The age of technology has not, surprisingly, stifled the old-school age of smashmouth football.

This season, as much or perhaps more than any in the past several years, running backs have sprinted and spun their way to remarkable numbers. Despite a proliferation of pass-first, quick-trigger offenses, there are busy running backs such as Abraham Silva (940 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, 8.3 yards per carry) and Tyler Taumua (617, eight, 6.2) of Farrington, Kainalu Kaleo of Anuenue (1,248, 13, 12.4), Aofaga Wily of Kahuku (738, 13, 6.7) and Kai Gonda of Kaiser (657, seven, 7.2).

The penchant for conservative offense isn’t limited to those teams, though. After an 0-2 start in league play, Waianae returned to a run-heavy attack led by Jemery Willes and Alakai Kealoha, and has won three in a row.

Kapolei has re-established its ground game on the legs of 5-11, 210-pound Jacob Kukahiko, who had 85 yards and a score in last week’s win over Campbell. That ended a two-game scoreless streak — in which Kukahiko had just 13 total carries for 44 yards — and gave the Hurricanes a better shot at a playoff berth.

Even Saint Louis, the imperial fortress built on aerial success, has a potential 1,000-yard rusher in Adam Noga. The junior has rushed for 679 yards and nine touchdowns (7.4 yards per attempt), though the Crusaders haven’t abandoned their bountiful, four-wide offense.

But there are teams that have gotten by without a consistent running game. At Moanalua, where there hasn’t been a 100-yard rusher in the past four games, Micah Kaneshiro’s passing prowess has sparked a new era. Na Menehune will need the first-year starter at his best to hang close to No. 1 Kahuku Saturday.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s matchups.

Friday, Oct. 5

No. 8 ‘Iolani (2-2 ILH, 5-2) at No. 2 Punahou (4-0 ILH, 5-1): Punahou has dominated this series, even with ‘Iolani’s stunning 35-12 win in 2009. Going back to ’06, the Buffanblu have outscored the Raiders 223-118. That includes last year’s 38-18 win at Eddie Hamada Field and a 24-19 victory in ’10.

Quarterback Larry Tuileta’s astounding statistics (1,600 yards, 18 touchdowns, one pick) get well-deserved attention, but Punahou’s defense has been remarkable, too. The Buffanblu are capable of containing great receivers — Saint Louis’ Jeremy Tabuyo scored six touchdowns against Farrington and Kamehameha, and none on Punahou.

No. 3 Farrington (4-1 OIA Red, 6-1) at Kailua (2-3 OIA Red, 2-5): The timing is a bit challenging for the Surfriders, who have clinched a playoff berth. Farrington is coming off its first loss of the season, the only game without a 100-yard rusher. The Govs go up against a Kailua defense that allowed Kahuku’s Aofaga Wily to gain 121 yards on just eight carries, plus three touchdowns.

Waipahu (2-3 OIA White, 2-5) at No. 4 Mililani (4-1 OIA White, 6-1): No defense gives up as much yardage through the air as Waipahu (230 per game), which should whet the appetite of Mililani’s Jarin Morikawa. Quickly and patiently, he picks bit by bit at coverages. It’s an effective way of moving the ball, as good as most formidable rushing attacks.

The 6-foot, 170-pound senior has passed for 1,757 yards and 19 touchdowns with just six picks in 287 attempts. His completion rate (58 percent), yards per attempt (6.1) and passer rating (127.93) are middling, but there’s no way to measure his value in lieu of a light ground game.

Morikawa’s hot roll in the past three games made three normally solid defenses wither: Campbell (23-43-1-268/3 touchdowns), Kapolei (25-41-0-330/4 TDs) and Aiea (29-41-0-387/3 TDs).

Waipahu, meanwhile, is coming off yet another narrow loss, a 27-26 overtime defeat at the hands of Leilehua. Sophomore Kai Mercado-Aiona has stepped into the mix at quarterback, though Kaimi Paredes remains a key element with his legs (334 yards, five touchdowns on the ground) and arm (669 yards, six touchdowns). In the double-slot offense, Dylan Pakau has thrived a wide receiver. The 5-10, 175-pound senior has 28 receptions for 668 yards and eight touchdowns.

No. 10 Konawaena (4-1 BIIF D-II, 4-4) at Honokaa (4-1 BIIF D-II, 5-2): The bad news for the Wildcats last week was the revelation that the use of an ineligible player — he hadn’t moved into the district as planned before the season — cost them three wins. The good news? Only one of those victories applied to their BIIF D-II win-loss record. With their win over Honokaa flipped to a forfeit loss, Konawaena needed a win — by at least three or five points, depending on whom you ask — over Kamehameha-Hawaii to win the first round.

So the ‘Cats eked out a 16-3 win to break a tiebreaker with KS-Hawaii and Honokaa despite a season-low 33 passing yards by Kahoali’i Karratti. Tonight’s matchup with Honokaa begins second-round play. The Dragons, coming off a 55-7 rout of rival Hawaii Prep, are especially tough to beat home in the rain, wind and occasional fog of the Hamakua Coast.

Baldwin (3-1 MIL, 3-2) vs. Maui (2-3 MIL, 3-3), War Memorial Stadium: Keelan Ewaliko’s return from a broken rib has changed the Bears’ fortunes. In two games, the UH-bound quarterback has passed for 174 yards and three touchdowns (no picks) and run for 235 yards and four more touchdowns.

Kapolei (2-3 OIA Red, 4-3) at Aiea (1-4 OIA Red, 3-4): After a season-low 13 total carries (44 yards) in Kapolei’s scoreless stretch against Leilehua and Mililani, Jacob Kukahiko was employed and deployed in full force. The 5-11, 210-pound senior rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on a season-high 19 carries in a 35-34 win over Campbell.

Now the Hurricanes meet a proud Na Alii squad affected by injury and disciplinary action, and a playoff berth is at stake. Aiea turned to running back Mana Kaahanui last week, and the junior running back/tight end went 16-for-27 and 215 yards, one touchdown and three picks. Na Alii could salvage a playoff berth with a win.

Kalani (4-2 OIA White, 4-3) at Pearl City (4-3 OIA White, 4-4): This could be a game Mouse Davis would enjoy, with a few moments of percolation, for the sheer delight of seeing high school players execute what once was the domain of mad geniuses. Like Davis.

Kalani’s Noah Brum and Pearl City’s Brock Teixeira may not fully appreciate the gifts they have been given. In week two, Brum was handed the keys to offensive coordinator Ron Lee’s offense — the one he mastered by flying up to the Northwest in the early 1970s to learn from Davis, who later became the mastermind of Portland State’s abundantly productive offense.

Brum has passed for 1,062 yards and eight touchdowns with just five picks in his first season as a starter. Teixeira sat the first two games, but got the nod against Kaiser and has blossomed since. The senior has 1,215 yards, 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions. That includes last week’s 208-yard, four-TD effort in a win over Kalaheo.

Waialua (0-6 OIA White, 0-7) at Roosevelt (0-6 OIA White, 0-6): A trying season for each of these programs will mean little at kickoff. The Bulldogs are just a few seasons removed from suiting up Division I college players (Micah Hatchie, Graham Crowley). The Rough Riders, under Jeff Azuma, are making diligent progress. They’ve scored 39 points in their last two games with a mostly young team.

Keaau (0-6, 0-4 BIIF D-I) at Waiakea (2-5, 1-3 BIIF D-I): After three losses in a row, the Warriors meet the team it last scored a win against.

Saturday, Oct. 6

No. 1 Kahuku (6-0, 5-0 OIA Red) at Moanalua (4-3, 4-1 OIA Red): Trap game? Possibly, but not likely for the Red Raiders, who are focused and hungry. An injury up front has made a significant difference in their ground-and-pound flow, but even with that, they rolled over Farrington 31-6.

Now Big Red visits Moanalua, which permitted two 100-yard rushers and a total of 363 rushing yards against Farrington four weeks ago. Kahuku’s defense could be tested by Micah Kaneshiro, who has passed for 493 yards and nine touchdowns in his past two games. Na Menehune went to Kahuku last year and lost 14-7. Aofaga Wily had 181 yards that night on a bad ankle, scoring the decisive touchdown with 5:45 left. Now healthy since offseason surgery, the 6-foot, 202-pound senior has rushed for 738 yards and 13 touchdowns.

No. 5 Saint Louis (3-1 ILH, 4-3) vs. Pac-Five (1-3 ILH, 2-5), Aloha Stadium: The Wolfpack may have a recipe to stay with the Crusaders. The ground attack, with Keoni Tom-Millare at tailback, could hit Saint Louis in the solar plexus and keep the Crusaders’ potent offense on the sideline just enough. But with weapons aplenty — Kawai Mook-Garcia was 17-for-24 for 330 yards, four touchdowns and no picks against Kamehameha — Saint Louis is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.

Waianae (3-2 OIA Red, 4-3) at No. 6 Leilehua (3-2 OIA Red, 5-2): The Seariders have reeled off three wins in a row since returning to a smashmouth offensive game plan. Jeremy Willes and Alakai Kealoha have combined for 110 carries, 529 yards and seven touchdowns in wins over Waipahu, Campbell and Aiea, and what had been a gloomy start has transformed into late-season success.

Leilehua’s tricky defense has relied on pre-snap, stand-up postures by the front seven in the past, but against a quick-hitting ground attack, the Mules could be vulnerable.

No. 7 Kamehameha (2-2 ILH, 4-3) vs. Damien (0-4 ILH, 3-4), Aloha Stadium: Makoa Camanse-Stevens’ string of pick-less games continues. He has 165 attempts this fall without an interception, along with 12 touchdowns and 1,187 yards. The 6-3, 185-pound senior has also developed a big-play connection with Austin Gerard, who had 12 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown in the past two games.

Castle (1-4 OIA Red, 1-6) vs. McKinley (2-3 OIA Red, 3-4) at Roosevelt: The Tigers ended a three-game skid by edging Kailua 14-7. Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta, a 5-11, 235-pound junior, continues to patrol the field, sideline to sideline, as one of the state’s top linebackers.

Anuenue (2-4 OIA White, 2-5) vs. Kalaheo (3-3 OIA White, 3-4): Combined, the teams have five running backs who have rushed for at least 100 yards in a game once this season. Kainalu Kaleo (1,248 yards, 13 touchdowns) is averaging a whopping 12.4 yards per rush even though every defense knows Na Koa will rarely throw the ball, and Kaleo is the battering ram — and collector of bruises — every week. Anuenue Tui (712, seven) and Malaeloa Liua (276, two) have excelled in the double-wing offense.

Against Kalani last week, Willie Lynch (488, 10) had his first 100-yard game since a 200-yard outburst against Waialua on Sept. 1. With receivers like 6-6 Nainoa Frank (21 catches, 424 yards, three touchdowns) and Shem Sukumaran, the Mustangs have some balance.

Nanakuli (4-2 OIA White, 4-2) at Radford (5-1 OIA White, 6-1): Nanakuli’s golden season is coming down to the wire with seven teams still in contention for one of the OIA White’s four playoff berths. Getting past a riled-up Radford squad coming off a loss at Kaiser will be difficult. Linebacker Mana Kakiva (5-11, 215, Sr.) leads a stingy Rams defense. No doubt he’ll key on Nanakuli’s playmaking quarterback, Chazz Troutman.

Waimea (2-3, 1-2 KIF) vs. Kapaa (3-2, 1-2 KIF): Since knocking off Kauai in the league opener, the Warriors are reeling after consecutive losses. Now, they face Waimea, which beat Kapaa three weeks ago. After averaging 37 points in their first three games, the Warriors have scored seven total points in the past two.

Lahainaluna (6-0, 5-0 MIL) at Kamehameha-Maui (2-4, 2-3 MIL): The Lunas have been masterful in their modified wing-T attack, but their defense hasn’t surrendered a point in MIL play. Nobody has scored on the Lunas — anchored up front by linemen Hercules Mata’afa, Pousima Galoia, Connor Mowat and Sami Filiai — since Aug. 17, when Keaau scored 14 points.

Kealakehe (4-0 BIIF D-I, 6-1) at Hilo (3-1 BIIF D-I, 5-1), Wong Stadium: The Waveriders have the kind of offense that neutralizes the wacky, fickle weather of Hawaii island. By going to a ground attack they have simplified the offense and relied on their natural resources — they average 309 pounds a man up front. Add 6-2, 348-pound David Fangupo as a lead blocker out of the backfield, and there are few defenses in the league capable of shutting Kealakehe down.

Wide receiver Guiseppe Zapatoliva took his turn in the backfield and rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns in a win at Keaau last week. This time, the ‘Riders must find a way to quell Drew Kell, who passed for 405 yards in a 43-29 loss to Kealakehe three weeks ago.

Ka’u (1-4 BIIF D-II, 1-4) at Hawaii Prep (2-3 BIIF D-II, 2-5): Life after Shane Brostek hasn’t been easy for Ka Makani. Brostek now starts at offensive line for Washington, while HPA has struggled with 13 points in three consecutive losses.

Kamehameha-Hawaii (4-1 BIIF D-II, 7-1) at Kohala (0-5 BIIF, 0-5): Kohala has forfeited its remaining games.