It could be a quick O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red football championship tonight.

With both teams expected to run the ball often, the game clock won't be stopping much when No. 2 Kahuku takes on co-No. 4 Wai'anae at 8 at Aloha Stadium. Only television timeouts can stop the teams.

"It's going to come down to who can control the line of scrimmage," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. "Both teams have size on the line."

The game pits the most successful OIA teams since the championship game's inception in 1970. Wai'anae is 15-6 in OIA title games, Kahuku is 12-5. They have met seven times. After losing the first three meetings, Kahuku has won the last four, including a 32-13 win in 1990, the last time the Seariders reached the championship game. Kahuku is looking for its fifth consecutive title.

"Wai'anae and Kahuku," Torres said. "That's tradition right there."

Another tradition both have is a running game.

The Red Raiders (8-2) ran the ball 90 percent of the time, totaling 2,333 yards. The Seariders (7-3) ran 74 percent of the time, gaining 2,156 yards.

Lehi Aumua has packed the ball more than 25 percent of the time to lead all Red Raiders' ball carriers with 727 yards and eight touchdowns. The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder combines power and speed. Quarterback Richard Torres is second with 71 carries, amassing 422 yards and four TDs. He reads defenses well on the option.

But Kahuku's real strength with their run is their depth. Fullback Neal Lokotui, at 5-9 and 250 pounds, is like Jabba the Hut in cleats, making him very hard to tackle. And after wearing defenses down with the speed of Torres and Aumua and power of Lokotui, Kahuku still has 5-11, 195-pound Junior Mata'afa, who has 387 yards, averaging nearly a first down (9.9 yards per carry) every time he touches the ball.

Because Kahuku rarely throws, it must pick an opportune time to do so, hoping to catch the defense off guard, as it did against Leilehua. The Red Raiders showed a power-I, only to have Torres throw a 5-yard TD pass to tight end Siaosi Vaifo'ou. When Kahuku shows up in a double-tight end formation, it's a sure bet the tight ends are athletic and there will be plays designed for them.

The Seariders don't have one standout running back. They have several sharing the bulk of carries, assuring fresh legs on nearly every running play from their wing-T offense.

Joe Abell (72 carries for 381 yards, 3 TDs), Danny Kekoanui (74 for 361, 2 TDs) and David Ferreira (60 for 325, 6 TDs) account for 49 percent of Wai'anae's rushing yardage. Quarterback Ben McQuown is a threat on keepers, having rushed for 298 yards and three TDs.

"It's not an easy offense to attack," Torres said. "If you over-compensate one side, they hit you somewhere else."

Unlike the Red Raiders, the Seariders have shown they can throw. Kekoanui leads the team with 12 receptions coming out of the backfield. But McQuown can uncork one occasionally to Nathan Malaki (27.4 yards per reception), Don Medeiros (25.8) and Miller Ualesi (22.5).

Wai'anae must take care of the ball tonight. Thanks to its defense, the Seariders survived four turnovers in a 7-6 win over Mililani in last week's semifinals.

"Give credit to Mililani," Wai'anae coach Danny Matsumoto said. "They caused the turnovers. But we need to be more aware of handling the ball better than in the last game."

Because both offenses are capable of sustaining long drives, both are likely to rotate players on defense to make sure there are fresh bodies.

"We have to make sure tackles," Matsumoto said.

MILILANI VS. LEILEHUA

Although this game is for third place, it will have the intensity of a championship because a Division I state berth is at stake. The loser packs up its equipment.

Game time is 6 p.m. Saturday at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.

The Mules beat the Trojans, 23-14, during the regular season.

Preceding the varsity game, Castle plays Leilehua for the Red JV championship at 4.

KAIMUKI VS. WAIPAHU

For the fourth consecutive year, a new White or Division II champion will be crowned when the Bulldogs play the Marauders at 4 p.m. today at Aloha Stadium.

Waipahu (6-2-2) beat Kaimuki (6-3-1), 19-14, in the regular season. Waipahu rushed for 236 yards in that game and is only one of two teams to rush for more than 100 yards against a solid Bulldog defense; Division I Mililani (267 yards rushing) is the other.

The Marauders rushed for 1,990 yards with quarterback Gil Fernandez leading the way with 407 yards.

The Bulldogs rushed for 1,369 yards with James Bower, Dolly Ainuu and Perry Faleau rushing for more than 200 yards each. But Kaimuki will throw more often than Waipahu with quarterback Kapono Kaiwi-Barrenuebo.

The White JV championship will feature Waipahu against Pearl City. Kickoff is 4 p.m. Saturday at Pearl City's Bino Neves Stadium.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.