Twenty-four years ago this week, senior defensive linemen James Millwood of Mililani and Darren Hernandez of Campbell suited up for an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division game with not much at stake except for pride.

Mililani entered with an 0-4 record and Campbell was 1-2-1. Mililani won, 42-18, but the paths of Millwood and Hernandez have crossed many times since and tonight the longtime friends will meet again as head coaches in a crucial OIA Red Conference West showdown between Mililani and Kapolei.

Kickoff for the game, which will be televised statewide on OC-16, is set for 7 p.m. at Mililani Stadium.

Each team is undefeated in the West, with Kapolei at 4-0 and Mililani at 3-0. Mililani (4-1 overall) is ranked No. 6 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media; Kapolei (5-1) is No. 8.

Millwood, in his 12th year as his alma mater's head coach, and Hernandez, in his fourth season at Kapolei after six years at Campbell, have coached against each other before. In fact, as rookie head coaches in 1994, Millwood's Trojans played Hernandez's Sabers. But they've never met in a game of this magnitude.

"Back then (as high school players), I never would have thought we'd be coaching in a game like this," Millwood said Wednesday night.

Hernandez, upon reflection Wednesday, said, "Man, we're getting old."

In their younger days, Hernandez and Millwood became quick friends and football was the binding force.

After high school, both enrolled at Leeward Community College and had a class together. They later transferred to the University of Hawai'i, where Hernandez became a walk-on linebacker.

During Hernandez's senior year, he suffered a herniated disk and was out for the season. The injury, however, turned out to be a blessing as Hernandez took to shadowing then-UH head coach Bob Wagner, defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson and linebackers coach George Lumpkin during practices, film sessions and meetings.

"They were really cool about letting me hang out with them and learn," Hernandez said. "I got to see the game through their eyes, and it really opened things up for me. I got to see it from a different view, and that was the first time I thought seriously about coaching. I thought, 'Hey, maybe this is something I can do, something to keep me near the game of football.' "

Until then, Hernandez was known by teammates and friends mostly for his sense of humor and mastery of sports trivia.

"He was a very knowledgeable guy," Millwood said.

After graduation, Hernandez earned a teaching and coaching position at Campbell, then was hired to start Kapolei's football program when the school opened in 2000.

"It was a great opportunity to start something from scratch," Hernandez said.

After two seasons at the junior varsity level, the Hurricanes began varsity play in 2002 and reached the OIA White championship game the following year. Last season — its first in the top-tier Red Conference — Kapolei made the league playoffs.

So far this year, led by quarterback Brad Padayao, the Hurricanes are mowing through West opponents by averaging a whopping 45.6 points per game.

"(Padayao) is a real concern for us because he is a complete quarterback who has a strong arm and can run the option," Millwood said. "And he has a lot of weapons to throw and hand off to."

Millwood, whose back injury ended his playing career after high school, began coaching at Mililani almost immediately after graduation. Since taking over the program in 1994, he has compiled an impressive 74-41-4 record and taken the Trojans to unprecedented heights.

They won their first West title in 2003 and appeared in their first OIA championship game last year.

"He's a tremendous coach," Hernandez said of Millwood. "I mean, if you look at where they were when he started — in the Blue (lowest tier) Division — to now ... He's brought that program to the elite of the OIA and the state. We've definitely got our work cut out for us."

ILH CLASH

No. 1 Kamehameha's brutal early season schedule continues tonight against No. 10 Saint Louis in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu game at Aloha Stadium.

So far, the Warriors (4-1 overall, 1-0 ILH) have played No. 2 Punahou, No. 3 Kahuku, No. 6 Mililani, defending state runner-up Leilehua and Southern California power Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.).

Saint Louis is 2-2, 0-1.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.