Friday football

No telling if Kaimuki’s academically ineligible players will play yet, but there’s no team with more offensive firepower than Saint Louis right now. Jeremy Higgins looked invincible in a win at Waianae last week.

The Surfriders are coming off a big 20-9 win over Baldwin at War Memorial Stadium. Kamehameha had a 44-3 victory over Hilo. Kailua linebacker Calen Friel (6 foot 2, 235 pounds) had a strong performance last week, but he’ll have an offensive force to deal with. Kamehameha running back Ryan Ho rushed for more than 160 yards last week. He runs with power, but has breakaway speed on the perimeter.

This could easily be a 3-hour game because both teams love the run-and-shoot attack. The Raiders were dominant in a 30-19 win over Kaiser last week. They were up 30-0 before halftime, and quarterback Jarrett Arakawa sat the second half. Castle is coming off a solid 37-7 win at Pearl City. Each team has an outstanding playmaker. Castle has Shaydon Kehano, who had two touchdowns against the Chargers. ‘Iolani boasts Kevin Barayuga, who had eight catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns.

The Hurricanes seem to always play Waianae at Raymond Torii Field, which is never an easy task for visitors. Waianae has a lot of competition these days, but the aura of its home field remains. Saint Louis escaped with a 48-35 win last week. The Hurricanes blanked Kamehameha-Hawaii 47-0 on a 271-yard passing effort by Noah Pascua. Waianae won last year’s matchup 34-0. The Seariders moved up two notches in the Star-Bulletin Top 10 this week despite the loss to Saint Louis.

The Marauders’ spread option is not easy to prepare for, even with the graduation of All-State running back Troy Matautia. Victor Moanamu stepped in and scored two touchdowns in a 27-7 win over Keaau last week. Campbell has returned to the OIA Red Conference after trading spots with Pearl City. The Sabers gave powerhouse Farrington a stiff challenge before losing 20-14 last week.

The Mustangs lost key players to graduation, but brothers Phil and Eddie Tauai are back. They combined for 158 rushing yards and four touchdowns, including a fumble return for a score by Eddie Tauai, in a 34-7 win at King Kekaulike last week. They played that game with just 21 players in uniform. Moanalua lost to Mililani 16-3 last week. Easily, these are among the elite in the OIA White Conference.

This could prove to be the most competitive game of the night. The Cougars showed signs of offensive spark against ‘Iolani after Teli Latu began to find Kaiwi Ramseyer on medium routes. Waialua is back from a trip to Konawaena that resulted in a 22-14 loss. The Bulldogs let a 14-6 fourth-quarter lead slip away.

Ka Makani pulled out a 26-20 home-field win over rival Honokaa last week, but traveling off-island is always daunting. Waimea’s home field, Hanapepe Ballpark, is a throwback to another era with gray-painted bleachers reminiscent of old Honolulu Stadium.

This battle between D-I Warriors and D-II Warriors should be competitive. Waiakea hasn’t played a game yet, while KS-Hawaii lost at Kapolei.