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The first half of the 2015 prep football season has come and gone. One hundred and eighteen varsity football games have taken place and the ScoringLive staff scoured through the statistics and top performances to bring you the Third Annual Midseason Awards.

There was no shortage of qualified candidates to choose from, but ultimately we turned to the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Blue conference — arguably the state's toughest division top to bottom — for our first half offensive and defensive most valuable players as well as our coach of the year in Division I.

ScoringLive Division I Football Midseason Awards

Offensive MVP: Challen Faamatau, running back, Farrington, Jr.

Challen Faamatau's worth to the Farrington offense cannot be understated.

The junior running back is the state's leading rusher with 641 yards, averaging an astounding 7.5 yards per carry, 128.2 yards per game and 11 total touchdowns (six rushing, five receiving). He has also caught 19 pass reception for 402 yards on the year.

"He means a lot to that offense," said Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho, whose team Faamatau racked up 213 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns against. "He had a great game against us, I know that. He's been consistent all year and I'm impressed by with work ethic and his attitude, too. I don't know him personally, but after the game how humble he was stands out, too."

A week after the Governors' season-opening win against the Marauders, Faamatu rushed for 127 yards on 12 carries and caught five passes for 151 yards in a win at Iolani.

"He's versatile, that's what is good about him," Raiders' coach Wendell Look said. "He's a power runner, but yet he has the speed and agility to outrace you, too. He's got great hands so he's dangerous coming out of the backfield catching the ball. With the type of offense they're running now and the personnel that they have there, I think he's the perfect back for them."

Faamatau was "held" to 155 yards from scrimmage in a win over Moanalua in week four, but accounted for four touchdowns in the game. He followed that up with 126 rushing yards on 17 carries and another receiving score against Aiea a week later.

"I think he's everything to them," Na Alii coach Wendell Say said. "Last year they had different guys to go to with Ranan Mamiya and Bugsy Tui, so they could spread it out a little more, but this year he's the key person. There's a lot of players from the first half that are real deserving, too, so it's a tough choice, but he's a good choice. I think if you take Faamatau — God forbid something happens to him — away from that team and it makes it tough for Farrington."

Faamatau's most recent performance may be his best to date. He had career-highs in both carries (32) and rushing yards (237) to go along with three touchdowns in a hard-fought 19-13 win over Kailua Saturday.

"He's a tough individual, he works hard and I believe he is their offense," Surfriders' coach Joseph Wong said. "He just keeps plugging away and he runs hard so you've got to stay fundamentally sound when you tackle him because if you don't he'll get the extra yards."

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound Faamatau has accounted for 66 points and also leads his team in receiving yardage. He has been a big factor as to why the Govs (5-0 overall, 4-0 Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Blue), who are ranked fifth in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings, are averaging better than 37 points and 408 yards per game on offense.

"With a guy like Faamatau, even though you know his capability, there's no scout-team guy that can prepare you for him and that's what makes it tough," Carvalho said. "You just have those four, five days of practice to prepare for him and there's just not many athletes in the state that can simulate what he can do."

Apologies to (in alphabetical order): Noah Auld, Kailua quarterback; Jeremy McGoldrick, Castle wide receiver; Vavae Malepeai, Mililani running back; Milton Milton, Mililani quarter; Andrew Simanu, Waipahu wide receiver; Tua Tagovailoa, Saint Louis quarterback; Wayne Taulapapa, Punahou running back; Kalakaua Timoteo, Mililani wide receiver; Nic Tom, Kaiser quarterback; Thomas Yam, Kamehameha quarterback.

Defensive MVP: Christian Mejia, defensive end, Kailua, Jr.

A big part of the turnaround by the Kailua football team this season has been because of its defense and a key cog on that unit has been Christian Mejia.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Mejia has been a menacing force against opposing offenses from his defensive end position. Mejia has racked up eight sacks through the Surfriders' first six games of the year.

"He just has a motor on him because he works hard every day in practice," Kailua coach Joseph Wong said. "He never gives up and he's a leader. He never gets tired, never complains. With him, you've got to be prepared to block him or defend him for 48 minutes because he's a two-way player for us. He's humble and he just continues to work hard every play, day-in and day-out."

The Surfriders also utilize Mejia as a tight end on offense. He has caught four passes for 48 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown reception in a season-opening win over Castle.

"He's really stepped up his game, not only defensively, but offensively, too," said Aiea coach Wendell Say, whose team Mejia had seven tackles and three sacks against. "I think he's a very good player. Kailua has a lot of those guys defensively that stand out to me — they're all playmakers — but you've got to worry about him on defense and offense. He's a big kid. I remember him as a younger, tall kid from last year, but he's really stepped it up this year."

Mejia has caused havoc in both the run and pass games for Kailua's opponents this year.

Although his team has yet to play the Surfriders, Mililani coach Rod York has taken notice of Mejia's play this year.

"That kid is relentless; he's basically unblockable," York said. "On run plays you have to double him, on pass plays it's not a matter of blocking him, it's a matter of getting the ball off before he can get to you. He definitely changes the game, because as a defense you don't have to blitz as much with him upfront."

In a week-five win over Campbell, Mejia amassed four sacks in Kailua's fifth consecutive win to open the year.

"He's one of those guys that just works hard every play and sooner or later he gets to the quarterback," Sabers' coach Amosa Amosa said. "He has good size, he's disciplined with what he needs to do with coming off the edge and he's not super quick, but he's pretty elusive in terms of trying to pass block against him."

As a unit, the Surfriders' defense is allowed opponents an average of 17.5 points and 283 yards per game, including just 64 yards rushing.

"He's quick, he's strong and a relentless pass rusher," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "He's got great explosiveness and gets off the snap really well."

Mejia's prowess has allowed fellow defensive linemen Joseph Albinio, Uhi Mikaele and Kawehe Kohatsu to make plays, as well as others defenders on the second and third levels like Awa Byers and Kalei Kealoha-Machado.

Apologies to (in alphabetical order): Manaia Atuaia, Kahuku linebacker; Stokes Botelho, Kahuku cornerback; Devin Griffith, Leilehua linebacker; Laakea Kahoohanohano-Davis, Baldwin safety; Kalei Kealoha-Machado, Kailua cornerback; Hirkey Latu, Kahuku linebacker/safety; Isaac Slade-Matautia, Saint Louis linebacker.

Coach of the Year: Joseph "Hauoli" Wong, Kailua

In his first year as head coach at his alma mater last year, Joseph Wong saw his team go 0-7.

What a difference a year makes.

Under Wong's guidance and with a slew of seniors, Kailua has been the Cinderella story of the first half of the 2015 season. It won its first five games of the year and has been in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings for five consecutive weeks.

"I think he's done an excellent job," Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "To go from 0-7 last year to turn the kids around and having done what they've did so far is great. He's got them all playing well together. They don't have numbers, but they have good athletes and he gets them to play the best. Last year I watched them play and they were athletic last year, but they weren't playing to their potential. This year they're playing to their potential."

The Surfriders have improved vastly on both sides of the ball. The offense went from averaging just 9.7 points and 171 yards in 2014 to 27 points and 337 yards this year. Quarterback Noah Auld has thrown for 1,237 yards with 16 touchdowns against two interceptions in 2015.

Meanwhile, the defense went from surrendering 37.1 points and 379 yards per game a year ago to an average of 17.5 points and 283 yards in 2015.

"Talk about a turnaround," Iolani coach Wendell Look said of the Surfriders. "It's all about changing the culture and the attitude and obviously to do it in two years like that says a tremendous thing about his coaching ability."

Wong, a former offensive lineman at BYU and seventh-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in 1999, has led a resurgence of a once-proud program that has four Oahu Interscholastic Association championships to its name, but none since it shared the league title with Kahuku in 2001.

Kailua suffered its first loss of the year over the weekend, a 19-13 nail-biter against fifth-ranked Farrington, and sits in third place in the ultra-competitive Blue division with two games remaining.

"He's an alum there so going back there and instilling that kind of pride — not so much about the winning ways, but it's doing things the right way — you've got to take your hat off to him," Look said. "They're off to a tremendous start and they're in a tough division, so he's competing at the highest level right now and that says a lot about what he's done with that program."

Apologies to (in alphabetical order): Kale Ane (Punahou), Doug Cosbie (Kamehameha), Nelson Maeda (Castle), Randall Okimoto (Farrington), Vavae Tata (Kahuku), Walter Young (Waianae).