With a 3-0 start that included a 21-12 nonleague victory over defending state champion Kamehameha, Farrington climbed as high as No. 3 in the ScoringLive-OC16 Power Rankings and emerged as an early O'ahu Interscholastic Association title contender.

But the Governors hit some bumps on the regular season road and now they must get past 'Aiea in tonight's OIA Red Conference playoff opener just to make it into next week's quarterfinals.

Kickoff is set for around 7:15 at Roosevelt's Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium, following a 5 p.m. JV game. Farrington (5-3 overall) is 2-3 in its past five games and has not posted consecutive victories since the win over Kamehameha on Aug. 27.

The Govs defeated Moanalua, 28-7, last Saturday but struggled a bit to find consistency on offense -- four of their first five possessions ended in either a punt or interception. Farrington finished with five punts and a missed field goal, although it did rush for 217 yards.

An offensive line plagued by injuries will try to open holes for scatback Scotland Smith (585 yards, 5 touchdowns), and quarterback Jared Hakuole (541 yards, 6 TDs) may need to hit his targets more often to keep Na Ali'i honest.

On defense, the Governors' outstanding linebacking corps led by Mo Tauaefa, Justin Vele and Lancelot Williams will again be relied on to make big plays.

'Aiea (4-4) also is seeking consistency, having just snapped a three-game losing streak with a 12-0 victory over Campbell to clinch its playoff spot.

Na Ali'i has struggled on offense, scoring more than one touchdown in only one game since Aug. 20.