Most times, Kapaa vs. Lahainaluna is a guaranteed slugfest, with two hard-running offenses and aggressive defenses.

There has been a bit of a change this year, though, due to the Lunas’ ability to show more of a balanced attack. And they’ve been ultra successful in keeping opponents guessing what they’re going to do.

The Warriors (8-1) are going to try to run, run and run, mixing it up with the occasional pass.

Close games are common when these two meet. Lahainaluna (10-1) topped Kapaa 21-18 in a nonleague, early-season game. One year ago, the Lunas won their third straight D-II state title by rallying from a 19-point deficit to beat the Warriors 34-32.

Kapaa coach Philip Rapozo’s eyes lit up, talking about the fact that the Warriors have another opportunity to bring the school and the whole Garden Island a first football state championship. He knows to be the best you have to beat the best.

“They’re THE program in D-II,” Rapozo said. “They’ve proven it. We want the challenge. We’re not coming in thinking we have no chance. We feel like we can do this, no disrespect to Lahainaluna.”

Dean Rickard, the Lunas’ co-head coach, said, “Kapaa is sound, and their defense is relentless. I expect another tough battle.”

“It will come down to the simplest facts. We both have the X’s and O’s. It’s how well we execute and who makes the least amount of mistakes.”

KAPAA OFFENSE

QB 7 Kahanu Davis 6-0 175, Sr.

RB 22 Baba Na-O 5-8 165 Jr.

RB 44 Kahale Kaleiohi 5-10 205 Jr.

WR 2 La’akea Gonsalves 5-9 145 Sr.

SB 6 Jericho Castro 5-6 130 So.

WR 14 Dreyden Iwamoto 5-9 165 Jr.

C 52 Maximus Merceburgh 5-9 245 So.

LG 56 Aydin Saucier 5-6 200 Sr.

RG 72 Matthew Baltazar 5-10 270 Sr.

LT 74 Santana Hernandez-Martinez 6-1 250 So.

RT 75 Kawika Rogers 6-4 275 So.

The Warriors’ offense revolves around the running of quarterback Kahanu Davis, and the squad gets a large assist from running back Baba Na-O and the offensive line.

Both Davis and Na-O went over 100 yards on the ground in Saturday’s 35-28 win over Kaimuki in the D-II state semis.

“Davis is their best player,” Lunas coach Dean Rickard said. “He’s the guy we’ve got to focus on stopping. And we’re going to be keying on (Na-O) too. They’re a powerhouse running team. Sometimes they trap, so it will be important for our linebackers to read their linemen and move to the ball.”

Receivers Dreyden Iwamoto and La’akea Gonsalves are also crucial to making the Kapaa offense go, according to coach Philip Rapozo.

“On offense, we want to control the clock and, especially, protect the ball,” Rapozo said. “We are going to take what they give us, which will not be much. We’re going to have to earn everything.”

Davis, Iwamoto and Gonsalves were all members of Kapaa’s D-II state soccer championship team last spring.

“Kahanu is an exceptional athlete, a D-I (college) prospect in my eyes as maybe a receiver or DB,” Rapozo said. “Baba, that guy is a machine, a steady, hard-working running back.”

KAPAA DEFENSE

DE 25 Unique Kamelamela 5-11 190 Sr.

DL 55 Joshua Baltazar 6-1 280 Jr.

DL 54 Loni Tafea 6-1 275 So.

DL 40 Iosefa Lea’e 6-1 215 Jr.

LB 33 Jeffrey Brown 5-11 180 Jr.

LB 3 Stetson Telles-Kelekoma 5-10 215 Sr.

LB 28 Solomone Malafu 5-11 175 Fr.

DB 30 Tylise Sadomiano-Amorin 5-10 165 Sr.

DB 1 Jeran Paleka 5-9 160 Jr.

DB 8 Raphee Khae-Chawat 5-8 145 Jr.

DB 9 Kaiola Lingatan 5-8 155 Jr.

Rapozo is proud of the defense he’s built over the years, and deservedly so.

But that unit did not have a full answer for Kaimuki quarterback Jayden Maiava, who fueled a comeback that fell short in Kapaa’s 35-28 win in Saturday’s D-II state semifinal.

“Against Lahainaluna, we’re going to have to defend the run and the pass, so alignment and assignment, like I always say, is going to be important,” Rapozo said.

Jeffrey Brown, an inside linebacker, had two interceptions against the Bulldogs, including one that virtually sealed the victory.

“He’s all over the field,” the Lunas’ Rickard said about Brown.

Other key players on the defensive side of the ball for Kapaa are cornerback Kaiola Lingaton, lineman Joshua Baltazar and Jake Lambden, and linebackers Unique Kamelamela and Stetson Telles-Kelekoma.

“Unique is playing lights out,” Rapozo said. “He’s leading our team in tackles. Baltazar plays with a lot of intensity, a hard guy to block, with good size and quickness. And Jeffrey has been a hammer for us all year. He’s the quarterback of the defense, the guy who calls the plays and has the controls.”

KAPAA SPECIAL TEAMS

P/K 2 La’akea Gonsalves 5-9 145 Sr.

PR 7 Kahanu Davis 6-0 175 Sr.

PR 8 Raphee Khae-Chawat 5-8 145 Jr.

PR 9 Kaiola Lingatan 5-8 155 Jr.

LS 6 Jericho Castro 5-6 130 So.

HO 5 Cody Relacion 5-10 130 Jr.

Gonsalves is a weapon who has kicked field goals of 48 and 47 this year.

“Our kicking game has been really good,” Rapozo said. “We thought we might be in trouble when Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo graduated, but Gonsalves has played tremendously. He’s hit some long field goals and he puts it in the end zone on kickoffs.

Davis, the quarterback, returns kicks and punts. The Warriors also use Raphee Khae-Chawat as a kick returner and Jericho Castro as a punt returner.

Edge: Kapaa

LAHAINALUNA OFFENSE

QB 3 Esekielu Storer 6-0 180 Jr.

RB 10 Treven Tihada 5-7 190 Jr.

WR 14 Brian Sandoval 6-0 165 Sr.

WR 18 Kai Bookland 5-10 175 Sr.

RB 23 Nainoa Kulukulualani-Sales 5-6 155 Sr.

RB 33 Joshua Tihada 5-9 185 Sr.

OL 62 Dylan Takahashi-Sagapolutele 5-11 260 So.

OL 63 Hookipa Sakalia 5-11 265 Jr.

OL 64 Kaeo Pedroza-Kanemitsu 6-0 245 Sr.

OL 77 Rylend Nobriga 6-2 285 Sr.

OL 78 Taai Galoia 6-1 280 Jr.

Lahainaluna senior Joshua Tihada is out to get a fourth state championship for his team. He’s been a big part of the three that came before.

But the Lunas have plenty of other offensive weapons doing their parts, including receivers Kai Bookland and speedy runner Derek Perez, who is also a starting linebacker. Quarterback Esekielu Storer has a few other favorite targets in Devon Sa-Chisolm and Brian Sandoval.

“We’ve been throwing the ball more this year and we have pretty decent receivers who get open on their various routes, and Esekielu has a good arm,” coach Dean Rickard said.

The Lunas’ balance allows them to set up the pass with the run or set up the run with the pass.

Taia Goloia and Hookipa are the veterans anchoring the line.

A few others who start on defense and play special teams contribute a lot to the Lahainaluna offense, including receiver Tre Rickard and running back Nainoa Kulukulualani-Sales.

Tihada, Bookman and Sales are the team captains.

Kapaa coach Philip Rapozo knows his team will have its hands full figuring out which of the Lunas is going to be getting the ball from play to play.

Edge: Lahainaluna

LAHAINALUNA DEFENSE

DB 2 Devon Sa-Chisolm 6-0 180 Jr.

DB 5 Tre Rickard 5-7 140 Jr.

LB 9 Nainoa Irish 5-11 175 Sr.

DB 11 Brysen Rickard 6-0 170 Sr.

DB 21 Kaihulali Casco 6-1 190 Sr.

DB 23 Nainoa Kulukulualani-Sales 5-6 155 Sr.

LB 26 Kekailoa Cajudoy 5-9 185 Sr.

DB 17 Ekolu Mathias 5-10 165 Jr.

DL 42 Matai Mataafa 6-0 200 Jr.

DL 22 Matt Rabino 6-0 210 Sr.

DL 51 Tuipolotu Lai 6-2 280 Sr.

The Lunas tend to run out of a 3-5-3 set on defense. That’s when Sa-Chisolm lines up as a linebacker. But if they want to make it a 3-4-4, then Sa-Chisolm moves back to strong safety.

This versatility can cause problems for opponents who tend to not know how many defenders are really in the box. It might be just what Lahainaluna needs against the run-first Warriors.

“For us, it’s 11 men to the ball and about being relentless and keying on your reads,” Rickard said. “We don’t have overly big linemen, but we try to depend on quickness, with a lot of stunting, and disguised blitzing by the linebackers.”

When asked for his philosophy against running teams, Rickard’s answer came out like a ready-made game plan for defending against Kapaa: “If we’re playing a running team, we want to make them think they can run up the middle, but we will meet them with the (five linebackers).”

Nainoa Irish is one of those linebackers. He was the Lunas’ starting quarterback for two years before making the switch to defense. Nose tackle Tuipulotu Lai, linebacker Kekailoa Cajudoy and Kulukulualani-Sales have been a big-time presence on the Lunas’ defensive unit.

Edge: Lahainaluna

LAINALUNA SPECIAL TEAMS

K 14 Brian Sandoval 6-0 165 Sr.

K 21 Kaihulali Casco 6-1 190 Sr.

P 63 Hookipa Sakalia 5-11 265 Jr.

KR 2 Devon Sa-Chisolm 6-0 180 Jr.

PR 3 Esekielu Storer 6-0 180 Jr.

KR 33 Joshua Tihada 5-9 185 Sr.

LS 17 Ekolu Mathias 5-10 165 Jr.

HO 5 Tre Rickard 5-7 140 Jr.

Tre Rickard and Sa-Chisolm — among many Lahainaluna return men — have used their speed effectively to give Lahainaluna good field position all year, according to coach Rickard.

“But many teams scouted us and kicked away from them,” the coach said.

The Lunas also get solid special teams work out of kicker Brian Sandoval and Storer, who punts in addition to his quarterback duties.