Farrington's Sanele Lavatai and Mililani's Vaevai Malepeai will face off Friday for the OIA Red division title. ScoringLive photo illustration

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The Oahu Interscholastic Association 2013 football season comes to a close with three games this weekend.

At Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium Friday, Pearl City and Kaiser will meet at 4:30 p.m. in the White Conference title game, while the Red Conference championship, pitting Farrington against Mililani, will follow at 7:30 p.m. Lastly, the league's final Division I state-tournament berth will be decided 6 p.m. Saturday when Kahuku plays Campbell at Mililani's John Kauinana Stadium. All three games will be televised live statewide on OC16.

Only five teams can say they have played both the Govs (8-2) and the Trojans (9-1) this year: Campbell, Kahuku, Kapolei, Waianae and Moanalua. Mililani beat all four teams, while Farrington beat all but Waianae.

Two of the coaches of those four teams — Moanalua's Arnold Martinez and Kapolei's Darren Hernandez — took some time Monday to share their thoughts on the teams vying for the OIA Red championship Friday night.

ScoringLive: What are the strengths of both teams?
Arnold Martinez: "Well, Farrington is Farrington. They have an identity — (coach) Randall (Okimoto) does a good job with his personnel and doing what they do — and what they do is run the ball. They're run-heavy on offense and they mix in some play-action pass in there with (quarterback) Montana (Liana). Last week in that Campbell game, they held (running back Sanele) Lavatai out in the first half, because of that hamstring, but he didn't show any signs of it on that one drive that really sparked them in the second half and that's what he does. When they are running between the tackles like that, I think that's their strong point. They run downhill with heavy personnel, give it to their workhorse, they let him get first downs and they really pound on the opposing team. On the other side of it, Mililani is strong in the run, too, and they also have a strong run defense. Their running back (Vavae Malepeai) is a name you're going to hear for some time to come. He's a great runner, too, but he's a lot different than Lavatai. He's very shifty, his legs are in perpetual motion, he's making cuts and picking up those extra yards. He's more of a fast-twitch type of runner as opposed to Lavatai, who is more of a downhill, run-straight-at-you and explode-through-the-hole type of back. I think Mililani has the advantage in the passing game, I think both teams' defensive lines probably matchup evenly. You've got playmakers on both sides in (Breiden) Fehoko and (Motu) Heimuli — two high-motor, active, stout guys in the gap — for Farrington and Mililani has (Rex) Manu and (Tamatoa) Silva at the tackle positions, but the spark plug on that D-line is (Kelii) Padello. That kid is not a prototype defensive end, he doesn't have D1 size — he's built more like a (defensive back) — but his relentlessness on the get-off of the ball makes him a playmaker there."
Darren Hernandez: "The strength of Farrington is defense, particularly their defensive line. I think the strength of Mililani is Vavae Malepeai. I think he's the difference-maker. You take away Vavae Malepeai from that team and they're good, but with him they're on another level."

SL: Which players go unheralded on both teams?
AM: "I would probably say the quarterback for Mililani (McKenzie Milton). He's kind of very unassuming, but when he takes off running it's something else. You wouldn't look at him and say 'He's a heck of an athlete,' but he will take off and use his legs. Either he just doesn't know any better because he's so young, or he's got great poise back there; People have to look out for him. Also, I think their receivers don't get enough credit. I think all of the focus on Mililani goes to (Malepeai) and the offensive line, which is big and moves well — they move the line of scrimmage and win that battle most of the time. For Farrington, what people don't realize is that a lot of those guys go both ways. They've got linebackers playing fullback, (Roger) Boyd is playing both ways — sometimes three ways as a punt returner — (Jacob) McEnroe plays defensive back and receiver.
DH: "Farrington has a lot of big names on their defense: Heimuli, Fehoko, (linebacker Manly) Williams, Boyd, (linebacker Aaron) Kesi, but the guy that I really is that small, quick linebacker, Titus Lave-Paleafei. He's only about 5-foot-6, 170 (pounds) — he's undersized, but I think he's kind of the glue of that team on run defense — he's unsung and he's got to be one of smallest inside linebackers in the state, playing on a top team in the state and doing a heck of a job. The unsung guys for Mililani has to be the two safeties, (Ian) Namu and (Jaren) Zadlo. Everybody talks about (linebacker Dayton) Furuta, (linebacker Jacob) Afele and Manu and Silva, but those two guys on the back end make some big plays — I really like those two guys. Although Namu is a big time player, I think that both guys, as a tandem, don't get the recognition they deserve."

SL: Which individual matchup are you most interested in?
AM: "As far as Mililani's offense versus Farrington's defense, the key there is going to be can Heimuli and Fehoko stop the run? Can the front control the line of scrimmage? That's the matchup I want to see there, because if they can do that, that's huge — Kahuku wasn't able to do that. It's going to be a challenge for them. If they're going to stack the core and give them 8- or 9-man fronts to help with the run support, then the secondary will get stretched and then we'll see what Mililani can do there. As far as Mililani's defense versus Farrington's offense, I would think that they are going to try and force Farrington to pass the ball and the way that they're going to do that is to stop the run, control the line of scrimmage with Silva and Manu and force Farrington into some third-and-long situations. That's where (Padello) can turn it loose, pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. And then special teams, which you have to look at that, too, and I think that will be the X-factor because you never know what will happen on special teams and that can give you a spark. Field-position is a big part of it, you don't want to give either team a short field, so you've got to cover and you've got to kick.
DH: "I'm interested to see the Mililani offensive line against the Farr defensive line. I think one of their top offensive linemen is Jordan Agasiva, their left tackle who is 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds. I'd like to see him against Heimuli, but not sure if they're going to be matched up a whole lot. Also the center for Mililani (Holden Young) is not that big, he's about 5-foot-10 and 260, but he's going to draw a tough matchup in 6-foot-1, 340-pound Nolan Eseroma at nose tackle. That's a tough assignment, but they have to run the ball effectively to win. I think that offensive line will have to play lights out to give Malepeai some room to run."

SL: How does Farrington win this game?
AM: "First thing is to stop the run, stop Malepeai and control the line of scrimmage and they have the personnel to do it. They have size on their (defensive) front, but in my opinion, Mililani is the most-balanced team in the OIA and they've been that way all year and it starts with their running game. On offense, Farrington will have to establish their run game, use ball control, put together some long, sustained drives and finish drives with a kick — whether it's a PAT or a field goal — then they'll control the time of possession and that will be big for them. I think Mililani has the capability to be strike quick, but I haven't seen Farrington with those 80-yard runs or passes."
DH: "Farrington wins by keeping it close, by making it a defensive battle. If they can hold Malepeai to an average night for him — maybe 4 yards per carry — and without any big runs over 20, 25 yards, if they can bend but not break versus the run, I think that's their best hope of making it a tight game and hopefully having Lavatai match Malepeai yard-for-yard, then I think they have a shot."

SL: How does Mililani win this game?
AM: "Establish the run game, use their multiple formations and get Farrington where they have to just play defensively by using those multiple formations, but staying as balanced as they have been. If they can use what they've done — two backs, one back, trips — and still be balanced and be able to move the ball and score points, they'll win. They've got the talent and the personnel. Their defense will have to stop the I-formation, two-back, downhill run game for Farrington. If they force Farrington to pass, the increase their chances of winning the game."
DH: "Mililani wins by doing what they do, led by their stout defense. In the OIA, they have the best combo of top-notch offense and top-notch defense. You know, there are teams with really good offense and suspect defense or vice-versa. But, if they do what they do — run the ball with Malepeai, let Milton complete some passes and use his legs to get some first downs, keep pressure on Farrington by piling up the yards and points, it'll hurt Farrington because they are not a come-from-behind team. They've got to run the ball — if they get down three or four scores and they've got to pass, it's not going to happen."

SL: Which team wins Friday?
AM: "I believe Mililani wins, but I will preface it by saying this — and I tell this to my team — you can have a good team and can have a lot of talent, but it's never enough. It comes down to execution on that given day. So, with that said, if you look at it on paper and the match ups and the balances, the edge will go to Mililani a little bit because they have the more-balanced attack. Therefore, I would say the odds are in their favor to win the game. However, on any given day, if they execute at the highest level they have been, Farrington can win the game, too. You never really know until you play the game and that's why you play it out. You just never know what's going to happen, but what I think analytically, I'm saying Mililani wins. I'm not guaranteeing it, because there's no guarantees in this game, but the edge goes to Mililani."
DH: "This is rough because I hate to pick because I'm part of the coaching fraternity. I'm an OIA West guy and I hate to kind of scrub out on this, but I just think if it's a close game, then Farrington has a shot. They want to play a defensive, low-scoring game. The more wide open the game is the more likely Mililani is to win."