The history runs deep, almost in a circle from ground and pound to aerial attacks, and back to smashmouth football.

Though Saint Louis and Kahuku have run-and-shoot offenses in their modern DNA, the state championship game on Friday night might be about physicality.

With fairly young quarterbacks and a preponderance of willing, smashmouth-minded blockers, the Open Division final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships may quickly turn into the elephant bowl.

Saint Louis (8-3) has transformed since midseason when first-year head coach Tupu Alualu and his staff began to brutalize defenses with a jumbo attack. Titan Lacaden’s ascent, a transition from wide receiver to wildcat QB, has coincided with the Crusaders’ late-season push. Their control of the line of scrimmage helped turn the tide in a come-from-behind, 27-24 win over OIA champion Campbell.

“Titan just pops. It’s no secret. The size of their offensive line and the skill set of Titan,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said. “It doesn’t matter if he’s in elephant or single back. We just have to be able to corral him and minimize his big-play ability.”

It is a wide turn in a different direction for a school that mastered the four-wide offense under former coach Ron Lee, but the elephant was a part of Lee’s playbook back in the 1990s. It found its way to Kahuku, in part, through former Saint Louis player Vavae Tata, who was a tight end and defensive end. Tata guided Kahuku to a state title in 2015 when his starting QB went down with an injury.

Kahuku’s offense hasn’t relied heavily on the elephant set this season, but with a fairly new arrival at QB (Matai Fuiava) and a surplus of stampeding blockers, it could easily become elephants stomping elephants Friday. Alualu’s team lost its season opener at Kahuku, 14-13, missing a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

“Where we are at as a team, I feel very, not comfortable, but we’re ready to go to war with these kids. They’re a mature team and they’re going to execute,” Alualu said.

The long history of postseason battles between the storied programs doesn’t carry mean much for this moment, he added.

“This is where our kids will start their legacy. Take nothing away from Kahuku. We’re looking to play who we are, who we see in the mirror. It’s not Kahuku or Kamehameha we’re playing,” Alualu said. “That’s the mentality we have.”

During Alualu’s years as a Saint Louis running back, the program was in major dynasty mode with 14 consecutive Oahu Prep Bowl or state-tournament titles. During that specific run, Saint Louis beat Kahuku in the final five games.

“All I know is, Kahuku didn’t beat me when we played them.”

Since 2000, Kahuku has won 11 state championships while Saint Louis has captured six. Under Carvalho, Kahuku has won the last three state crowns. This year, Kahuku (9-4) edged Mililani, 8-6, in the semifinal round.

A superb defensive unit suffered a big blow when Kahuku’s appeal to lift a suspension on linebacker Falealii Atuaia was denied by the HHSAA. Atuaia had committed a head-to-head infraction against Mililani, which resulted in ejection and an automatic one-game suspension.

“He’s a senior. He’s a captain. He’s such a great teammate that he’ll support his team 100 percent,” Carvalho said. “We’re going to miss Fale on the field. He’ll still do everything he can to be a captain to his team. His role will not change.”

Fellow senior Mana Carvalho was less diplomatic.

“The situation with Fale, I feel like it’s unfair, being a victim of the inconsistency of the HHSAA. (Last year), they let a player come back from an ejection,” Carvalho said, referring to a Mililani player who later played in the state final against Kahuku. “Fale’s wasn’t as bad as that. The receiver changed his angle at the last second and went down to his knee to catch it. Fale was playing ball. It was a bang-bang play, accidental head-to-head. The decision stands, but he deserved to play in this game. This is his first actual personal foul in the four years he’s been playing. It’s sad. Whatever you’ve got to do to stop Kahuku, we’re going to play for our brother. He’s one of our captains and a true leader. It’s a big deal for us to make a statement.”

Defensive back/wide receiver Aiden Manutai believes adversity makes his team stronger.

“It’s painful to lose Fale, but it’s Kahuku. Fale went out (in the semifinal) and Noah (Ah You) came in and made the final stop. We’re never worried. At the beginning of the season, Mana went down, other guys stepped up,” Manutai said.

The battle of elite playmakers could show up more on special teams. Both defenses are very familiar with each other’s offenses.

“There’s a lot of things that they’ve improved on and so have we,” Manutai said. “The past two months is a lot of time to grow as a team, understand the plays, everything. We’re peaking at the right time, both of us. It’s going to be who wants it more.”

Since Carvalho became head coach, Kahuku has rarely relied on heavy, ground-and-pound football for extended stretches. The starting O-line — Spencer Evans (6-3, 260), JetLee Purcell (6-2, 260), Brandon Tailele (6-0, 270), Matai Malufau (6-2, 282) and Jacob Maiava (6-2, 290) — have a swift, nimble decision-maker behind them in Fuiava.

“Our line is going to show up for this championship game,” coach Carvalho said. “Every championship game, the O-line has produced, and we’re expecting the same.”