Tonight's other Division II game between Kaua'i and Pac-Three will be held at Lihu'e's Vidinha Stadium. In Division I first-round action, Leilehua meets Kealakehe in Kailua, Kona, and Lahainaluna plays Mililani at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku.

For Hawai'i Prep, which plays its home games in scenic Waimea on Saturday afternoons before crowds of about 600, tonight's game in the midst of Honolulu's metropolis is as big as it gets.

"It's been a special year and all of our players and fans are very excited," HPA coach Tom Goodspeed said. "Waimea is a great little town and we have a lot of community support. It's been a one-of-a-kind dream season, and if you told anyone before our first game that we'd be (10-2) now ... It's been unbelievable."

For Waipahu, which went 1-7 last year and started this season 1-2, it has been an equally satisfying journey to the spotlight.

"Going from last year to this, well ... we don't need any more motivation," Marauders coach Sean Saturnio said.

As far as atmosphere and student makeup, the two programs could not be much more different. Hawai'i Prep, with a sprawling 100-acre campus at the foot of the Kohala Mountains, is the state's most expensive private school with tuition set at $14,500 a year ($26,800 for boarders).

But its K-12 enrollment of about 600 is only a fraction of Waipahu's, and Goodspeed said eight of his players start on offense and defense.

"We've got 38 kids total, with no JV and no cuts," Goodspeed said. "It's a big challenge."

Waipahu, meanwhile, is one of the state's largest high schools drawing from mostly working class families in some of O'ahu's roughest neighborhoods. Saturnio, who is from Hilo, said his master plan is to make Marauders football a positive focal point of the former plantation town, which has often gotten a bad rap.

"Sometimes you don't see the best news coming out of Waipa-hu, so I'd like the football program to be a catalyst to help change how the community is viewed," Saturnio said. "We have a lot of housing kids, and some of them are in not-so-good surroundings. But everybody loves a winner, and our success has given a positive light on campus; people are talking about football again. The kids want to win more so we can extend the season, because without the program, some of them don't have a whole lot."

Football-wise, the Marauders have a lot going for themselves after returning 22 players from academic probation in the season's third week.

Led by quarterback Austen Benito and fullback Krypton Taito, they have almost mastered the "spread option" offense made popular by the University of Hawai'i in the late 1980s.

Benito, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, has thrown for 910 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 651 yards and 13 TDs. He also has kicked 21 extra points.

Taito (5-9, 210) has rushed for 961 yards and eight touchdowns, and Waipahu also has dangerous receivers in Ben Amemperosa, Stan Abasial and Ryan Winfree.

"They have a very good quarterback, and we're concerned because the option is always tough to defend," Goodspeed said. "We have to know our responsibilities and be disciplined."

Saturnio, who played for Hilo High in the mid-1980s, said discipline shouldn't be a problem for Ka Makani.

"I'm a Big Island guy myself and my brother still coaches at Hilo, so I can attest that those guys will come to play," Saturnio said. "HPA is always well-conditioned, disciplined and smart. They have a bunch of good skill guys and they're well-coached. If anybody thinks we're overlooking them, they're mistaken."

Ka Makani has been led by running back/linebacker Michael Kopra, who was the Big Island Interscholastic Federation's Defensive Player of the Year last season and has rushed for 1,484 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He also leads the team in tackles and is HPA's kicker.

"He's been our workhorse," Goodspeed said.

Zach Say has added 522 yards rushing and seven touchdowns and quarterback Billy Case has thrown for 1,133 yards and 12 TDs. The offensive line is coached by Iolani almunus Bern Brostek, a former NFL center.

Hawai'i Prep began the season with non-league losses to Wai-mea and Kwansei (Japan) but has since run the BIIF table to go unbeaten in league play for the first time since 1966.

"This team really came together," Goodspeed said. "Something finally clicked."