but has a knack for getting open and has reliable hands. He makes tacklers miss and is dangerous after the catch. But the Warriors have incredible closing speed. Remember safety Wave Ryder chasing down and knocking the ball out of a Saint Louis receiver's grasp short of the end zone after a long catch-and-run that resulted in a touchback?

The Mules could counter by putting Akagi in motion to avoid a press cover or setting him in the slot to get a better matchup against a linebacker. But the Warriors' linebackers — Kikau Pescaia, Kawika Stant III and Tamatea Graham — are athletic enough to possibly neutralize such moves.

The other half responsible for pressuring the poised Manley is the line. The Warriors use an assortment of stunts with lean and agile rushers like Beau Yap (6-2, 235) and Koa Ka'ai (6-4, 235).

"Can our front five, six or seven guys we have in our protection scheme block and pick up those different stunts?" Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda said. "If we can pick that up and give Andrew 2.5 seconds, then I like our chances."

The Mules have used various maximum protection schemes with multiple tight ends and two running backs.

Running back Carlos Marshall has evolved as the Mules' main rusher (5.6 yards per carry) and second-leading receiver with 29 catches.

Kamehameha's offense, which has been powered primarily by running back Ryan Ho (1,287 yards, 17 TDs), showed a new wrinkle in its last game in a 45-32 win against Punahou. Quarterback T.C. Campbell passed for 168 yards and a season-high five TDs. After an 0-for-9 spell in that game, he completed 6 of his last 8 passes for 120 yards and four TDs. Blaise Cuban has been the main target, leading the team with 27 catches for 468 yards and seven TDs. This added dimension is another worry for the Mules' defense, also built with athletic players. Stant said he wants to keep the offense balanced.

The Mules need to keep Ho under control. The Warriors use wide splits on the offensive line, creating natural holes. At 5-6, 175, Ho is not easy to stop solo and has incredible balance. He reads his blocks, looks for an opening and shoots it. Secondaries often lose their angle of pursuit, leading to a hapless chase to the end zone.

"We definitely have to minimize their big plays, slow down their running game," Tokuda said. "I don't think you can actually stop their running game. (We need to) put them in a predictable situation and then win the battle on third down."

The Mules' defense is powered by linemen Charlie Tuaau (6-4, 290) and Frazer Taua (6-2, 250).

Leilehua, which allowed 245.4 yards per game, will be facing an offense similar to Farrington, which rushed for 229 yards against the Mules. It was the most rushing yards allowed against Leilehua this season.

The Mules had 17 interceptions this season. Since going without one in their opener against Radford, the Mules had at least one pick in their next 11 games.