Figuring out a winner for Punahou-Saint Louis has almost nothing to do with how good they are and almost everything to do with the little details.

> Punahou quarterback Cayman Shutter is still questionable tonight after suffering a concussion in last week's game against Kamehameha. With Kimo Makaula at QB, the offense is still highly productive, but then Punahou won't have Makaula (6-3, 230) at tight end -- where he is a matchup nightmare.

> Saint Louis is well rested after last week's bye. Someone in the scheduling department of the ILH must really like the Crusaders.

> Three Crusaders are limping around with ankle injuries.

> A handful of Crusaders are coming off bouts with the flu. One of them is stellar running back Austin Wakinekona. He is such a key part of the offense with his ability to grind out tough yardage between the tackles. Then he can be a breakaway threat on the edge and through the air. If he's not 100 percent, that changes everything.

> Dalton HIlliard, Punahou's all-purpose back, is not 100 percent after hurting his ankle.

> Manti Te‘o will likely see a lot of action on offense. This is the make-or-break game for both teams, and he will probably beg his way onto the field on both sides of the ball -- not that he'll have to.

All in all, there are a lot of factors involved in a game between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the state, especially with a state berth involved. My pick? Saint Louis has too many stable factors on its side, while Punahou has some injury issues. That's enough for me to point to the Saints tonight.

Pupule says: Saint Louis 30, Punahou 28.

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