The middle child may often feel neglected, whether it is true or not.

In OIA football, Open Division titans attract attention. OIA Division II programs get to play more games than any teams in the state not named ‘Iolani.

Division I? A scant five games and it’s done unless your team finishes in the top two. Then it’s one game for the OIA D-I crown. That makes each game vital. A playoff game into itself.

For one-loss teams Moanalua (3-1), Waipahu (2-1) and Aiea (2-1), nothing is close to concrete-solid yet. Castle (2-2) and Roosevelt (1-2) are actually still mathematically in the hunt. Only Kailua (0-3) is outside the chamber of hopefuls.

Moanalua is closest to that destination.

“Win and we’re in,” Na Menehune coach Vince Nihipali said of the title game. “We control our own destiny, and these kids have that golden opportunity to close this out and get in that championship game.”

Once the final two teams are settled, only the championship team will advance to the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I Football State Championships on Dec. 18 and 23.

Here’s a quick look at the web of possibilities for each of the contenders in OIA D-I.

Moanalua (3-1)

If any of the five teams still in contention has a chance to write its own destiny, it is Moanalua. At 3-1, Na Menehune will visit Roosevelt on Friday night. The Rough Riders need a win to keep playoff hopes alive. A Moanalua win would have been a lock except for one thing: Na Menehune lost to Waipahu three weeks ago.

A tie in the standings with Aiea or Castle would give the head-to-head tiebreaker to Moanalua. But the equation requires victory at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium on Friday. That would clinch an OIA D-I title-game spot. Simple, but not easy.

A loss to the golden-domed Rough Riders would open the Pandora’s box even more.

“We need to take care of business, do our jobs and do everything right. Roosevelt is a tough opponent and well coached. We will have to be at our best to come out with a victory,” Nihipali said.

Waipahu (2-1)

In a twisted way, the Marauders have the inside track. Their only loss was to Castle, which is a long shot because of its two losses. If Marauders win out against Aiea on Saturday and Roosevelt next week, the top seed is theirs.

Yet, Aiea and Roosevelt have to be somewhat optimistic facing a team that has already lost to a gritty, two-loss Castle squad.

Aiea (2-1)

Na Alii nearly took down Moanalua in a 28-25 season-opening loss. If not for that, Aiea would be looking pretty at 3-0 right now. Unlike Castle, Roosevelt, Kailua and, soon, Radford, Aiea coach Wendell Say opted to use their multiple bye weekends to rest and recover rather than play a nonconference exhibition game with ILH D-I champion ‘Iolani.

That strategy could be paying off. Aiea had a bye before its 43-21 win over Castle. It had a bye before this weekend’s showdown at Waipahu.

“Every week, we’ve got around 10 kids who are out with minor injuries. They could play through that, but I want them at 100 percent,” longtime coach Wendell Say said. “I don’t want that to snowball on us.”

Aiea could possibly clinch a spot in the league final by beating Waipahu; previous wins over Roosevelt and Castle loom large.

A win over Waipahu, and then over a proud Kailua squad next week would essentially seal a title-game berth for Aiea.

“Everything is in our hands,” Say said. “I told the kids, every game is a championship game.”

Castle (2-2)

The Knights turned this once orderly banquet table of a division into a colossal food fight by knocking off Waipahu at the Marauders’ field last week, 26-19. After three losses in a row — to Moanalua, ‘Iolani (nonconference) and Aiea — Castle dug deep and gave first-year head coach Junior Pale a signature win over the then-No. 10 ranked Marauders.

To make the top two in the division, however, the most intricately perfect execution of falling dominoes has to occur. One, Castle has to beat Kailua on Friday. Two, Moanalua must fall at Roosevelt. Three, Waipahu has to stumble against pesky Aiea. There is a universe where Aiea and Castle, not Moanalua and Waipahu, have the top two spots, and Castle has that head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of an 18-14 win in the season opener.

It is, of course, a real long shot. Because of its win over Waipahu, Castle has to be rooting for the Marauders to lose their last two games of the regular season.

If one of the two spots for the title game comes down to Aiea and Castle, Aiea gets the head-to-head edge because a 41-23 win over the Knights two weeks ago. So the Knights are pulling for Aiea’s demise, as well. In a nice way, of course.

Roosevelt (1-2)

With eight starters out in the loss to ‘Iolani last week, coach Kui Kahooilihala is hoping and praying some of them, or all, are back on the playing field for what is certainly an elimination game for the Rough Riders.

The play of linebacker-turned-quarterback Kamuela Kaaihue gives Roosevelt a valuable weapon. Though the odds are long, Roosevelt can really wreck this division because its final two regular-season foes are among the front-runners: Moanalua and Waipahu. Wins in those contests would have the Rough Riders at 3-2, and Na Menehune and Waipahu would have (at least) two losses, as well, giving Roosevelt the head-to-head advantage.

Even in that low-percentage scenario, Aiea could finish with two losses and still have an edge on Roosevelt thanks to a 14-13 win over the Rough Riders on Oct. 29.

Everything. Matters.

Beyond that, in the event of a three-way tie for first- or second-place, part of the equation involves a coin flip.

“We have to avoid that,” Nihipali said. “Fate is always better decided in our own hands and not a coin.”