Another week, another ballot. But this isn't just a regular week of voting in the Star-Bulletin Football Top 10. We will have a change at the top. Question is, who?

1. Leilehua 4-0 (2-0 OIA Red West)
W 23-0 @ Radford, Aug. 15
W 33-14 Iolani, Aug. 22
W 24-13 Mililani, Aug. 30
bye, Sept. 4-5
W 21-7 Kapolei, Sept. 12
I was fortunate enough to see the top three teams in the state play over the weekend. Leilehua, for a quarter anyway, looked superb against a strong Kapolei defense. Andrew Manley and his offense were magical. But when Kapolei made adjustments, the Mules seemed mortal. What was most impressive, though, was Leilehua's ability to manage the game. They didn't need to go deep, take chances, give the Hurricanes an easy way back into the game. In the final quarter, the Mules worked more than 6 minutes off the clock on a drive. That's management. That's why they're the defending champs and still at the top of my ballot, as they have been all season.

2. Saint Louis 3-0 (1-0 ILH)
bye, Aug. 14-15
W 48-20 @ Mililani, Aug. 23
W 24-10 Farrington, Aug. 30, Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
bye, Sept. 4-5
W 40-19 Punahou, Sept. 13, Aloha Stadium
The Crusaders are clicking on all levels. They're playing up to the championship level that was asked of them. I also think they will get more difficult challenges along the way. Jeremy Higgins was sensationally consistent, if that makes sense. Over and over, Punahou gave him the outside routes, and he chewed that stuff up good: 24-for-35, 360 yards and no picks. The Crusaders have work to do with the punt snaps and penalties, but nobody has played better. Consider Leilehua and Saint Louis 1 and 1a. Not necessarily in that order. Big question mark is RB Austin Wakinekona, who ran brilliantly against Punahou until going down with an injury.

3. Kamehameha 3-1 (0-0 ILH)
W 35-0 Kahuku, Aug. 15, Aloha Stadium
W 26-18 @ Kapolei, Aug. 22
L 14-23 St. John Bosco (Calif.), Aug. 30
W 13-6 @ Davis (Utah), Sept. 4
bye, Sept. 12-13
Placing the Warriors above Punahou is not a slight against the Buffanblu. It says more about Kamehameha's early success and execution. Edmund Kamano Jr. is part of an elite brigade of quarterbacks in the ILH this season. Quarterback play is up substantially across the league, and Kamano could turn out to be the best because of his scrambling savvy and command of the intricate offense. The matchup with Saint Louis will be interesting. The Warriors rely on quickness and athleticism to make plays on defense, often lining up with two or three down linemen. Saint Louis' O-line, led by Mana Greig, can pound with the best of them.

4. Punahou 3-1 (0-1 ILH)
bye, Aug. 15-16
W 37-21 Waianae, Aug. 23
W 41-14 @ Castle, Aug. 29
W 42-19 @ Central Kitsap (Wash.), Sept. 6, Qwest Field
L 19-40 Saint Louis, Sept. 13, Aloha Stadium
For whatever reasons, the Buffanblu chose to sit back often against Saint Louis' run-and-shoot offense. Maybe they were waiting for Higgins to screw up. Maybe they thought they could blast Crusader receivers and force turnovers. Whatever the strategy, it just appeared that they weren't really willing to blitz often and let their defensive backs cover 1-on-1. The other noticeable factor was Punahou's inability to run the ball (14 yards). Saint Louis' defense is stout, no doubt, and the Buffanblu had a rusty passer on the field. If and when Cayman Shutter is back to 100 percent, it's a different game. His chemistry with the receivers and running back Dalton Hilliard is usually outstanding, and that chemistry is the core of Punahou's offense. There's always next time in this long ILH season.

5. Farrington 4-1 (3-0 OIA Red East)
W 20-7 @ Waianae, Aug. 15
W 25-6 @ Roosevelt, Aug. 22
L 10-24 Saint Louis, Aug. 30, Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
W 24-6 @ Castle, Sept. 5
W 36-0 McKinley, Sept. 13, Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
This is the conundrum of playing in the OIA. The Govs have serious offensive weapons in Apelu So'oalu at running back and Drake Miller at wideout. Dayton Kealoha is a crafty, Michael Carter-type of scrambling quarterback. As a lefty, he reminds me a little bit of Steve Young in Farrington's West Coast offense. But the Govs just don't get tested severely enough, and that may work against them in the long haul. The glass-is-half-full outlook is that these Red East games give this young team a chance to build confidence, which is true. Sooner or later, though, the Govs will need top-level competition -- the more Top 10 teams, the better -- to take their offense to its potential. That might not happen on a consistent basis until the playoffs and state tourney.

6. Kahuku 3-1 (2-0 OIA Red East)
L 0-35 Kamehameha, Aug. 15, Aloha Stadium
W 28-14 Kailua, Aug. 22
W 30-0 @ Kealakehe, Aug. 29
W 28-0 @ Roosevelt, Sept. 6
bye, Sept. 12-13
A well-earned bye for the Red Raiders, who looked very sharp in the win at Roosevelt two weekends ago. Allan "A.J." Kubota looks comfortable as the quarterback now, and the option is something that they can turn to for big yardage.

7. Waianae 2-2 (2-0 OIA Red West)
L 7-20 Farrington, Aug. 15
L 21-37 @ Punahou, Aug. 23
W 34-0 Kapolei, Aug. 29
W 42-28 @ Pearl City, Sept. 5
bye, Sept. 12-13
I'd love to see Waianae continue to open up the offense. The weapons are there. Few teams can grind out a win like the Seariders, though, with their 1-2 punch of speedy Danny Kekoanui and 290-pound fullback Eleu Wilson.

8. Iolani 4-1 (2-0 ILH)
W 39-0 Kamehameha-Maui, Aug. 15, Aloha Stadium
L 14-33 @ Leilehua, Aug. 22
W 11-8 Kaimuki, Aug. 30
W 27-21 Damien, Sept. 5, Aloha Stadium
W 35-0 Word of Life, Sept. 12
The Raiders have played close to their potential as well as any team. They continue to execute and beat bigger teams. Nobody runs the no-huddle run-and-shoot offense as well. There are fans who think Iolani belongs in Division I, but in the big picture, Iolani is a classic D-II football program.

9. Kapolei 2-3 (1-2 OIA Red West)
W 43-0 @ Kamehameha-Hawaii, Aug. 16
L 18-26 Kamehameha, Aug. 22
L 0-34 @ Waianae, Aug. 29
W 40-0 Nanakuli, Sept. 5
L 7-21 @ Leilehua, Sept. 12
Yes, the Hurricanes lost, but no, I'm not dropping them for a quality defeat. Do you seriously think any teams besides the ones listed above have the quality wins to convince me otherwise?

10. Damien 4-1 (1-1 ILH)
W 15-12 McKinley, Aug. 16, Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
W 26-21 @ Pearl City, Aug. 22
W 21-20 @ Kailua, Aug. 29
L 21-27 Iolani, Sept. 5, Aloha Stadium
W 45-33 Pac-Five, Sept. 12, Aloha Stadium
Seeing the Monarchs up close for the first time, I liked their defense. Sure, they gave up points, but when they had their starters in, they made plays. Anthony "Bones" Tuitele is back at safety full-time now, and he has the range and closing ability that screams Division I college football all over. Offensively, Stanton Pilialoha may be the most underrated quarterback in the state. He's tall, has a nice touch on his throw, and can throw deep. He has poise out there, which is why Tuitele could move back to his natural position. Brenan Furtado got the touchdowns (five) against Pac-Five, but it's Damien's balance that's key.

On the cusp: Castle (3-2, 2-1) lost to Farrington and fell off my ballot. The Black Knights are still formidable, though, for any team that overlooks them. Shaydon Kehano is a gamebreaker with the best of them. ... Baldwin (2-1, 1-0) got DE Mana Rosa back, which stabilizes their defense. In time, the Bears offense will start to gel. Buta Wilhelm-Ioane is more of a scrambler than gunslinging Jordan Helle was. I'm one of the few who don't have Baldwin on my ballot, but the narrow 20-13 win over a rebuilding Kamehameha-Hawaii team wasn't a convincer for me. Same with the one-sided loss to Mission Viejo, but again, in time, Baldwin could be as strong as last year's state semifinalist squad. ... Kalaheo's ironman crew (25 players) shut out Waialua. The Mustangs are now 5-0, still untested in regards to the rankings. Few teams have played to their potential like Kalaheo has. ... Konawaena is also 5-0 after a big win at Kohala. The Wildcats are the best team in the BIIF right now, with wins over D-I Kealakehe and Waiakea. Running the table will be easier said than done, though, because most of the D-II schools are tough this season. ... Radford (3-1, 2-0) rested over the weekend and will entertain Kalaheo this weekend. It'll be a better battle than most OIA Red matchups. ... Kauai (2-0, 0-0) also had a bye. The Red Raiders have a strong team, but need to be tested. That test might come from Waimea, which dominated Kapaa over the weekend, to my surprise. ... Campbell (4-1, 3-1) may be the best in the OIA White talent-wise, but relies heavily on QB Lalo Respicio. He was ill and didn't play against Radford, which was bad news for the Sabers. They got past Moanalua over the weekend. ... Mililani (2-3, 2-1) has turned the corner with back-to-back wins, limiting Pearl City's pass-happy offense to just six points. ... Honokaa (3-0, 2-0) came up big against Keaau in a 17-16 win. The Dragons are in D-I, though the school has a low enrollment. That's a matter of pride for the Dragons, who played without six starters. Too bad they won't play Konawaena this year. The BIIF plays a segregated schedule once league play begins. ... Pac-Five (2-3, 0-2) can move the ball through the air, but defensively struggles against top-line running backs. P.J. Minaya threw for 332 yards in the loss to Damien. I like the 'Pack's receiving corps. Hardly a drop and they kept running routes all day. ... Waipahu (4-1, 2-1) overwhelmed Nanakuli, but I'm waiting to see the Marauders post a win over one of the West contenders. ... Kaimuki (2-2, 1-1) got a desperately-needed win (over Kailua) to right the ship after a couple of close losses. If the Bulldogs hadn't given up a 77-yard touchdown in the final minute at Iolani, they'd be 3-1 and probably in the Top 10. ... Lahainaluna (2-1, 1-0) escaped with a 28-21 win at Kamehameha-Maui. Plenty of talent and youth, but the Lunas have enough experience to mold into a D-II state challenger. Again.

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