Quarterback Isaac Hurd and the Campbell Sabers are set to tangle with the McKinley Tigers Friday. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Week ten of the Hawai'i prep football season is pretty much rematch weekend all across the state. One of those matchups will feature the McKinley Tigers as they travel to 'Ewa Beach to face off with the Campbell Sabers Friday night. The two teams met in the first round of the 2012 OIA Red playoffs with the Sabers coming away victorious by the final score of 35-0. It's a new year though meaning nothing is set in stone, and you can sure bet that the Tigers will do everything in their power to prevent history from repeating itself.

Containing the thundering Hurd

The game of football all starts at the quarterback position, something that the McKinley defense is well aware of. They face the daunting task of defending the dynamic Isaac Hurd this week, one of the most exciting playmakers in the state. Hurd finished the regular season at the number two spot on the OIA Red passing leaderboards, having thrown for 1395 yards and 12 touchdowns in just six games.

In addition to his strong arm, the 6-foot-1, 195-lb senior can also torch opponents with his legs, rushing for 246 yards and seven touchdowns against the OIA Red West. That could spell trouble for the McKinley defense who gave up 114 rushing yards to the smaller Kai Mercado-Aiona in their contest against Waipahu last Friday. Hurd has six inches on Mercado-Aiona meaning he can cover the same distance in a smaller amount of steps.

The Tiger pass defense was able to pick off the Waipahu quarterback five times in their matchup; something that they hope can carry against Hurd, who has thrown eight interceptions against 12 touchdowns in the regular season.

Who will the Tigers go with at quarterback?

Over the course of the season, McKinley has gone from Marcus Aikau, to Denzel Kalahiki-Gaspar, to Chevas Pacheco, and now to Mathais Tuitele-Iafeta behind center. They all provide a different flair to the offense and each has their pros and cons.

Aikau started at quarterback for the Tigers in their preseason matchup with Kapolei, before sharing snaps with Kalahiki-Gaspar in the second half. The only other game where he seen time at quarterback was against Kaimuki where he completed both of his two passes for 19 yards. Aikau also spends time at linebacker and would probably see more time on defense than quarterback. Out of the four potential quarterbacks, Aikau is the only junior meaning that he can have his shot next year while the other three duke it out.

Kalahiki-Gaspar is the more athletic one of the bunch and is what you can call a dual-threat quarterback. In the three games that Kalahiki-Gaspar saw the most work, McKinley compiled a 2-1 record having Kalahiki-Gaspar thrown for over a 100 yards in each game. The 6-foot-1, 185-lb senior also plays a little defensive back and receiver and the Tigers might be better off using his athleticism outside the numbers. He had a breakout game receiving-wise when he caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Tuitele-Iafeta. His athleticism was evident on the scoring play as he out jumped two defenders for the reception, and made several cuts to dance his way into the end zone. Having Kalahiki-Gaspar and receiver Tyrell Tuiasosopo on opposing sides will be a menace for any defense to cover.

Pacheco first seen action behind center against Farrington and started the remaining three games of the regular season. His best game of the year was against Kahuku where he threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Pacheco doesn't possess the athleticism that Kalahiki-Gaspar does, but he has shown the ability to take a snap under center and complete a play-action pass.

Tuitele-Iafeta's first start against Waipahu last week was the biggest outing out of any of the McKinley quarterbacks, having thrown for 204 yards and four touchdowns in the win. The do-it-all player has a big arm that morphs the offense into more of a vertical passing attack. Having Tuitele-Iafeta behind center does come with a cost though. His outing might have been the best stat line a McKinley quarterback has provided all season, but it was also the worst rushing game that the Tigers had. The Tigers season rushing average is 112.6 yards per game, but they only rushed for 38 yards in their win over the Marauders. McKinley's early running attack featured a one-two punch between Tuitele-Iafeta and Gerime Bradley in the backfield. Tuitele-Iafeta provided a power run game while Bradley was the lateral speed guy.

It will be interesting to see what route McKinley coach Joseph Cho decides to go with on Friday. All of the guys who line up at quarterback also play defense so don't be surprised to see multiple guys behind center against Campbell.

Campbell's defense

While each McKinley quarterback is different, they still will have a tough time against a strong Campbell defense. In the OIA Red division, the Sabers are third in points allowed and second in passing yards allowed. Quarterbacks are in for a tough time whenever they face the Campbell defense as the Sabers have only given up seven passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks, while picking them off six times. The Saber defense is led by 6-foot-2, 205-lb junior safety Solomon Matautia, who resembles Troy Polamalu from the Pittsburgh Steelers with his hairstyle and type of defensive playmaking ability. Matautia has recorded half of the team's total interceptions, and has even took one the length of the field for a score.

Other key guys on the Saber defense are Josiah Mageo and Waylen Lindsey. Mageo is a solid piece for the Saber defensive line and has recorded two sacks in games where defensive stats were taken. Lindsey is all over the place playing linebacker having recorded at least a sack, interception, and forced fumble in 2013.

Final Thoughts

Campbell has to have the edge going into this game, thanks to their first round bye and home field advantage. The Sabers are 4-0 at home in 2013 while the Tigers are 0-2 on an opposing teams' home field. The key to the game is if McKinley can contain Hurd and force other players to step up. McKinley has the tough task of going up against a tough Saber defense, but their versatility on offense should give them a fighter's chance.