No games, no headlines.

That changes this weekend for the fifth-ranked Kamehameha Warriors and the newly minted No. 1 team in the state, the Saint Louis Crusaders.

For the 10 long months since being eliminated from title contention in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Kamehameha and Saint Louis have bided their time on the football field. Both programs, chock full of rich football history, sat on the sideline as the once-dormant Punahou Buffanblu won another league crown.

Punahou went on to reach the state final, losing to Mililani 53-45.

The Warriors and Crusaders had no battles left. No second berth for the ILH. Just 10 months of waiting.

On Saturday at Aloha Stadium, both teams are ready to prove that they’re not just better than last year, but ready to seize the throne.

The Crusaders have gotten their share of action, walloping Liberty (Nev.) two weeks ago, 43-16 at Aloha Stadium.

Kamehameha has been explosive offensively, with first-year starting quarterback Thomas "Boogie" Yam, a tall, lanky slinger who has already broken the Warriors’ single-game passing yardage mark. But it is defense that the team in navy and sky blue brings from Kapalama Heights. With eight returning starters on that side of the football, including stellar defensive lineman Alema Kapoi, the Warriors have scarcely been challenged, beating Waianae 33-13, Baldwin 53-0 and Hilo 41-0.

And yet, it’s been three weeks since Coach Doug Cosbie’s team has clocked in for a battle. That tough defensive unit hasn’t faced any offense — aside from its own during practice at Kunuiakea Stadium — as potent as the one from Saint Louis.

Saint Louis junior Tua Tagovailoa — and his 15 scholarship offers (at last count) — is one of the few QBs with rollicking numbers comparable to Yam’s.

"You’ve got to game-plan in scheme and personnel, but we don’t get too caught up in who we’re playing," Cosbie said. "Our goal is to play fundamentally sound and disciplined football. That gives us a chance to win. We worry about our guys and not as much about the other guys."

True enough. Quarterbacks don’t win games alone, but the numbers comparison is interesting enough.

>> Yam: 36-for-57, 627 passing yards, eight TDs, no interceptions; 168 rushing yards (12.9 per carry), one TD.

>> Tagovailoa: 37-for-51, 477 yards, eight TDs, one pick; 100 rushing yards (16.7 per carry), one TD.

The most impressive win on either resume is Saint Louis over Liberty, which outscored Mililani last week 76-53. The versatility of each QB and the multiple weapons in each offense makes this a defensive coordinator’s challenge.

"We have some good players on defense and a good scheme," Cosbie said.

Crusaders coach Cal Lee has always preferred solid defensive play and some sense of balance offensively. Offensive coordinator Ron Lee has a mix of talent and inexperience at the skill positions, while the O-line is anchored by D-I prospect Nate Herbig.

All things being equal — and very similar — this could come down to run defense. Saint Louis has been through ups and downs, even with a talented defensive unit, but proved against run-first Liberty that the chemistry and unity are coming together. Linebackers Isaac Slade-Matautia and Jordan Loveni Iosefa are a durable pair who will test the Warriors’ ground attack.

Kamehameha’s Kumoku Noa may be the state’s premier deep threat, but Cosbie has not shown any signs of overfeeding the senior (11 receptions, 259 yards, six TDs). Yam may be young — a sophomore — but he has distributed evenly. Jaykob Cabunoc (17 catches, 261 yards, two TDs) has emerged as an elite target.

Multi-position standout Fatu Sua-Godinet has been able to heal up during this long game-less stretch. He has been out since an injury suffered against Waianae in Week 1. He could emerge as the finest deep threat among receivers, as he showed during summer showcase camps.

Saint Louis has the most recognized deep threat returning from last year in Drew Kobayashi, who has been sidelined for several weeks. In his absence, Tagovailoa has relied on virtually the entire progression set, from Leelan Oasay (11 receptions, 147 yards, three TDs) to Ronson Young (seven, 86, one) and much of the depth chart.

That’s the difference between two outstanding teams in this matchup: Tagovailoa’s experience, patience and field vision. Yam may be off to a scintillating start, but can he pass the biggest test of his young career?

FRIDAY’S GAMES

No. 2 Punahou (3-0, 0-0 ILH) at ‘Iolani (2-1, 0-0 ILH) — The Buffanblu are primed maybe for an emotional letdown after last week’s amazing 22-15 comeback win on the road against Del Oro (Calif.). While the normally prolific Punahou offense sputtered, it was the defense that came through. That might make this Friday afternoon game a rough one for the young Raiders. This is ‘Iolani’s first league game as an official Division I team in years. Regardless, Punahou has won the past five meetings in mostly one-sided fashion, with the Buffanblu putting up at least 56 in the past three.

Castle (2-3, 2-2 OIA Red) at No. 4 Kahuku (4-0, 3-0) — Kahuku has won its past 10 meetings. Castle last beat the Red Raiders in 2005, winning at home 23-6 with Bryce Kalauokaaea at QB and Blaine Kobashigawa having a big game at WR. The Knights have not won at Kahuku since 1983.

Campbell (0-4, 0-3 OIA Blue) at No. 10 Kapolei (2-3, 1-3) — Taulia Tagovailoa has broken the school mark for single-game passing yardage twice in the past two weeks, but the Hurricanes may have lost running back L.J. Esperas (237 rushing yards), who went down with a knee injury late in last week’s win over Moanalua.

St. Francis (2-2, 0-0 ILH) vs. Pac-Five (2-0, 0-0), Aloha Stadium — One year can make quite a difference. The Wolfpack miss Tsubasa Brennan, now playing college football in Japan. In two wins, it’s Pac-Five’s defense that has become the bedrock, while the once-explosive passing game has produced just 278 yards and one TD.

McKinley (0-5, 0-4) at Kaiser (1-3, 1-2) — The Tigers have been plagued with off-field shortcomings, but still have a hardy core of student-athletes taking the field despite wipeout losses. The Cougars posted their first win last week against Waipahu and playoff hopes remain. QB/CB/KR/PR Nic Tom is having a remarkable season. RB Jensen McDaniel is above the 500-yard mark despite a nagging injury.

Waipahu (1-3, 1-3 OIA Red) at Leilehua (1-3, 1-2) — A narrow win over Castle last week could buoy the Mules, who play Kahuku, McKinley and Kaiser after this weekend. Waipahu’s offense has come to life with 123 points in the past three games. Andrew Simanu has rocketed with 30 receptions for 542 yards and four TDs.

Radford (4-0) vs. Mount Tahoma, Wash. (0-1) — The Thunderbirds lost their (nonconference) opener last week against Mount Douglas 46-22. The Rams are off to a scintillating start, but as Mililani learned last week, life on the road is not easy. The Rams should have a healthy roster, including running back Ace Faumui. The game was coordinated by Radford coach Fred Salanoa and Mount Tahoma coach Ricky Daley, who were teammates on an all-star team that traveled to Japan for a game in 2005.

Kalaheo (1-3, 1-2 OIA D-II) at Waialua (3-2, 2-2) — A storybook start has turned into midseason doldrums for Waialua, which has lost on the road to Roosevelt and Nanakuli in consecutive weeks. The good news for the Bulldogs is that they’re playing at home for the first time in four weeks. A Mustangs win at Waialua would tighten the chase for the fourth-place playoff spot.

Nanakuli (3-1, 3-0 OIA D-II) at Roosevelt (2-3, 1-3) — A season-opening (nonleague) loss to D-II powerhouse Kapaa did nothing to slow the Golden Hawks’ progress. They’ve scored 131 points in three wins since behind QB Nainoa Banks (920 passing yards, nine TDs).

Waimea (3-1, 1-0 KIF) vs. Kapaa (3-0, 1-0), Vidinha Stadium — A win over defending league champ Kapaa would put the Menehune alone atop the standings. They blanked Kauai 17-0 last week. The Warriors are well rested since routing Kauai two weeks ago 53-0.

Waiakea (0-5, 0-2 BIIF) at Honokaa (1-3, 0-2) — The good news for the Warriors? They scored a season-high 27 points against KS-Hawaii last week. The bad news? They yielded 39, the fourth time they’ve given up at least 38 points in a game this fall. The Dragons are coming off a 24-16 loss to Kealakehe.

Hawaii Prep (2-1, 1-1 BIIF) at Kealakehe (3-2, 2-0) — Ka Makani are one of the smaller programs, a team that eschews a JV roster due to low numbers, but finds a way to develop players year after year. They’re coming off a 37-6 win over Keaau. After scoring seven points in their first two games, the Waveriders are averaging more than 22 per. They can’t afford to look past HPA to next week’s showdown with rival Konawaena.

Baldwin (2-2, 2-0 MIL) vs. Maui (2-1, 2-0 MIL), War Memorial Stadium — The Bears’ lock on MIL supremacy dwindled over the years as Lahainaluna and Maui took the reins. This is Baldwin’s chance to boot D-I Maui to the back seat. Won’t be easy –Sabers RB Soane Vaohea may be the premier back in the league.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Aiea (1-4, 1-3 OIA Blue) at No. 3 Mililani (3-1, 3-0) — The Trojans should be returning to full health, particularly on defense. While Liberty churned out big yardage on the ground last week, Aiea has been much more dependent on success through the air. Kobe Kato (923 yards, 12 TDs) is averaging more than 30 pass attempts per game.

No. 7 Kailua (5-0, 4-0 OIA Blue) vs. No. 6 Farrington (4-0, 3-0), Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium — The Govs had two pick-sixes in a nonconference win over ‘Iolani, but haven’t fared well defensively since. Shoddy tackling in the secondary could be an issue against the Surfriders, who have playmakers in Martin Tigilau (22 catches, 371 yards, nine TDs), Isaiah Damo-Agcaoili (17, 258, two) and Noah Ah Yat (20, 175).

Pearl City (2-1, 2-1 OIA D-II) vs. Kaimuki (1-3, 1-2), Kaiser Stadium — The last time the Bulldogs beat the Chargers was in 2010 during their D-II heyday. Kaimuki beat Pearl City twice, 34-12 and 14-13. Pearl City edged Kaimuki 29-27 in ’11, and the Bulldogs were promoted to D-I for the next two seasons, going winless in conference play.

Hilo (1-3, 1-1 BIIF) at Kamehameha-Hawaii (4-1, 1-1) — The greatness of last year’s Vikings run to the state tourney — and a tough, close loss to powerhouse Kahuku — is a fading memory. The Vikings lost to D-II Konawaena 34-27 last week. The schedule is kind to Hilo after this week, with all four remaining regular-season games at Dr. Francis Wong Stadium. A win by the Warriors could mean that the balance of power in the BIIF again tilts toward D-II.

Keaau (0-3, 0-2 BIIF) at Konawaena (4-0, 2-0) — It wasn’t so long ago that Kealakehe was incredibly dominant in the BIIF, and one of the few teams that really could put a scare into the Waveriders was Keaau. The Cougars have been outscored 138-42 this season. Meanwhile, Konawaena is unbeaten under first-year head coach Brad Uemoto. Sophomore QB Austin Ewing, younger brother of former HPA standout athlete Gabbie Ewing, has thrown nine TD passes with just one pick.

King Kekaulike (0-3, 0-2 MIL) at Lahainaluna (1-4, 0-3) — The Lunas are young and inexperienced, but their coaching staff has few peers and the MIL D-II race is still up for grabs.