There is an early scene in “Shin Godzilla,” the remake by the original studio (Toho), that centers on an incredibly fake-ish, almost rubber-toy-looking creature flubbing about the shoreline of Tokyo.

There is fear. There is curiosity. This giant fish-lizard thing is flopping about and demolishing puny buildings in its path. Yet, it moves so slowly. Is this the real movie? Or is it a parody with el cheapo production value, an inside joke maybe.

As the film rolls along, Godzilla becomes something else. Fueled by something never seen before on earth (except in various ’Zilla flicks over the decades), it actually evolves before the eyes of Japanese citizens and bureaucrats who painstakingly can’t seem to jive together for a concrete response to danger.

The Godzilla in the first five minutes? Comedic. The Godzilla in the last 5 minutes? Holy terror.

As No. 1 behemoth Kahuku takes the field on Friday night against No. 4 Farrington for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship, parallels and analogies will surface. Goliath. David. The Governors have a slingshotter’s chance to topple the defending state champions. Problem for Farrington is, this giant doesn’t have the arrogance to stand and take stones through the head as Goliath did.

“The road to the championship game goes through Kahuku, and every so often, it takes a turn toward Farrington Highway,” Governors coach Randall Okimoto texted. “May the best team win.”

Kahuku has made this magnificent run with an absolute priority on defense. It’s not new. Coach Vavae Tata has mastered it, refined it and perfected it, continuing a Kahuku tradition utilizing the best athletes on that side of the ball.

Kekaula Kaniho, a returning All-State cornerback, was a “Top Star” selection by national media after last weekend’s scintillating performance against Waianae. There are more than a handful of Kahuku defenders who are at that elite level. Defensive end Aleki Vimahi received his 12th scholarship offer on Tuesday from his “dream school”: USC.

Tata’s passion, discipline and mind for schematics are the the fuel for Kahuku’s Godzilla-like domination on the football field. No Tata, and maybe the Red Raiders defense is good to very good. Great? That’s something the second-year head coach has preached and will not compromise. Greatness is what teams with discipline do, and Kahuku’s near-absence of penalties — compared to decades of data showing otherwise — is the most mind-blowing of all.

Farrington has been disciplined on the field for the most part. The Governors have evolved to become a team that can pass first, and then use second-and-short to give Challen Faamatau fewer not-so-friendly faces in the box. In a remarkable, gut-churning 33-27 win over Kapolei last week, the Hurricanes had to pick their poison.

The Govs had spirals all over the field to multiple receivers — a good thing because top ball catcher Kingston Moses-Sanchez was still recovering from an injury. The ’Canes had a sack early by Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, but Farrington QB Bishop Rapoza (22-for-32, 236 yards, three TDs) got the ball out quickly most times, and the three occasions when Kapolei pass rushers had him dead to rights, he escaped.

Rapoza’s wheels were almost McKenzie Milton-like, rolling out from pressure, circling backwards and finding his teammates coming back to the ball again and again. It was, in the end — even with a game-winning TD pass not by a QB, but Faamatau — an evolutionary process for all the world to see.

All the reps in the offseason, long before pass league and long after, have transformed the Govs from their ancient 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-black-rubber-granules programming into a balanced offensive force that won’t be too shy about getting airborne when necessary. Or even when it’s not necessary.

Mosi Afe was the perfect complement to Moses-Sanchez, a possession target with reliable hands who happens to also be a breakaway threat. But it wasn’t just Moses-Sanchez and Afe. Kingsley Moses-Sanchez, brother of Kingston, came through with the winning TD haul. Iosefo Ah Ching, a full-time defensive back, scored a huge TD on a Walter Payton-esque leap over the line of scrimmage. He also caught a pass.

Of course, RB/WR/KR Faamatau (1,135 rushing yards, 28 receptions for 250 yards, 19 total TDs) is the Govs’ go-to playmaker. Though Kapolei missed key players offensively, including leading receiver Jaymin Sarono (disciplinary action), Faamatau’s array of fakes and power against one of the state’s top defenses was eye-popping.

How does all this add up in an equation that leads to victory over Godzilla? It may not at all. Kahuku has a history of shutting down and shutting out offenses that tear up the rest of the OIA. Kahuku’s shutout win over Waianae (38-0) in last week’s semifinals wasn’t entirely different from its 28-0 victory over Waianae during the regular season.

The Red Raiders, mostly by virtue of blowout wins all season in league play, are relatively healthy. Unlike Farrington, Kahuku had a first-round bye in the playoffs. Personnel is far from reaching empty in the gas tank. Harmon Brown (667 yards, seven TDs) starts, Elvis Vakapuna (593 yards, 12 TDs) often finishes. Sol-Jay Maiava continues to improve, the only freshman starting QB in recent memory to lead his team to the OIA D-I final.

Farrington, with its multiple formations including Faamatau as a wildcat QB, has dipped into its playbook at just the right time. Last week’s “centipede” formation in the final two minutes of play in a tied game was gutsy and timely, but Kahuku studies game film perhaps more than any team in the league.

Do Govs coach Randall Okimoto and his staff have a few more tricks up their sleeves? In the end, the school in Kalihi that has endured through tragedies has proven that talent plus character can add up to success on and off the field. Those alone aren’t usually enough to stop a Goliath, but in the words of Okimoto’s college coach, Dick Tomey, all they need is to stay close enough for three quarters to have a chance to win.

The evidence shows that Kahuku rarely allows any foe to stay close for a half, even a quarter, let alone four. Since permitting 15 points in the season opener against Leilehua, no OIA team has scored more than seven against the Big Red wall. They’ve outscored opponents 453-28 in the regular season and playoffs.

The Red Raiders have opened up the offense this year to an extent, but when it comes down to their success, it’s no frills. Life in the trenches, hammering away with skilled 300-pound linemen and a thundering herd of lead blockers out of the backfield. Tying things up at the line of scrimmage is one thing. Taking on 200- to 250-pound fullbacks and H-backs like Steven Lombard at full speed is another. The laws of physics are on the side of those with momentum, and so far, in two years, nobody in the islands has found a way to consistently stop that Godzilla stampede.

TODAY’S GAME

Waipahu (8-1) vs. Waialua (6-2), Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m. — The OIA D-II championship game features two sturdy programs built on tradition and dedicated coaches and players. At Waialua, Lincoln Barit has poured what feels like a lifetime — 14 seasons as head coach — of heart and soul into the young Bulldogs.

“Waialua is a darn good team,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho texted. “Their offense is explosive and they play well on defense. We need to bottle up their quarterback (Tevesi Toia) because he’s a playmaker.”

Waialua has been steady with Risein Campbell at running back. The Bulldogs are happy to grind out long drives, but sometimes those possessions end with turnovers in the red zone. Toia has passed for 12 touchdowns, but has been intercepted 15 times.

“Tevesi is one of our leaders on offense and we rely on him to make good decisions with the ball,” Barit texted. “Our offense is far from where we want it to be. We have been struggling as of late and we are hoping they show up to play on Friday.”

Toia has gotten some relief from the emergence of Campbell (431 yards, one TD) and Howard Nahooikaika (186 yards, six TDs) in the ground attack.

“Their run game has been getting better and better, so we’ll have our hands full come Friday night,” Carvalho added.

Will Waipahu’s defense be willing to bend without breaking, letting its offense sit idly on the sideline during a six- or 10-minute drive? Barit expects the going to be tough.

“I wish it could be that easy, said and done on paper. It would be lovely, but I know Waipahu did their homework and will come at us hard,” Barit said.

Carvalho returned from a journey to the mainland for the opportunity to be head coach at his alma mater. Many of the ingredients that built success were learned under current Army assistant coach Sean Saturnio, who was head coach when Carvalho was JV and varsity assistant coach. Still working under their black flag, the Marauders don’t run the spread option anymore, but the integral parts of daily life on and off the field are intact.

Carvalho’s staff has a daily honor for an individual player who reflects the core values of the program. It’s detail-oriented but family-based interaction that makes Carvalho’s approach unique.

Last week, the Marauders ousted Pearl City, the one team to put a blemish on Waipahu’s ledger, 13-7. State tournament berth clinched, and now they face a team they beat soundly, 26-7, on Sept. 23.

Momentum is on Waipahu’s side, but as the playoffs clearly show, it is the underdog who has all its chips in. Sometimes it’s the favored team that stops being creative and fundamentally sound, especially in prep football. Sometimes it’s the team that most spectators count out that does all it takes to eke out a win. A championship.

Carvalho and the Marauders coaching staff haven’t let up.

“I think our team is peaking. Our defense has been coming around and came up big time for us last week. These kids really love each other, are unselfish and play for each other,” he wrote. “We couldn’t ask for more from this group of guys.”

Waipahu last won the title in 2011 under then-coach Eric Keola. Waialua has not won a crown since 1955, when Toshi Nakasone guided the Bulldogs to a fourth straight title.

“I think it would mean a lot to this community. It will bring back the pride to our hometown,” Barit said.

SATURDAY’S GAME

Kapolei (8-2) vs. Waianae (8-3), John Kauinana Stadium (Mililani), 7:30 p.m. — In the past, a third-place game in the OIA D-I playoffs meant a spot in the state tourney for the winner. The third-place team traveled to a neighbor island destination for the opening round. The loser would be done for the year.

With the new HHSAA format, both Kapolei and Waianae are already in the Open Division bracket. There’s no traveling to prepare for. This is primarily for seeding purposes.

When these teams met in Week 2 (Aug. 13) at Kapolei, Waianae left with a 35-14 victory.

Since then, Kapolei QB Taulia Tagovailoa passed the career 3,000-yard mark and Waianae RB Rico Rosario eclipsed the single-season 1,000-yard mark as a rusher. Also, Waianae QB Jaren Ulu missed two playoff games due to injury, replaced by versatile Jorell Pontes-Borje.

Seariders coach Walter Young said Ulu could return at some point, but there’s no specific timetable. There’s an argument to be made that the lesser significance of an OIA D-I third-place game should render the game itself out of existence. There’s HHSAA seeding, but there’s no travel involved, so the logistics are practically minimized.

There’s no TV coverage. It’s a solo flight kind of game, being played out on a neutral field between two teams that have played each other already, and could (we won’t know until the seedings are released probably on Sunday) meet again in the state tourney.

Could both squads benefit greatly from a bye? They probably would have. But, from a fan perspective, seeing Waianae’s army of talented ballcarriers and Kapolei’s often precise aerial attack is well worth any distance, time and price of admission.