Despite a not-so-perfect routine, the Radford High varsity cheerleaders won their second consecutive O'ahu Interscholastic Association championship last night at Moanalua High School.

Radford's 10-member squad scored 320 points, beating out Mililani (309) and Moanalua (301.5).

'Aiea, which finished fourth with 269, made a statement with just four athletes. (The varsity squads averaged six athletes.) Na Ali'i executed near-perfect stunts and basket tosses, garnering some of the loudest cheering from the stands all night.

Moanalua won the junior varsity title with 264 points. Mililani finished second with 253.5.

The top 10 OIA varsity teams earned a chance to compete in the state championship next Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Radford will defend its state title in the medium division; Mililani is the defending large division champion.

The Rams hit the mats the last of 12 varsity teams last night, right after a strong and clean performance by senior-laden Na Menehune.

Radford opened with several strong tumbling passes and synchronized backflips that ignited the crowd of more than 300.

But it was a bobble, then a fall, during a difficult pyramid stunt that almost stole the squad's chances of a repeat.

"But they kept going," said head coach Bo Frank, decked in lei. "Being so young — we only have two seniors — and to have a mistake like that. But they picked it up and kept on going. I'm proud of that."

Mishon Kawaguchi, one of the squad's two seniors and a co-captain, said they haven't been consistent on that particular stunt. That's something they'll need to work on before the state championship.

"We need to be more consistent," said Kawaguchi, 17. "And we have to be more confident."

Rams co-captain Ellie Pierce, 17, said they have learned to work through mistakes they make during their routines. She tries to focus more on the team's strengths than its shortcomings.

"We just have to keep our heads high no matter what," said Pierce. "We just have to work hard and put in 110 percent. Just give it all you've got."

Though the Mililani and Moanalua squads didn't drop any athletes in their routines, Radford scored points for executing more difficult stunts, Frank said.

The judges score teams in four key areas: fundamental skills, team choreography, routine execution and overall construction of the routine. They look at jumps, stunts, dance, timing, synchronization, spacing, voice projection and crowd leadership, among other elements.

"We max out the score sheet," Frank said. "We're very well-rounded."

Mililani, one of the favorites to win last night, pulled off a clean routine, flaunting its powerful tumbling skills and clean one-legged stunts.

"At this point (in the season) the top 3 squads are so strong," said Mililani head coach Alex Obra. "The OIA has a lot of really talented teams. It really comes down to the cleanest routines with the least deductions ... It's the small stuff, the details, that make a difference."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.