The Kahuku-Saint Louis football rivalry is eternal.

When No. 1 Saint Louis and No. 3 Kahuku clash tonight at Aloha Stadium, it will mark the 14th time the schools will meet with statewide supremacy at stake. Saint Louis is 8-5 against the pride of the North Shore in title games.

Saint Louis, six-time state and 14-time Oahu Prep Bowl champion. Guided by the living legend, Cal Lee, who has been at the wheel for 18 of those titles. Three of them in the past three seasons after he came out of retirement. Just when The Godfather of Hawaii high school football was finally out, they sucked him back in.

Saint Louis, a school on the verge of folding a few years ago, couldn’t be happier.

Kahuku has 26 league and eight state crowns dating back to 1943, when Mits Fujishige was head coach, back in the Rural Oahu Interscholastic Association era. Fujishige may not have imagined an age when the island’s city public and private schools would merge, split in 1970, and public schools from the country and city would blend to form the OIA — only to open their bleachers to private-school football teams and fans in the newfangled Open Division in 2018.

Perennial powerhouse Kahuku won the OIA Open for the first time in the second year of the OIA-ILH football alliance this fall. The Red Raiders, under coach Sterling Carvalho, were in a difficult learning curve in recent seasons. Incorporating the four-wide shotgun offense against the toughest regular-season schedule in state history proved too problematic, and Carvalho reverted to the powerful ground-and-pound schemes of glory years.

That could prove problematic for nationally ranked Saint Louis. All eight of Kahuku’s state championship teams were fundamentally run-first units, including the 2001, ’02, ’03 and ’05 teams under Siuaki Livai, the ’06, ’11 and ’12 teams under Reggie Torres, and the ’15 squad under Vavae Tata.

But in ’16, Saint Louis solved the puzzle. The Crusaders are now after a four-peat.

Carvalho says a helping hand from Mother Nature wouldn’t hurt.

“Rain. Rain, slippery ball,” he said of his request. “We cannot stop them. We just got to make sure we be able to contain them. Hopefully, they make mistakes, which they probably don’t do, but we need divine intervention, luck if you want to call it. Saint Louis is such a great team, we just need to execute and play mistake-free football.”

Lee shrugs when he hears about a rumor that would have him, brother and offensive coordinator Ron Lee, and the staff relocate to a prominent prep program on the mainland.

“I’m getting old,” he said. “I’m 73. We have our mother to take care of. Ron and I take turns helping out. She’s 98. Still going strong.”

So is Saint Louis. So is Kahuku. Let the game begin.

KAHUKU OFFENSE

QB 19 Tiger Adolpho 6-0 175 So.

RB 26 Zeland Matagi 5-10 195 Jr.

WR 6 Cole Pruit 5-4 135 So.

FB 34 Jack Tito 5-10 220 Jr.

TE 45 Lokana Enos 6-3 220 Sr.

FB 48 Jesse Purcell 6-0 210 Sr.

OL 54 Harrington Wa’a 5-9 305 Sr.

OL 60 Marcus Lombard 6-0 285 Sr.

OL 64 Elijah Faleolo 6-0 270 Sr.

OL 65 Mamoe Manumaleuna 5-10 280 Jr.

OL 70 Sione Heimuli 6-3 320 So.

The turning point for Big Red came after a 32-0 loss to Mililani in the second week of the regular season. Kahuku returned to a base of two tight ends, one wide receiver and two running backs. This “22” personnel churns out chunks of rushing yardage, utilizing runaway bulldozers like nose tackle/fullback Zion Ah You as a lead blocker. The tight ends, Jesse Purcell and Lokana Enos, do much of the unheralded work in the trenches, clearing a path on the edge as defenses clog the inside.

It is a masterpiece by design, but complete wreckage for most defensive units in the box. Zealand Matagi is the ultimate beneficiary, using his power to shed any lingering defenders, and boosting the turbo jets at the second and third levels.

In the 21-19 win over Campbell, the Red Raiders trailed at halftime, but never wavered. They relied on that smashmouth offense, mixing in the occasional play-action toss by sophomore Tiger Adolpho, to gradually wear down the Campbell defense.

The weight of the challenge, facing arguably one of the top defensive units in state history, falls upon the front five. Kahuku, on paper, has the girth and burst to consistently move the chains.

Matagi rushed for 133 yards and two TDs in the semifinal win over Campbell and now has 1,339 yards and 18 TDs for the season. However, when the teams met on Sept. 14, Saint Louis limited Matagi to 45 rushing yards on 11 carries, and kept him out of the end zone. In Saint Louis’ 28-0 win that was called at halftime, Kahuku was limited to 28 rushing yards on 15 attempts.

By going to a game plan that is roughly 75 percent rushing, the Red Raiders regained success in the win column. When they need to be efficient through the air, will Adolpho be ready? Nimble, alert, talented, but limited by play calling, the sophomore has thrown just 70 passes in the 10 games since the loss to Mililani. He has a 53% completion rate in the ground-and-pound package with a passer rating of 120.48. More important, Kahuku is 8-2 since going heavy.

KAHUKU DEFENSE

DB 1 Mana Fonoimoana-Vaomu 5-10 182 Sr.

DB 7 Kaonohi Kaniho 6-0 180 Sr.

DB 10 Wahieloa Emmsley 6-0 150 So.

LB 12 Kana Fonoimoana-Vaomu 5-11 200 Sr.

LB 4 Ace Kaufusi 6-3 190 Sr.

LB 23 Alan Talanoa 5-11 180 Jr.

DL 25 Zion Ah You 5-10 250 Jr.

DB 13 Peter John Mataira 5-8 160 Sr.

DB 16 Joseph Taufa 5-10 175 Sr.

DL 46 Kenai Liua 6-2 265 Sr.

DB 2 Tomasi Pasi 5-11 170 Jr.

In the semifinal win over Campbell, the Red Raiders showed patience on defense. Campbell got the ball out quickly and moved the chains with short passes, and Kahuku trusted its process. Of their six sacks, 2.5 were registered by nose tackle Zion Ah You. Defensive lineman Kenai Liua was active, as was LB Elaijahl Latu. Each had two tackles for loss against the Sabers.

Defensive backs Kaonohi Kaniho and Frisco Aveau each had four tackles, and Tomasi Pasi was in key coverages against Campbell’s best. Pasi had the deflection in the end zone on the key 2-point conversion attempt.

KAHUKU SPECIAL TEAMS

P 1 Mana Fonoimoana-Vaomu 5-10 182 Sr.

KR 2 Tomasi Pasi 5-11 170 Jr.

PR 24 Kelsyn Tangaro-Kanoa 5-10 170 So.

K 15 Adam Requilman 5-11 180 Sr.

LS 36 Kingston Jones 5-11 183 Jr.

LS 25 Zion Ah You 5-10 250 Jr.

HO 7 Kaonohi Kaniho 6-0 180 Sr.

DB/PK Adam Requilman has been reliable as a PAT kicker. He has made one field goal.

Requilman has kickoff range to inside the 10-yard line. Kahuku’s coverage was solid. Campbell averaged just 15.8 yards per kickoff return.

Liua, the DE, averaged 30.2 yards per punt against Campbell, which returned just one punt for 28 yards. Mana Fonoimoana-Vaomu also got in one punt for 39 yards inside the 20.

Kaniho returned one Mililani punt for 13 yards.

SAINT LOUIS OFFENSE

QB 7 Jayden de Laura, 5-11, 183, SR

RB 1 Mason Taliulu, 6-0, 225, SR

WR 3 Isaac Silva, 5-10, 161, SR

WR 23 Koali Nishigaya, 5-6, 155, SR

WR 14 Roman Wilson, 5-10, 165, SR

WR 18 Matthew Sykes, 6-2, 194, SR

OL 58 Lambert Liftee, 6-4, 232, SR

OL 60 Kahekiliokapala’i Catrett, 6-4, 232, SR

OL 75 Rod Dupont, 5-10, 302, SR

OL 71 Jonah Savaiinaea, 6-2, 332, SO

OL 76 Kalan Ellis, 6-5, 290, JR

The first time the teams met, Jayden de Laura was efficient with 14-for-19 passing, 156 yards, two TDs and no interceptions in one half of work. He was also effective with his feet, rushing for 47 yards on six carries. Kahuku limited WR Roman Wilson, whose lone catch was a 22-yard TD. Matt Sykes had a relatively quiet three receptions for 44 yards.

Slotbacks Issac Silva and Koali Nishigaya provided key plays. Silva had six catches for 46 yards and Nishigaya had four for 44 yards and a TD in Saint Louis’ 28-0 win that was called at halftime.

The Crusaders don’t have a go-to running back. In fact, offensive coordinator Ron Lee is happy to gauge the field and unleash de Laura into another dimension. The senior continues to rack up FBS offers, including one from Ohio State recently. He has passed for 3,172 yards and 28 TDs with just seven picks. In a 35-0 semifinal win over Mililani, de Laura had a season-low 99 passing yards. The Crusaders had no turnovers and let their defense control the game.

There has not been a defense this season able to consistently contain Saint Louis’ offense, in large part because de Laura has 1) minimized risk-taking, and 2) remained a fantastic threat as a ballcarrier.

Much like the offense in 2017, when Chevan Cordeiro became the team’s leading rusher, the Crusaders are at a nationally ranked level because of senior experience. The downfield threat posed by Wilson and Sykes provides underneath success for Nishigaya and Silva. Single coverage on Wilson, in particular, means de Laura could keep launching bombs until they land.

When defenses tilt toward the deep ball, the onus is on their spies to corral de Laura, who always knows precisely where the first-down stick is. Lee especially likes to deploy empty-backfield sets that place even more burden on spies.

Kahuku doesn’t get very cute with coverages, but de Laura will punish a scheme that lines up a linebacker on his slotbacks. Trech Kekahuna, a shifty freshman, will be a tough cover when he’s on the field against a safety or LB.

At the other end of the offensive spectrum, Nishigaya has been a smart, productive ballcarrier when he’s at RB. Kaohu Kamakawiwo‘ole rushed for 50 yards against Mililani last week.

Edge: Saint Louis

SAINT LOUIS DEFENSE

DL 94 Stanley McKenzie, 6-2, 280, SR

DL 90 Anthony Sagapolutele, 6-0, 234, JR

DL 5 Sonny Masaniai, 6-0, 175, SR

DL 4 Lawai’alani Brown, 5-10, 184, SR

LB 10 Mason Tufaga, 6-1, 181, JR

LB 12 Jordan Botelho, 6-2, 220, SR

LB 19 Nicholas Herbig, 6-2, 201, SR

DB 2 Brian Cox, 5-9, 166, SR

DB 27 Bredan Aniya, 5-11, 153, SR

SS 3 Kaiser Cambra-Cho, 6-2, 186, SR

FS 15 Kamo’i Latu, 6-0, 170, SR

Against Mililani, the Crusaders permitted just 106 yards of total offense, 2.3 yards per play, and came up with four turnovers, including interceptions by Bronz Moore, Brian Cox and Lawai Brown, who had a 70-yard return for a TD.

What Saint Louis lost to graduation — brawny bruisers like Faatui Tuitele and Gino Quinones — they more than make up for with a front seven that works well together. The three-man front led by Stanley McKenzie sets the tone for a veteran crew of LBs that includes Jordan Botelho and Nick Herbig outside, and Mason Tufaga and Lawai Brown inside.

Kamo‘i Latu is a strategic, bold defender in the secondary, complementing the front seven and the corners. Micah Tadio and Kaiser Cambra-Cho provide key support, as well.

Edge: Saint Louis

SAINT LOUIS SPECIAL TEAMS

K 37 Lason Napuunoa, 5-7, 143, SO

P 10 Mason Tufaga, 6-1, 181, JR

KR 10 Prince Solomon, 5-8, 155, JR

PR 10 Prince Solomon, 5-8, 155, JR

LS 95 Kahiau Change, 6-0, 241, SO

HO 12 Connor Apo, 5-11, 160, JR

PK Lason Napuunoa made all five of his PAT attempts last week. He has made one FG.

Lason Napuunoa’s kickoff range consistently lands inside the 20. His first two kickoffs against Campbell went to the 3, and the next three went to the 9, 17 and 7. Napuunoa also missed a 36-yard field-goal try.

Mililani averaged 19.8 yards per kickoff return.

Tufaga, the ILB, handles punting duties. He averaged 36.3 yards against Mililani, and none was returned.

Trech Kekahuna, the freshman, had Saint Louis’ lone kick return against the Trojans for 17 yards.

Edge: Even.