ILH open for business

This is Saint Louis. This is Kamehameha. This will be the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular-season opener today at Aloha Stadium.

There is no Tua Tagovailoa. Saint Louis’ fortress would appear to be penetrable. Will it crumble?

Kamehameha is a year older and wiser, from head coach Abu Ma‘afala to the sophomores of 2016, who are seasoned and excelling in the fall campaign of ’17.

With just three teams in ILH D-I — and one berth in the state tournament’s Open Division — getting any kind of separation in the standings is crucial.

“Saint Louis is a very talented team that plays hard. We are going to have our hands full Friday night. We just need to stick together as a team and execute,” Ma’afala said.

A hungry, cohesive Kamehameha squad is impossible to overlook.

“They’ve very good,” Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said. “Abu is doing a great job. It shows on film that they have improved since their scrimmages and their first game. They’ve got a good offensive line, good people up front, and (Kanoa) Shannon is a good runner and a veteran. Their quarterback (Thomas Yam) can get the ball to their receivers and he can scramble.”

With a shifty and fast QB in Chevan Cordeiro, Saint Louis is no slouch either. And his agility plus passing accuracy have basically prepared the Crusaders defense for what Kamehameha can do with Yam in and out of the pocket.

“It starts up front. We’ve got to hold the line of scrimmage, and that helps our linebackers as far as keying people. But if we get pushed back, we could be in trouble,” Lee said. “I think the line doesn’t get credit because the ’backers get the plays.”

Saint Louis has one of the premier junior defensive linemen in the nation, Faatui Tuitele, in the trenches.

“Tui is a big strong guy, but agile enough to get to the quarterback. Michael Malepeai, Gino Quinones, those guys are the ones that nobody knows about,” Lee added. “You need 11 guys and everyone is vital.”

OTHER FRIDAY GAMES

No. 2 Kahuku at Aiea, 7:30 p.m.

The Red Raiders have won every meeting with Na Alii dating back to 1967, including last season’s 50-7 victory. Kahuku entered the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings at No. 23 this week. Ty Matsunami’s 403 passing yards in a win over Radford last week ranks No. 2 all-time in the Aiea record book.

No. 3 Mililani at Clayton Valley Charter (Calif.), 4 p.m.

The Ugly Eagles (yes, that is their real nickname) lost their season opener at Reed (Nev.) last week 38-22. Last year’s squad was 9-2, including 5-0 in the Diablo Valley League, averaging more than 38 points per game. Mililani junior Dillon Gabriel (488 yards, four TDs, one INT) has another talented group at receiver, plus Kilifi Malepeai (185 yards, five TDs) in the backfield.

No. 7 Farrington at No. 6 Kailua, 7:30 p.m.

The Governors’ 28-7 win over Kapolei last week was a big step forward. The return of six starters from academic probation helped, as did two interceptions by defensive back Chasen Castilliano. Kailua presents a much different look offensively. Aaron Mejia (437 passing yards, six TDs, one pick) has been efficient, while the ground game has been excellent.

No. 10 Lahainaluna vs. Baldwin, 7 p.m., War Memorial Stadium

The Lunas have long been Division II kings in the MIL, rising to the throne to win the state crown last year. Since sweeping the D-I Bears in ’13 and ’14, though, Lahainaluna has lost the edge, however close. Baldwin has won the last four meetings, including 29-27 and 15-13 last season.

St. Francis vs. Pac-Five, 4:45 p.m., Aloha Stadium

The Saints’ busy preseason was productive, and a bye last week was a well-deserved rest. There will be no breaks for the next five weeks as the D-II slate begins. St. Francis won all three matchups last season, including a narrow 30-27 tilt in mid-September.

Kaiser at Campbell, 7:30 p.m.

Kaiser will play its first game of the season after forfeiting two games due to low roster numbers.

The Sabers fell at Waianae 27-14 last week as their offense cooled off.

Castle at Nanakuli, 7:30 p.m.

The Knights’ Makana Smith has thrown 19 passes, with eight completions for 185 yards and two TDs, and also has team highs of 11 receptions for 114 yards.

The Golden Hawks. who have lost to Farrington and Kailua since beating Aiea, have aired the ball out more than 50 percent of the time.

Kaimuki at Roosevelt, 7:30 p.m.

Since beating McKinley, Roosevelt has scored eight points in losses to Pearl City and Waipahu.

Kaimuki hasn’t had trouble scoring points, notching 63 on Waialua, 41 on Kalani and 34 against ‘Iolani. However, the Bulldogs have permitted 91 points in the past two games.

Kalaheo at Pearl City 7:30 p.m.

With a one-point win over McKinley two weeks ago, followed by a bye, the Mustangs should be fresh and deeper this weekend. Quarterback Justice Neufeldt has been a threat as a passer and runner (316 total yards, three TDs).

The Chargers are coming off wins over Kalani (22-16), Roosevelt (42-0) and Waialua (64-0).

Radford at Centennial (Ore.), 4 p.m.

The Rams last traveled to the continent in ’15, beating Mt. Tahoma (Wash.) during their D-II state championship season.

The Eagles were 9-3 last year, including 5-2 in conference play. They beat Aiea 35-26 in a non-league contest.

Kamehameha-Hawaii at Kealakehe, 7 p.m.

The Warriors have permitted just 16 points this season, and all three wins have been over D-I programs (Maui, Waiakea, Keaau). The Waveriders won last year’s matchup 3-0.

Honokaa at Hilo, 7 p.m., Wong Stadium

The Vikings dominated last year’s matchup at Honokaa 35-6 and are on a roll this fall behind a mobile offensive line and senior running back Kahale Huddleston (320 rushing yards, seven TDs). The Dragons are off to a 2-0 start for the second season in a row after close wins over Waiakea (preseason and regular season).

Waimea vs. Kapaa, 7 p.m., Vidinha Stadium

Kapaa begins defense of its crown against a team that showed resilience last year. Kapaa escaped with 3-0 and 15-12 wins over Waimea.

The Menehune have not beaten Kapaa since ’12, a 14-7 score at Hanapepe Stadium. Kapaa has won 14 in a row over Waimea since, as well as the past three KIF titles.

SATURDAY GAMES

No. 4 Punahou vs. Junipero Serra (Gardena, Calif.), San Diego, 1 p.m.

The Buffanblu departed on Tuesday night to play the Cavaliers at San Diego’s Cathedral Catholic. Serra was 7-4 last season, including 6-0 in the Mission League.

The Buffanblu defeated Torrey Pines (Calif.) 23-7 last week behind 337 total yards by quarterback Stephen Barber.

Leilehua at No. 8 Kapolei, 6:30 p.m.

The Mules could adopt the same game plan that Farrington used in an upset last week over Kapolei, but can they create the same kind of pass rush? Kapolei’s defense is loaded, but its one-dimensional offense was erratic.

Waianae vs. Moanalua, at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium, 6:30 p.m.

The Seariders got into the win column with a 27-14 victory over Campbell last week. After a slew of brutally tough foes (Saint Louis, Kapolei, Kahuku), Waianae has Radford and Aiea following Moanalua.

Moanalua’s slate hasn’t been much easier: Punahou, Kailua, Kahuku. Ezra Grace (12 catches, 149 yards) leads a young bunch of receivers.

‘Iolani vs. Damien, at Skippa Diaz Stadium, 2 p.m.

The Raiders are back in D-II of the ILH, which makes it one of the most interesting league wars statewide regardless of classification. The defending champion Monarchs have adopted Skippa Diaz Stadium as a “home” field for two games this fall. They’ll have to find a way to negate the explosion of ‘Iolani’s offense, which got a school-record 503 passing yards from Tai-John Mizutani in a 57-34 win over Kaimuki last week.

Waialua vs. Kalani, at Skippa Diaz Stadium, 5 p.m.

The defending champion Bulldogs have scored six points in three games, a shocking reversal from last year’s dangerous offense.

Kalani quarterback Seth Tina-Sobarano continues to be efficient and opportunistic.

Keaau at Konawaena, 7 p.m.

The D-II defending champion Wildcats have beaten the Cougars five times in a row. Keaau last beat Konawaena in ’10. After struggling offensively against D-II powerhouses Kapaa and St. Francis, the Wildcats exploded in a 46-16 win over Kealakehe. Austin Ewing has passed for 857 yards and eight TDs while Kaanoi Rivera-Kelekolio has 20 catches for 231 yards and a TD.

King Kekaulike vs. Kamehameha-Maui, at War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

Long gone are the days when Na Alii rose to the D-II state title. They have been outscored 102-7 this season. The Warriors started with wins over Kalaheo and Maui before falling to Valley Center (Calif.) 34-0 last week.

Hawaii Prep at Waiakea, 1 p.m.

So far, the BIIF’s D-II teams are 3-1 against the league’s D-I programs. That lone loss by the D-II was by HPA against Hilo last week.