Once a Top 10 team, the Kapolei Hurricanes have kept their proverbial noses to the grindstone.

After a series of downturns, they emerge at playoff time as perhaps a sleeper candidate for the OIA crown.

“They’re the sleeping giants,” said Wendell Say, whose Aiea squad meets Kapolei today in the opening round of the OIA Division I playoffs.

Life in OIA football, with a dynastic behemoth at the top (Kahuku) and the corresponding food chain below, provides a merciless terrain. Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez knows it. Kapolei is 4-4 overall, including 3-4 in league play. A squad with top-five talent statewide isn’t ranked at all, but it doesn’t matter one iota. Aiea (2-5, 2-5) closed the regular season with losses to Moanalua and Waianae, but every team is essentially 0-0 when the playoffs begin.

“If you look at what we did, we got a game forfeited that we won pretty good (against Castle),” Hernandez said. “We lost a heartbreaker to Leilehua in OT. For one half, we played toe to toe with Mililani. We haven’t put it together for four quarters yet, but the basic foundation for a solid team is definitely there.”

Kapolei also lost at Farrington, a battle that the Governors won with defense and special teams. Like Farrington and several playoff qualifiers, the Hurricanes have healed up, improved game by game and evolved as a whole. That’s what makes the OIA playoff format, where 12 of 14 Division I teams reach the postseason, more like the lottery than a purely merited reward. It is a new beginning.

“Here’s the thing that kills me: If you look at Farrington, they’re a great football program. Their parents should be proud of their program, top four every year,” Hernandez said. “But they haven’t won a championship since 1990. Mililani has played 40-something years and won one championship. It’s hard to win a title.”

The ’Canes have relied on a stout defensive line. Aaron Faumui has been an iron man on both sides.

“Aaron is the best two-way lineman in the state. He can play any position on the D-line and O-line,” Hernandez said of the 6-foot-3, 285-pound senior. “You could argue that Aaron is our MVP. He plays the whole game at the toughest positions.”

Faumui, who has Hawaii and Wisconsin among his eight scholarship offers, is the tip of the spear.

“We moved him to center against Kailua because they have an outstanding nose tackle, and every snap was perfect. It was his first game at center,” Hernandez said. “And he graded out really high.”

With Dylan Naehu, Treven Maae, Junior Tuia, a healthy Kukea Emmsley — who returned from a sprained MCL last week in a key win over Nanakuli — and Faumui, the ’Canes have a chance to go far. The defensive unit has become more efficient as the offense improved, and that’s where Hernandez rolled the dice.

Quarterback Kaniala Kalaola was replaced by Lonenoa Faoa early in the season. Faoa, a transfer from Bishop Gorman (Nev.) has a quick release and good arm strength, but learning the system on the fly means he will only gain more confidence. So far, he has been excellent, with nine TD passes to just two interceptions in three starts.

“He’s getting better every game. He’s going to be very good. Right now he’s still learning. He’s smart, gets rid of the ball quick. He’s a leader. We have to jell around him,” Hernandez said.

Kalaola, a transfer from Saint Louis, has 11 TDs and eight picks.

“We have a good situation because Kaniala is still a quality quarterback. It’s a good problem,” Hernandez said.

The Aiea-Kapolei winner will meet defending league champion Kahuku in the quarterfinal round next week.

OTHER FRIDAY GAMES

Castle (3-5, 3-4 OIA) at No. 8 Campbell (5-3, 5-2), 7:30 p.m.

The Knights have been competitive despite a rugged schedule. The gauntlet of Top 10 foes made them better, though it might not feel like it after three losses to end the regular season. Castle has a determination to keep defenses honest: 195 total rushes and 175 pass attempts. Shortening the game, especially on Campbell’s turf, will be tough.

Baldwin (3-4, 3-2 MIL) at No. 9 Lahainaluna (7-1, 6-0), 7 p.m.

The Bears battled hard in a 28-20 loss to the Lunas on Sept. 1. Since then, they’ve beaten Kamehameha-Maui (46-14) and King Kekaulike (55-6), losing to Maui (32-21) in between.

The Lunas continue to consistently defy conventional thinking. Only in the MIL (and BIIF) does a smaller, D-II program often rule the entire league. Lahainaluna has won six in a row since losing at home to Kamehameha of the ILH.

Kalaheo (2-5, 2-4 OIA D-II) vs. Kaimuki (4-3, 4-2), at Skippa Diaz Stadium (Farrington), 7:30 p.m.

Whether he plays running back or quarterback, Justus Neufeldt (846 yards, nine TDs from scrimmage) remains a bright spot for the Mustangs.

Kaimuki has clinched a playoff berth. The Bulldogs finished in third place with no chance to claim second. Ieke Seei-Cleveland (880 yards, 10 TDs) has carried the ball 153 times, which is 36 more attempts than Kailua’s Samson Rasay, 66 more than Waianae’s Rico Rosario and 78 more than Leilehua’s James McGary. It is also 19 more carries than Kamehameha’s Kanoa Shannon, 48 more than Damien’s Keoua Kauhi and 15 more than St. Francis’ Jonan Aina-Chaves.

It’s not that the Bulldogs force-feed their powerful, shifty ballcarrier. Jordan Solomon’s deft field vision allows Kaimuki to stretch the field vertically and horizontally. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Seei-Cleveland gets a breather.

Roosevelt (3-3, 3-3 OIA D-II) at Waialua (0-7, 0-6), 6 p.m.

Thanks to wins over Kalani and Kalaheo, the Rough Riders have a playoff berth regardless of what happens at Tosh Nakasone Field this weekend. Coach Kui Kahooilihala’s old-school approach has added up to 175 combined carries for Mitchell Camacho, Jared Elwin and QB Shastyn Kekahuna.

The Bulldogs scored a season-high 14 points in a loss to Kalaheo last week. This is the swan song for the senior class, which includes iron man lineman/punter/receiver Matthan Hatchie.

Waipahu (8-0, 7-0 OIA D-II) vs. McKinley (1-6, 1-5), at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium (Roosevelt), 7:30 p.m.

The statistics for this sophomore QB: 22-for-44, 266 yards, two TDs, five picks. Alexandria Buchanan has been the face of the Tigers’ season, but more importantly, they’ve used athletes like Siolei Lopes-Liutolo at other key positions.

Waipahu has sealed first place in the standings and could rest key contributors like Braden Amorozo (1,522 passing yards, 17 TDs, three INT) and Alfred Failauga (828 rushing yards, 13 TDs) for the playoffs.

Kamehameha-Hawaii (6-3, 4-2 BIIF) at Honokaa (3-4, 2-4), 7 p.m.

The Warriors had their prime opportunity to run the table, but lost at home to Hilo and Konawaena. They have a D-II playoff berth sealed and will travel to Konawaena on Oct. 20 with a state berth at stake. Honokaa is coming off a 42-0 win over Hawaii Prep.

Waiakea (1-8, 0-6 BIIF) at Keaau (2-4, 2-4), 7 p.m.

The Warriors scored a season-high 24 points in an 11-point loss at Kealakehe last week. The Cougars’ two-game win streak was snapped by Hilo last week.

SATURDAY GAMES

No. 4 Punahou vs. No. 1 Saint Louis, at Aloha Stadium, 6 p.m.

Last week’s bye is a major boost for the Buffanblu in terms of healing up from injuries, rejuvenating from the normal wear and tear, and also in preparation. They like to go no-huddle with a good dose of hurry-up, but anything could happen in a game of this magnitude. A Punahou win would create a tie for first place.

Saint Louis is coming off a 23-12 win over Kamehameha. Though the Crusaders crushed Punahou 49-13 in their previous meeting, they will grind out a slower-tempo victory if that’s what it takes. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro’s penchant to run is always a concern in offensive coordinator Ron Lee’s system. His ability to move the chains is a valuable weapon, but at what risk?

Cordeiro has passed for 1,679 yards and 15 TDs with just four picks, and rushed for a team-high 238 yards and seven TDs.

St. Francis vs. No. 10 Damien, at Aloha Stadium, 3 p.m.

The Saints’ loss to ‘Iolani last week means the Monarchs finish first in the regular season, and that makes this matchup irrelevant toward the playoffs. With only St. Francis and Damien declaring for the D-I state tournament, the teams will meet again next week with a playoff format similar to the one used in ILH baseball. First-place Damien can capture the state berth with a win over St. Francis next week in the playoffs.

Second-place St. Francis needs to beat Damien twice to claim the state berth.

Damien rallied to win the first meeting 27-20 on Sept. 15.

Radford at Farrington, 6:30 p.m.

The balance in Radford’s offense is a major help. Randy Wright (768 passing yards, 10 TDs, nine INT) has improved drastically since last season, and Iovani Alatini (398 rushing yards, four TDs) and Cameron Copeland (14 catches, 249 yards, five TDs) are key contributors.

The Governors are coming off a loss at Leilehua that was beset by penalties at key moments.

Kailua vs. Moanalua, at Skippa Diaz Stadium (Farrington), 4 p.m.

The Surfriders have the template for playoff success: commitment to run the ball and a scrappy defense. Samson Rasay has 550 rushing yards and two TDs. Na Menehune closed out the regular season with three wins in a row after falling to five Top 10 teams at the start. Ezra Grace (30 receptions, 389 yards) was second in the Blue Division with six TD catches.

Pac-Five at ‘Iolani, 3 p.m.

Like the St. Francis-Damien game, this contest has no bearing on the ILH D-II playoffs since both teams are the only ones that declared for this classification. The Wolfpack have been severely dinged up with injuries and might treat this as an opportunity to rest key players.

The Raiders are playing their best football of the season after losing to Damien in overtime and beating St. Francis last week. Senior QB Tai-John Mizutani now ranks seventh in all-time career passing yardage with 6,788 yards. He is directly behind Larry Tuileta of Punahou (6,962 yards) and Brett Kan (Punahou, 7,188 yards).

Kealakehe (4-4, 4-2 BIIF) vs. Hilo (6-1, 5-1) at Wong Stadium, 7 p.m.

The Waveriders are on fire with a four-game win streak since losing their first four games. The Vikings have bounced back with back-to-back wins (KS-Hawaii, Keaau) since losing at Konawaena three weeks ago. Kahale Huddleston remains one of the state’s premier RBs (548 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs).

Kauai (4-2, 3-1 KIF) vs. Waimea (3-2, 2-2), at Hanapepe Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

The Red Raiders have a grand opportunity to settle who is king of the KIF. The season had been a tangled web before Kauai overwhelmed three-time defending champ Kapaa 30-0 last week. Now the Red Raiders have a chance to clinch the KIF title. The Menehune could ruin Kauai’s plans with a win at their home field.

Konawaena (6-2, 6-0 BIIF) at Hawaii Prep (2-5, 1-5), 2 p.m.

With a 13-12 win at KS-Hawaii last week, the Wildcats have first place in D-II secure. With changing demographics, Hawaii Prep’s long history of gridiron success — in spite of small enrollments — seems close to the end. The lone highlights have been a 27-14 win over Seabury Hall, an eight-man program experimenting with 11-man football, and a 14-13 stunner over Waiakea.

King Kekaulike (0-6, 0-6 MIL) at Kamehameha-Maui (3-4, 2-3), 7 p.m.

Na Alii have scored more than seven points in a game once this season, in a 49-12 loss to neighboring KS-Maui a month ago. The Warriors are coming off a heartbreaking 27-23 loss to Maui.