QB Kekainalu Simon and the Chargers take on RB Alfred Failauga and the Marauders Saturday night at Aiea. ScoringLive photo illustration

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This weekend's tilt between Waipahu and Pearl City will feature two of the hottest teams in Division II right now.

The Marauders, ranked fourth in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division II Power Rankings, will meet the ninth-ranked Chargers Saturday night at Aiea in a matchup that will give the winner sole-possession of first place in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II.

Waipahu (3-0 overall, 2-0 OIA D2) has won all of its games up to this point while Pearl City (3-1 overall, 3-0 OIA D2) has bounced back nicely after dropping its season-opener to Lahainaluna, 29-0.

Fourth-year Pearl City coach Robin Kami said the loss to the Lunas helped his team realized the importance of the fundamentals.

"That Lahainaluna game taught us a lesson that we have to get back to the basics," he said. "We had to work on our tackling, blocking and catching. Just those basic things we needed to get back to normal. It's been very helpful that everyone has been able to get better and better in each game."

The Pearl City defense gave up 20 points in its OIA-opener against Kalani, but showed a marked improvement in a shutout win over Roosevelt and a 43-8 victory over Kalaheo. Kami credited the play of defensive end Zion Tupuola-Fetui, linebacker Kasey Kikuyama and cornerback Brody Padilla in leading the charge.

"The defense as a whole is getting better as a group right now," said Kami. "They are reading their keys real well, running to the ball hard and making the basic tackles that they should be making."

The Chargers are not strangers to success, having advanced to the state tournament in Kami's first two seasons. However, the team suffered a handful of injuries and loss some close games to finish with a 3-5 record last year. To mitigate this, the Chargers revamped their strength and conditioning program.

"This year we stressed working hard in our conditioning and weight lifting so we can handle all four quarters," said Kami. "I think it's helping us mentally and physically. We lift and run everyday after practice. It's not a punishment, but something for the kids to prevent long injuries. Football is a physical sport, and you're going to get your bumps and bruises, but we're just trying to make sure we can stay on the field for the whole season."

Key players for the Chargers' offense include quarterback Kekainalu Simon (414 passing yards, seven touchdowns), running back Charles Freitas (255 rushing yards, three scores) and receiver Patrick Nunez (12 catches, 210 yards, four TDs). Offensive lineman Jasen Pong, a four-year starter, is another important cog to Pearl City's success.

While Pearl City had two weeks off to play its next game, the Marauders are facing a short turnaround after taking on Roosevelt Monday night, their first contest in 23 days. Even though his team didn't play to its best ability, Waipahu second-year coach Bryson Carvalho was grateful for the opportunity to get on the field after a long layover.

"It was good to get that game experience and to get the feel again for the kids," he said. "You could see that we did have some rust and that we've been off the field for a while. A lot of it was a breakdown in communication. At the end of the day, defensively, it comes down to alignment, assignment and execution. A lot of the times the communication between those three wasn't on point, but we're definitely getting that fixed this week."

One player in particular that didn't have his best performance was junior quarterback Braden Amorozo, who passed for a season-low 187 yards and was picked off twice, the first interceptions that he's thrown all year. Carvalho said he needs Amorozo to bounce back if the Marauders want to be successful against Pearl City.

"I'm expecting him to step up this week because we can't be one-dimensional against this group," said Carvalho. "We have to make sure that if we have to throw the ball, we complete it and move the chains."

Carvalho added that the Chargers' pass defense will give his team a stern test this week.

"I think defensively they're very disciplined. I know (Pearl City defensive coordinator) Kel Kusano really well. He's a solid coach and I know he's going to have his defense prepared. We were able to pass scrimmage them in the offseason and coverage wise we saw that they like to pass the long routes really well, and that keeps coverage real tight. Braden is going to have to go to his secondary reads on a few plays. He's going to have to hold on to the ball, and our offensive line has to do their part in giving him more time."

The last time the two teams met was in 2011, when Waipahu defeated Pearl City in the OIA championship game, 9-7. It was also the last time the Marauders had a winning record. Waipahu moved up to Division I in the following offseason and has failed to win more than two games in the past four seasons. After years of disarray, the Marauders are ready to take center stage.

"It's definitely a big game for us," said Carvalho. "This is something that the kids have been working hard for all summer. They know it's a battle for first place and they want this. They've never had an opportunity in their high school careers, for this group anyways, to be first, so they're hungry for that."

Kickoff between the Chargers and Marauders is slated for 6:30 p.m.