Kahuku RB Soli Afalava carries the ball in a game against Waianae on October 19, 2013. Johnny Wilson | Special to SL

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Kahuku RB Soli Afalava carries the ball in a game against Waianae on October 19, 2013. Johnny Wilson | Special to SL

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One of the most anticipated matchups from last week's canceled slate of games was to feature a pair of top 10 teams in Campbell taking on Kahuku on the North Shore. However, the non-league game was one of 18 that were wiped from the schedule and will not be made up.

However, the Red Raiders, ranked fifth in the ScoringLive/OC16 Football Power Rankings, won't have to wait long for another big challenge as they host eighth-ranked Kapolei Friday night.

We caught up with the head coaches of both squads a few days before their showdown at Carleton E. Weimer Field.

ScoringLive: How eager are you and your players to play this game?
Darren Hernandez: "We're excited because we just had a game canceled last week and it's kind of like college football where there's no preseason, and you're just going to go right into the regular season, so we're excited to see where we stand and what better team to go against than the powerhouse of OIA like Kahuku."
Lee Leslie: "I think emotions are over the top here. We tried to reschedule with Campbell Monday night, but we weren't able to do it, so I'm sure the kids will be excited for Friday night."

SL: Aside from not being able to play last weekend, how did the threat of Hurricane Iselle affect your preparation for this week?
DH: "It affected us a little bit because we were in preparation all the way up until midweek for our Kealakehe game, so we didn't have an opportunity to watch film or prepare for them until prob Thursday, then everything shutdown Friday. We got one practice in last week, so we're hoping that one extra day helps us."
LL: "It hasn't. We've stayed dialed in on everything. We've got players and coaches dialed in on what we need to do to win. if we stick to our game plan, we'll be fine."

SL: What do you think of your opponent this week and how do you think your team matches up against them?
DH: "This is Kahuku. They have a new coach, but throughout their history from (past head coaches) Doug Semones to Siuaki Livai to Reggie Torres, a new coach still doesn't affect the quality of the program and the athletes that they have there, so I expect them to very, very talented, well coached, and very tough to beat at home."
LL: "Kapolei is always good. Their head coach is a classic guy. They have two good players at receiver, their quarterback is a great athlete they have big guys on both sides of ball up front, so they'll be a formidable opponent that's for sure."

SL: What is your biggest concern about your team right now?
DH: "My biggest concern is how young we are across the defensive line. We lost a lot of guys on defense. We have talented guys, they just have to play hard and do their assignments correctly. We lost our career leading tackler in Micah Paris, Kingston Fernandez and his 17 sacks last year, and Kalani Vakameilalo, our power and strength in the middle, so losing those three really makes it important that they returning young guys step up and play."
LL: "Really none. We've got a couple of kids with grades that bother me, but we're trying to put a focus on academics and make sure it's not a problem in the end, but these guys got their eyes on the prize and they've continued to work."

SL: How near, or far, is your team from playing at its potential?
DH: "I think that remains to be seen. We have as tough a three game stretch as any team and I think what we're going to do is we're going to go out there and play our best and see where we are."
LL: "We're ready. We've had a ton of reps, which was one thing that was spent a lot of time on during hell week, getting lots of reps and practice, so that we play perfect offense and perfect defense."

SL: What can we expect from Friday's game?
DH: "It's going to be a later game because of the bus schedule, so we're going to practice at night and hopefully get acclimated to a later start, but these are young guys so I think they'll be ready to go. We're the underdog and they're Kahuku. It's going to be a high mountain for us to climb, so we're going to go out there and do our best."
LL: "I think it'll be high emotion. I think it's going to be a great opportunity for Kahuku to have a great game and it'll be a big game for the community. The emotion will be there and the kids are tired of hitting each other. They're wanting to hit somebody else."

Kickoff between the Hurricanes and Red Raiders will follow 25 minutes after the completion of the junior varsity game at 6 p.m.