RB Challen Faamatau and the Governors travel to Kapolei to take on SB Wyatt Perez and the Hurricanes this Saturday with a state berth on the line. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Four teams in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I can clinch a state berth with a win this weekend. Two of those teams are set for a collision course on Saturday night.

Kapolei (5-1 overall, 4-1 OIA), ranked fifth in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings, hosts eight-ranked Farrington (5-1) with plenty at stake.

For starters, the winner of Saturday's contest will lock up at least second place in the OIA D1 Red Division Conference, which guarantees a first round bye in the league's upcoming 12-team playoffs that begins in two weeks.

Since the Hawaii High School Athletic Association board approved a one-year pilot program for a three-tier state football tournament this season, eight teams in the OIA D1 will be playing in states this year, whether it be in the new Open Division or the Division I tournament. 

With the way the OIA postseason works, a top two finish in your conference grants you an automatic trip to the quarterfinals, and now the state tournament.

"That's been our message this whole week, ‘we control our own destiny,'" said Farrington coach Randall Okimoto. The Governors missed the state tournament last season after falling to Waianae, 20-19, in the OIA D1 third place game for the league's final berth.

"They know what's at stake," Okimoto said of his team. "Right now they're just learning how to process that ‘pressure.'"

While the Governors have been to the D1 state tournament eight times since 2003, the Hurricanes have never qualified for the D1 tourney. A victory over the Governors would also put Kapolei in a position to finish first in its conference, an opportunity that it has never had while classified as a D1 team.

"It's everything right now. A couple of firsts are happening if we can win," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said about his team's upcoming matchup. "No doubt we're really focused, as is every week."

The Hurricanes made headlines in the offseason when former University of Hawaii coach June Jones joined Hernandez's staff as Kapolei's offensive coordinator. Jones, a pioneer of the run-and-shoot offense, has helped the Hurricanes average 35 points and 372 yards of total offense through six games.

Sophomore gunslinger Taulia Tagovailoa has been the beneficiary of Jones' tutelage. With slotbacks Jaymin Sarono (59 catches, 624 yards, 11 TDs) and Wyatt Perez (25 receptions, 432 yards, eight TDs) to throw to, Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,867 yards and 20 scores against just three interceptions.

Okimoto and the Governors are excited for the opportunity to go against Jones and the Hurricanes' offense.

"June Jones is proven and really well respected," said Okimoto. "I like what he does on the offense. Seeing the film and how he gets players open and gets the ball to the player, we know it's going to be a great challenge. It's definitely an exciting week of high school football for us."

Safety Iosefo Ah Ching-Noga and nickel back Stephen Eter will have most of the responsibilities in covering Sarono and Perez. Regardless of individual matchups, Okimoto feels that slowing down the Hurricanes' offense will come down to processing what they are trying to do on every single play.

"It's going to come down to fundamentals. When I say that, it's like playing poker. In fact, I used to like to set up poker games with our coaches just so that we learn how to read another. That's the key. Players just need to be able to read pass and run. Once they're able to do that and react to it, we'll be OK."

Hernandez isn't sleeping on the Farrington offense either. The Governors rolled up 711 yards of total offense in their 69-21 homecoming win over Nanakuli last weekend.

"That is mind boggling," Hernandez said of the Governors' yardage against the Golden Hawks. "They have so many weapons on offense. Obviously we're aware of that and that's been our focus, to try and contain (running back) Challen Faamatau and that explosive offense."

Faamatau is the biggest name for the Governors' offense with 834 yards and 14 touchdowns from scrimmage this season, but he hasn't had to do it alone. Quarterbacks Bishop Rapoza and Justin Uahinui have combined for tossed for 13 passing scores against two interceptions, Kingston Moses-Sanchez and Tanielu Alaivanu-Afe are capable threats at the wideout spot and Tanu Tautolo and Freedom Alualu are changeup options at the running back position.

Okimoto said the offensive showing against the Golden Hawks was the culmination of everyone playing as a team.

"As I spoke to our team, I said one of the things that someone asked me was ‘what is our identity?' I said you know what, ‘we're a team'. It doesn't matter who's starting at quarterback, we have guys that can catch the ball and we didn't have the same offensive line two weeks in a row. We're a team and we want to utilize every single guy on our team."

Hernandez said that stopping the Governors would come down to winning the battle at the line of scrimmage.

"They have a real tough physical line," he said of the Farringotn offense. "I think for us, it's going to be our front seven that needs to step up. We're going to have to rely on guys like Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Omar Mareko. Those guys are going to have to lead the charge on the defensive line and linebacker respectively. They're going to have to play real tough discipline football."

One area of the game that could give Kapolei the edge against Farrington is special teams. Placekicker Beau Meyer has kicked 23 PATs and three field goals, including a 43-yard boot against Leilehua, and punter Riley Asuncion and kickoff specialist Tanner Ritchey has helped pin opposing offenses. On the other hand, the Governors have missed PATs in every game this year.

"That's one of the areas that we count on and pride ourselves in," said Hernandez. "We're going to play and not give up nothing big on special teams. We're hoping to win that battle. You can't just play offense and defense anymore. The kicking game is so big in high school."

Kickoff between the Governors and Hurricanes is slated for 6:30 p.m.