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Once again, Chevan Cordeiro and Mitchell Quinn electrified Aloha Stadium.
Cordeiro found the speedy wide receiver for five touchdowns — 51, 50, 69, 57 and 59 yards — as top-seeded, defending state champion Saint Louis rallied past Mililani 47-23 on Friday night in the Open Division semifinal round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships.
“It means a lot to go to our third straight final,” Cordeiro said. “We just got to work hard this week and bring home the koa trophy.”
Quinn had a game earlier in the season of four TD catches, but this was more clutch and timely. Mililani led 23-10 late in the second quarter before Saint Louis got into an unstoppable offensive groove. Four of Quinn’s TD hauls came in the third quarter.
Cordeiro was a walking video game statistical monster: 24-for-29, 528 passing yards, five TDs, plus 16 rushes for 112 yards and a TD. He broke the previous single-game passing mark held by Tua Tagovailoa.
Quinn’s 307 receiving yards and Cordeiro’s 528 passing yards are state-tournament records.
“It was all 11 boys on the field, not just me,” Quinn said.
“He’s fast, he can make moves, and one-on-one, he can win the job,” Cordeiro said.
It was more than eye-popping numbers, though. The Crusaders had to produce on a night when coach Rod York’s Trojans — the runners-up from the Oahu Interscholastic Association — appeared on course to upset the Crusaders.
Saint Louis will face OIA champion Kahuku in the state final on Nov. 18 at Aloha Stadium. All three division title games will be played as a tripleheader.
“You’ve got to give the players a lot of credit. They got us to where we’re going, so I’m real proud of them and what they did,” Crusaders coach Cal Lee said. “The offense, got to give them a lot of credit. I’m real proud of not only the players, but the coaches, to get to where we are now.”
Defense, arguably Saint Louis’ forte, was in short supply during the first half for the ILH champions. However, they responded by holding Mililani scoreless after the break. Dillon Gabriel, who had 221 combined yards and three TD passes in the first half, finished with 252 passing yards (23-for-51) and 66 rushing yards.
“They balled. They’re a good team,” Gabriel said. “They’re the best in the state and they showed it, too.”
Linebacker Isaiah Taliulu and Jordan Botelho had six tackles each to lead the Crusaders defense.
“I just think defensively, we played a little better and it’s all about raising the level of effort out there,” Lee said. “I told them, ‘Hey, this is it. There’s no tomorrow. The game is four quarters, we played two, we got two left, pick it up.’ ”
Now it’s a classic finale ahead: Saint Louis and Kahuku.
“We’re happy to be there and we’ll enjoy this win,” Lee said. “We’ll get ready for Kahuku tomorrow.”
The Trojans didn’t score on their first series, but their punt was downed at the Saint Louis 9. After a sack of Cordeiro, it was second-and-16 from the Crusaders 3-yard line when he was flushed out of the pocket and a holding call was assessed. That hold was in the end zone, making it an automatic safety, and Mililani led 2-0 with 8:51 left in the first quarter.
After a short return on the ensuing free kick, Mililani drove 61 yards in 13 plays. Malepeai ran the ball three times in a row for 0 yards, but a crucial roughing-the-passer penalty on Saint Louis kept the drive alive.
Gabriel scooted 10 yards for another first down, and on a third-and-6, Saint Louis was whistled for encroachment. After Jalen Olomua ran for the first down, he bolted free for an 11-yard gain on the left. Gabriel capped the drive with a 5-yard play-action rollout pass to Malepeai, again to the left, for the game’s first touchdown. Mililani led 9-0 with 3:35 go go in the opening quarter.
Saint Louis’ next possession was derailed by Mililani’s Ezra Save, who sacked Cordeiro, forcing the Crusaders to punt. However, the Trojans went three-and-out, and Saint Louis needed just three plays to hit paydirt on the next drive.
Cordeiro got the ball out as Mililani blitzed heavy and found Mitchell Quinn, who turned the corner on the sideline and beat his defender for a 52-yard TD. That brought the Crusaders within 9-7 with 11:49 remaining in the second quarter.
The Trojans then marched right downfield, 80 yards in nine plays, scoring despite an offensive pass interference call. A 33-yard strike from Gabriel to Ryan Chang was one of four completions by the junior in the drive. Gabriel found Malepeai on a quick pass to the seam for a 12-yard TD pass, and Mililani led 16-7 with 9:09 to go in the second quarter.
Cordeiro’s 39-yard scramble sparked Saint Louis’ next possession, but sacks by Mykah Tuiolemotu and Olomua stopped the Crusaders in the red zone. Jacob Tobias’ 31-yard field goal cut the lead to 16-10 with 5:33 left in the first half.
Moments later, Reichel Vegas was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after returning the kickoff to near mid-field. He made up for it five plays later, hauling in a 25-yard TD pass from Gabriel on a perfect wheel route, and the Trojans led 23-10 with 3:49 to go in the first half.
The pinball action didn’t stop there. Cordeiro scrambled out of the grasp of pass rushers again, picking up 16 yards before launching a 39-yard pass to Jonah Panoke, who made a brilliant diving catch at the Mililani 10. On the next play, Cordeiro got flushed out of the pocket and ran past the right pylon for a TD. Saint Louis was within 23-17 with 2:55 remaining in the half.
Mililani’s next drive stalled and Gabriel quick-punted to the Saint Louis 7. Starting with 1:23 on the clock, the Crusaders got a 50-yard scramble by Cordeiro, but three Mililani sacks kept them from getting too close. Then Cordeiro hit Panoke over the middle for an 8-yard gain to the 1. After a time out, Cordeiro lined up in the shotgun, then crept forward and took an under-center snap. His sneak attempt was stuffed on the final play of the half.
The Crusaders regained momentum with the opening drive of the second half, going 80 yards in two plays. Cordeiro hit Roman Wilson over the middle for 25 yards before finding Quinn on a 50-yard TD pass to tie the game at 23.
After Jordan Botelho’s sack stifled Mililani’s next series, the Crusaders were on fire again. Cordeiro tossed a middle screen pass to Quinn, who raced to the left sideline and beat a bunch of defenders who had angles on him. The 69-yard TD play was Quinn’s third of the game and gave Saint Louis a 30-23 lead with 9:06 left in the third stanza.
The Trojans’ ensuing drive stalled at the Saint Louis 13, and Jacob Tobias’ 30-yard field-goal try was partially blocked by Kila Kamakawiwo‘ole.
Five plays later, Cordeiro rifled a sideline pass to Quinn, who spun out of the grasp of a defender and went the distance for a 57-yard TD. Saint Louis led 37-23 with 5:03 remaining in the third. By this point, Cordeiro had 433 passing yards and 102 rushing yards.
That was hardly the end. After Mililani’s next drive stalled at the Saint Louis 34 — another sack by Botelho contributed — the Crusaders needed just two plays to score again. Cordeiro slashed through the defense for a 27-yard run, then read the all-out blitz for another middle screen pass to Quinn, who sliced through the defense for a 61-yard TD, his fifth of the game. The lead was up to 44-23 with 2:16 on the third-quarter clock.
The Crusaders added a 36-yard field goal by Tobias with 3:01 left.
Now it’s a classic finale ahead: Saint Louis and Kahuku.
“We’re happy to be there and we’ll enjoy this win,” Lee said. “We’ll get ready for Kahuku tomorrow.”
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Mililani (10-2) 9 14 0 0 — 23
Saint Louis (9-0) 0 17 27 3 — 47
Mil—Safety, holding penalty in end zone
Mil—Kilifi Malepeai 5 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Damien Santiago kick)
StL—Mitchell Quinn 52 pass from Chevan Cordeiro (Jacob Tobias kick)
Mil—Malepeai 12 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
StL—FG Tobias 31
Mil—Reichel Vegas 25 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
StL—Cordeiro 10 run (Tobias kick)
StL—Quinn 50 pass from Cordeiro (kick blocked)
StL—Quinn 69 pass from Cordeiro (Tobias kick)
StL—Quinn 57 pass from Cordeiro (Tobias kick)
StL—Quinn 59 pass from Cordeiro (Tobias kick)
StL—FG Tobias 36
RUSHING—Mililani: Gabriel 13-56, Jalen Tuivaiave-Olomua 7-28, Malepeai 14-25. Saint Louis: Cordeiro 16-112, Kohala Faufata 1-1, team 1-(minus 2), Makia Bonner 2-(minus 13).
PASSING—Mililani: Gabriel 23-49–1-254. Saint Louis: Cordeiro 24-29–0-529, Bonner 4-4–0-30.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Ryan Chang 4-62, Raysen Motoyama 4-55, Josiah Sampaga 4-18, Vegas 3-43, Malepeai 3-24, Nayyir Muhammad 3-28, Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 2-24. Saint Louis: Quinn 8-308, Kainalu Reyes-Hackney 6-72, Chance Beyer 5-64, Jonah Panoke 4-64, Roman Wilson 2-36, Koali Nishigaya 1-9, Zhane Chang-Holloway 1-6, Tama Sula 1-0.
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