At that time, not a single scrimmage had been played. Voters were relying on everything from program prestige and gut instincts to make their calls.

This week, with scrimmages and the opening weekend of nonconference games behind, there's something to work with. Every cook has some ingredients in his kitchen now.

Punahou didn't play — the Seariders host Waianae in an afternoon game at Alexander Field on Saturday — while No. 2 Leilehua blanked Radford.

This week's voting will be interesting. In the preseason poll, Leilehua drew a large number of first-place votes — many more than Saint Louis — yet barely got past the Crusaders in the final voting. Why? There are a lot of Leilehua doubters, or at least there were, as of early August.

Here's how I'm voting in this week's Top 10.

1. Leilehua 1-0-0
Sure, Radford isn't an elite team, but they have a solid nucleus that could've been much tougher. Thing is, Leilehua takes pride in defense, and that unit carried the team last year while the quarterback position resembled a M*A*S*H unit in a war zone. Andrew Manley is 6-0 as a varsity starter and thrives on crunch-time pressure. He did in his first win over Mililani, and in the rally against Saint Louis for the state title. Until they prove otherwise, the Mules are still mighty in my book.

2. Punahou 0-0-0
The Buffanblu have a busy nonconference slate, including a trip to Seattle in two weeks. I have a feeling parking at Punahou on Saturday is going to be brutal. Sunglasses, plenty of water and probably home lunch are required. A big crowd will have that snack bar depleted by halftime, mark my words. Everyone's hungry to see Manti Te‘o, Dalton Hilliard, reconverted defensive end Kimo Makaula, quarterback Cayman Shutter, blazing wideout Robby Toma on the field. Talk about the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

3. Kamehameha 1-0-0
No, the Warriors aren't leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else, especially Saint Louis. But they went out and proved on the field that they are ready for anything, not next month, but right now. Talk about a well-oiled machine. They aren't huge, but they are strong, fast and tough. Even if quarterback Edmund Kamano weren't as precise and savvy, the defense alone would be enough to warrant a Top 5 vote for Kamehameha.

4. Saint Louis 0-0-0
New head coach John Hao has, I'm almost sure, a ton of new wrinkles for the Crusaders. He's familiar with the personnel after years as an assistant coach and has tailored the offense around it. Gone is the flex option, for the most part, and in are myriad "old" plays that will serve the Saints' purpose. Agenhart Ellis, born and bred as a Kamehameha Warrior, is in charge of the Crusader defense. Soon enough, we'll see how this melding of bright minds fleshes out on the gridiron.

5. Kapolei 1-0-0
A tremendous collection of individual talent, as Coach Darren Hernandez points out, isn't a guarantee of great chemistry. Well, after one week and a 43-0 win at KS-Hawaii, it's good sailing so far. If the Hurricanes stay healthy, they definitely do have the makings for a championship run — OIA Red and state.

6. Farrington 1-0-0
The Governors are coming along well despite youth on both lines. The win at Waianae is a major confidence booster going into the OIA Red East schedule.

7. Castle 1-0-0
The way the Knights fought off then-ninth ranked Mililani, and even the way they rallied to tie Kapolei in a scrimmage nearly two weeks ago says everything about the program today and in years past. They are not big, not deep, not exactly intimidating until the game begins. Then it turns into a game of cat and mouse. So far, these Knights are making plays and Coach Nelson Maeda is making the right moves, smooth as a guru on a chess board.

8. Iolani 1-0-0
The Raiders were left out of the Top 10 by voters last week. Why? Questions about newcomers in several positions. Maybe some of the answers were provided in a 39-0 victory over KS-Maui. The constant, of course, is scrambling quarterback Kela Marciel. As long as he keeps turnovers at near zero, Marciel is a terror and nightmare for opposing defenses. Can you go man coverage on Iolani's receivers while the Raiders go no-huddle all game? Or do you sit back in a zone and hope Marciel is off-target? Come at him with the house while his well-taught O-line chips your blitzers? Pick your poison.

9. Kaimuki 1-0-0
Sure, a 20-3 win at Kaiser isn't exactly eye-popping. For a team without depth, controlling the tempo and the clock in a solid win is a double bonus. The Bulldogs don't need 70-point games to get the job done. They can be as tough as any defense in the OIA Red when it comes to the first 11 defenders. That's why having a two-running back platoon is wise. Coach Darren Johnson will air it out enough to keep defenses honest.

10. Lahainaluna 0-0-0
The Lunas lost some key talent to graduation and transfer. However, they don't rebuild. They reload. The matchup with Cali powerhouse Edison this weekend is a scintillating opener.

On the cusp: Mililani, Waianae, Kahuku, Campbell, Konawaena, Kauai, Word of Life, Aiea, Pac-Five, Kalaheo, Damien.

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