Leilehua quarterback Kalanimoku Pauole carries the ball in a game against Castle on September 4, 2014. Pauole has thrown for over 1300 yards and 21 touchdowns thus far this season. Eugene Tanner | SL

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When Leilehua and Kahuku meet on the football field, it is usually with plenty at stake.

That will once again be the case Friday night when the fourth-ranked and unbeaten Mules (5-0) visit Carleton E. Weimer Field for a rare regular-season date against eighth-ranked Red Raiders (4-1).

Leilehua's prolific offense, which averages better than 42 points and 390 yards per game, is led by senior quarterback Kalanimoku Pauole, who has thrown for 1,337 passing yards with 21 touchdowns against just six interceptions. His 69.6 completion percentage is tops in the state. The Mules defense has been just as impressive, allowing under 14 points and 175 yards per contest.

Kahuku has used a punishing ground game that utilizes numerous ball carriers. Sophomore Kesi Ah Hoy has run for 348 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns and is averaging 7.4 yards per rush. Opponents are averaging just 15 points and 193 yards per game against the Red Raiders defense. Alohi Gilman has returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns this season.

Kahuku has won the last three meetings against Leilehua and 18 of 26 meetings in the modern OIA era (since 1970). The last time the Mules won came in 2010, when the Red Raiders forfeited.

The winner of Friday's game will be in first place in the seven-team Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Red heading into the final week of the regular season.

We talked with the head coaches of both teams a few days before their showdown on the North Shore.

ScoringLive: Describe your team's current situation in one word.
Nolan Tokuda, Leilehua coach: "Excited. We're excited for this opportunity. Kahuku has always been the measuring stick for years in the OIA. They have the most championships of all the OIA teams, so anytime you get a chance to play a team like Kahuku, with the great support from their community, it's a great opportunity to see where we're at."
Lee Leslie, Kahuku coach: "Character. I've got to be honest, I don't know if I've ever been a part of a game like the last one we had. We got beat deep twice, turned it over seven times, had a two-point conversion called back by penalty and then to lose by one … it was just incredible. There were so many variables in that game that we've just got to flush it and move on. No question it was frustrating and we did not want to go through that experience, but I don't shy away from adversity. It's the best time to teach kids and to build them up, so no worries, (but) Leilehua is a great football team and we have to beat them. Getting this game would erase that loss that we had and move us right where we need to be to finish this thing. Maybe the kids are still getting used to me and my defensive coordinator, but they're learning the things that we're trying to accomplish. When things fall apart for us — we fumble it or throw interceptions — we've got to rally and I think we're doing that. Monday was a great day of practice for us."

SL: How near or far is your team from playing at its potential?
Tokuda: "We're far away. We haven't had a solid 11 players out there offensively. Starting off with the Mililani (scrimmage) we had guys injured, then we had a couple of guys on probation, then some disciplinary stuff and by the time we get guys back, we're hit with injuries again, but once we get a solid 11 on the field the sky is the limit."
Leslie: "I think we've still got a lot of upswing, we just haven't showed it yet. Defensively, we've done some good things, but there's still been a couple of breakdowns and mental lapses, but we've used a couple of new things and we've gone deeper into the playbook. Offensively, we've got some new things that we're excited about, as well. We're going to land right — I've got good kids and a great coaching staff — so I'm not worried about that."

SL: Which player(s) or position group is the heart of your team?
Tokuda: "Our defense. They've been giving us short fields, creating turnovers and they've given us so much more opportunities this year and that's why we're about to put up so much points, because our defense puts us in so many great situations."
Leslie: "That's interesting because we're still arriving. They're still a work in progress, so I would just call it a collective group. We're being patient and working on things in practice and hoping to put it together so that it happens for us in games."

SL: What's your take on your opponent this week and how do you feel your team matches up?
Tokuda: "Well, hats off to Kaiser. They did a heck of a job playing on their senior night at home, but I think they might have shook the beehive. Kahuku is going to bring it for sure and we don't expect anything less and our guys will do the same as well."
Leslie: "I think they're a great team. Their quarterback (Kalanimoku Pauole) has a quick release, their coaches do a great job, they have a strong coaching staff and I think they're going to be a tough team to beat. I'm glad we're playing at home and not there. I went to a couple of their home games and I was impressed by the atmosphere and the way the school supports the team. Our defensive backs and linebackers will have to matchup with what they're throwing at us and offensively we have to hold onto the ball and probably eat up some clock. I think field position will be critical in this game."

SL: As a coach, how much emotion do you want your guys playing with in a game like this?
Tokuda: "We don't want to treat any game differently. Of course, we're excited because it's Kahuku, but we don't want to treat it differently than any other game. We just want to play our best, play together, think about team first and just enjoy the moment, especially because Kahuku is loaded with three or four guys with Division-I (scholarship) offers. It'll be a measuring stick for us playing a team like Kahuku and the athletes that they have."
Leslie: "Well it's homecoming. I want them to play like it's the state championship. We're in playoff mode now because we gave up a game that we shouldn't have gave up. We went from playing games where several of our starters are out at halftime to a game like last week and then come up short, so we're going playoff mode the rest of the way."

SL: What do you think we can expect from Friday's game?
Tokuda: "Physicality. It'll be loud and physical. The team that makes the least amount of mistakes will probably win the game. It might be low scoring depending on the amount of mistakes or it could be explosive where the team with the ball last might win, but we'll have to be disciplined."
Leslie: "We're going to come out and play good, tough Kahuku football. We're not going to pout, we're not going to complain, we're not going to make excuses, we're going to play good, hard-nosed Kahuku football."

Kickoff between the Mules and Red Raiders will follow 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 5:30 p.m. junior varsity game.

-ScoringLive reporter Stacy Kaneshiro contributed to this report.