No. 3 Mililani and senior defensive end Shane Kady will visit Ewa Beach Friday night for a showdown against senior running back Sky Lactaoen and No. 2 Campbell. ScoringLive photo illustration

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All four of this weekend's Open Division football games feature a matchup of ranked teams, but the one out in Ewa Beach Friday night will likely draw the most eyes.

Campbell, the No. 2 team in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Power Rankings, will host third-ranked Mililani in an early-season meeting between a pair of contenders for the Oahu Interscholastic Association crown. Neither team was able to work out the kinks in a non-league game, as both were idle last week.

Trojans coach Rod York said his players are chomping at the bit after a long team camp that included a week-long trip to American Samoa.

"The kids are just anxious, the team is anxious," said York, who begins his 10th season atop the program.

Mililani scrimmaged both Fagaitua and Tafuna — two of the island's perennial powers — and also battled Mother Nature during their time in the South Pacific.

"We came away pretty healthy. All of our practices have been half-pads and we played the (scrimmages) in full pads, so it wasn't a problem," York said. "It was good football. They're physical up there; it's kind of like playing a Kahuku-type team and a Farrington-type team, where they just come right at you."

York, who previously served as defensive coordinator at Leilehua, said heavy rainfall led to tough field conditions.

"We got some good work, but we were in the mud, so the quarterback didn't get much good work throwing the ball around, but we got great work running the ball," York said. "It was just raining, pouring and muddy, like the type of mud where our center snapped the ball and the ball is stuck in the mud. It was like the old days at Leilehua (before the artificial turf)."

The quarterback York is referring to would be Brendyn Agbayani Jr., the 6-foot, 180-pound junior and heir to the state's all-time leading in passing yards, Dillon Gabriel. Agbayani was the JV starter a year ago before a call-up to varsity late in the season.

"He'll be starting for the first time and it's a big game right off the bat — conference game — so right away he'll be tested, but we believe he's ready," York said. "He's shown a lot of improvement in the offseason. It was just about getting experience and confidence and I think throughout the year he'll improve."

Not only are the Trojans replacing Gabriel, last year's OIA Open Division Offensive Player of the Year, they also saw fellow-first team All-Hawaii selection and OIA Defensive Player of the Year, Mykah Tuiolemotu, graduate.

Leading the way on defense will be 6-foot-3, 210-pound defensive end Shane Kady, who has given a verbal commitment to Oregon State. As a junior, Kady collected nine sacks and 13 1/2 tackles for losses. While the experience behind Kady is thin on the d-line, the linebacking corps is stocked with talent.

The top returnee at linebacker is 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior and Cal-commit Muelu Iosefa. He is joined by a quartet of transfers in Kamalu DeBlake (5-9, 215, Jr.) and Wynden Hoohuli (6-3, 220, Jr.) from Saint Louis, Sonny Semeatu (5-11, 235, Jr.) from Kapolei and Bam Amina (6-1, 215, Sr.).

"We gotta get the best kids on the field," York said. "We haven't played a game yet, so we'll find out, but we'll just have to get the continuity within our team and the defense and hit the ground running."

Campbell returns a total of nine starters from last year's team that went 8-5 and reached the semifinals of the state tournament, but third-year coach Darren Johnson is well aware of the influx of talent the Trojans have as well.

"They have a lot of veterans, too," said Johnson, whose team returns a total of nine starters from a season ago. "Everybody playing for them played last year. Whether they came from Saint Louis or not, they had playing time. They may be new to Mililani, but they're veteran players, so it's going to be a veteran team playing a veteran team."

The Sabers are loaded in the skill positions with the veteran quartet of receivers/defensive backs Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (74 receptions for 1,352 yards, 14 TDs in 2018), Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa (7 rec. TDs, 3 INTs), Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala (University of Hawaii commit) and Peter Manuma (UH offer). They also feature a pair of prolific running backs in incumbent starter Sky Lactaoen (1,011 rush yards, 11 TDs last year) and Saint Francis-transfer Jonan "Bubbah" Aina-Chaves (1,300 rush yards, 15 TDs).

"They're real talented, they're well coached — DJ is a veteran coach — and a lot of these guys have been starting since their freshmen year, so it's going to be a great matchup," York said. "They're a senior-heavy team."

Like Mililani, however, Campbell is working in a new quarterback in sophomore Blaine Hipa (6-0, 185, So.). Hipa started the 2018 season with the JV squad before eventually joining the varsity team and making a couple of starts in the postseason as a freshman.

"He's working hard and he's coming along," Johnson said. "We're just trying to get him to be more of a leader and understand his role as a quarterback, so just trying to get him to do the job and fill all the holes that he needs to fill."

Hipa is under the tutelage of a new offensive coordinator in Jaymason Lee, the former Castle quarterback, who most recently was OC at Saint Francis. The Sabers are also working in a new defensive coordinator in former Castle and University of Hawaii linebacker Blaze Soares.

"They're working out real well," Johnson said of the pair. "They're young, they're good coaches and they're gonna be around for a while."

The Trojans beat the Sabers twice last season: a 52-14 trouncing in the regular season on Sept. 15 at John Kauinana Stadium and a 24-2 victory in the state semifinals on Nov. 16 at Aloha Stadium. The latter of the two losses ended the season for Campbell.

"We're hoping they do the same thing as far as them throwing the ball, and then defensively they present trouble," Johnson said. "Mililani a well-coached football team, so we know that it's gonna be a hard-fought game and we just hope that we present ourselves well."

At the same time, Johnson said his players are approaching the season as a marathon, not a sprint.

"We're trying to get things done and trying to get ready, but of course, our kids understand that Friday is just the opening game and not the ending game and it's the ending game that counts," Johnson said.

Johnson and York said their respective teams will not be affected much by players on academic probation and both squads should be at or near full strength for Friday's season opener.

Kickoff between the Trojans and Sabers is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m., or 25 minutes after the conclusion of the 5 p.m. JV game.

In other Open Division action this weekend, No. 7 Kapolei (1-0) will visit No. 9 Waianae (1-0) and No. 15 Farrington (0-1) will host No. 4 Punahou (1-0) Friday night, while sixth-ranked Kahuku will host No. 5 Kamehameha Saturday night in the first game for both teams.

The lone Open Division team that will be idle this week is three-time defending state champion Saint Louis. The top-ranked Crusaders open their season next Thursday at Kapolei.