Power versus power.

In the ILH and OIA, the big boys determine the starting point for opposing coaches and coordinators. This era of spread formations and hurry-up pacing has been a bonanza for defending state and OIA champion Mililani. Even perennial contender Farrington has adapted and adopted some spread sets.

At the core of power football, however, Kahuku has not just played smashmouth football from day one of coach Vavae Tata’s arrival. The Red Raiders have taken their niche to an extreme. In their 56-10 quarterfinal win over Kapolei last week, running back-turned-wildcat quarterback Kesi Ah-Hoy carried the ball on Kahuku’s first 11 running plays.

Ah-Hoy thew a pass on the first play from scrimmage — and was nearly picked off — before offensive coordinator John Hao settled his unit down with one ground-and-pound play after another.

Forty-eight carries and 431 rushing yards later, Tata and the Red Raiders made their point. Throwing the ball is merely an option, not a necessity. Ah-Hoy, who finished with 191 rushing yards and four TDs, threw only one more pass that night. After nine games and nine wins, Kahuku has proven that experimenting with this newfangled "forward pass" isn’t really necessary.

"As long as the running game is working, we don’t need to do anything else," said Ah-Hoy, a junior. "If it’s working, we’ll stick with it. We have unselfish team players. They don’t care about scoring touchdowns or run or catch. They just want to win the game. That’s what I like."

No. 2 Kahuku (9-0) will put that girth and speed on display against No. 7 Farrington (7-2) tonight when the OIA Division I semifinal round begins at Aloha Stadium.

Big Red has a superior kicking game thanks to PK/P Kekoa Sasaoka, who sets the defense up well with consistent touchbacks on kickoffs. They have superb kick returners, including Keala Santiago and Stokely Botelho. A stellar defense was tested through the air by Kapolei’s Taulia Tagovailoa, who finished with 356 passing yards. But the Red Raiders looked much like the stellar defensive unit of the 2011 and ’12 seasons. Kekaula Kaniho had two of his team’s four interceptions, including a pick-six.

Kahuku’s defense has permitted a mere 32 points (3.7 per game) and will face a Farrington offense that features Challen Faamatau (1,551 yards, 19 TDs from scrimmage). The versatility of Kahuku’s outside linebackers and defensive backs is key, a "Rebel Squad" that may be as interchangeable as the unparalleled "Sharks" secondary a few years back.

"It’s fun for us to able able to switch each other’s roles," said Hirkley Latu, a 6-4, 208-pound S/OLB. "I feel like there’s no weak link to our team. Everybody’s been doing well so far."