It lived up to the billing for a quarter — and then Tua Tagovailoa blew everyone away.

Saint Louis’ junior quarterback accounted for five touchdowns in an 11-minute span and finished with 376 passing yards before sitting the entire second half in the Crusaders’ 56-30 thrashing of Mililani on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.

The Crusaders (9-1) will play in the title game of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships on Friday against Kahuku (12-0), riding a dominant performance over the defending state champion Trojans, who finished their season 10-3.

Saint Louis forced eight turnovers and scored 49 consecutive points to lead 56-14 before the Trojans tacked on two touchdowns late in front of 11,704 in attendance who braved the rain and wind.

"Our defense played tremendously in the past six games," said Tagovailoa, who completed 15 of 18 passes and ran for 58 more yards. "I couldn’t ask for a better team offensively and defensively."

Saint Louis will make its ninth appearance in the title game, while Kahuku advanced to its 10th final with a 13-0 win over Waianae. The two teams will play for the title for the sixth time, with Kahuku winning four of the first five.

"I’ve been there. These guys haven’t," Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said. "It’s really important to them to get there and finish. For them to do what they’re doing now, they’ve got to feel good for their brothers next to them."

Mililani running back Vavae Malepeai broke Joe Igber’s Hawaii career rushing mark in the third quarter and finished with 258 yards on 30 carries. He ends his stellar high school career with 4,549 career yards and 71 touchdowns and will be on his way to Oregon next season.

"I first want to thank God for getting me to this place," an emotional Malepeai said. "I want to thank the fans, the coaches, and of course my brothers, my teammates. And my brothers and sisters at home, too. … I don’t talk about my family that much. But they do so much for me. All of our Mililani supporters were sticking by us all through the rain. They matter so much. And the coaches and my uncles who bring me to camps. They’re the reason that I’m going places next year."

With Malepeai finding room to run, Mililani looked ready to match Saint Louis score-for-score, taking a 14-7 lead on Malepeai’s 1-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

On the very next play, Tagovailoa dropped a perfectly thrown deep ball into the hands of speedy receiver Drew Kobayashi, who did the rest of the work on a 76-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14.

It was all Saint Louis from then on, as the Crusaders knocked Mililani quarterback McKenzie Milton out of the game in the second quarter.

Milton, who was 5-for-14 for 82 yards and a touchdown, was picked off three times before getting drilled on a play on which Saint Louis was flagged for roughing the passer.

It came on a fourth-and-10 on which Milton threw a 29-yard pass to Kalakaua Timoteo, who was laid out on a hit by Saint Louis defensive back Isaiah Tufaga.

Tufaga was called for a blindside hit on Timoteo and ejected from the game. Saint Louis was called for two 15-yard penalties on the play, but it was offset by a hold on the Trojans.

Freshman Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi came in with Milton heading to the locker room, and his fourth-down pass was incomplete.

"It’s obviously disappointing," said Milton, who came out for the second half with his right arm in a sling. "I felt like I was just getting into a rhythm when I got hurt. But I’m blessed to be a Trojan and I don’t regret any moments."

Tagovailoa answered with a 17-yard TD pass to Saitaua Lefau and then followed up a Mililani fumble with a 39-yard run on third down, breaking out of a sack attempt and then racing down the right sideline.

"I feel good when I see Tua out there," Lee said. "I see a person who can change the game with his passing, his running, his leadership. It’s a world of difference."

Mililani, which turned the ball over six times in the first half, fumbled again and Jimmy Gonsalves scored on a 6-yard TD run to make it 49-14 at the break.

Saint Louis had 454 yards of total offense in the first half, with Tagovailoa accounting for 434 of them.

"Cal Lee is a great coach and Saint Louis went out and took care of business," Mililani coach Rod York said. "I’m very proud of my team, the ones wearing the Trojans helmet. It was a great year. Our goal was to win the state title. You’re not going to do that with all those turnovers. I take full responsibility for all of them."

Timoteo caught two touchdown passes from Kuboyama-Hayashi in the fourth quarter and finished with 158 yards on seven catches and three scores.

Mil—Kalakaua Timoteo 27 pass from McKenzie Milton (Isaiah Kuloloia kick)

StL—Saitaua Lefau 2 run (Jacob Tobias kick)

Mil—Vavae Malepeai 1 run (Kuloloia kick)

StL—Drew Kobayashi 76 pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Tobias kick)

StL—Jahvin Spear 22 pass from Tagovailoa (Tobias kick)

StL—Tagovailoa 5 run (Tobias kick)

StL—Lefau 17 pass from Tagovailoa (Tobias kick)

StL—Tagovailoa 39 run (Tobias kick)

StL—Jimmy Gonsalves 6 run (Tobias kick)

StL—Isaac Slade-Matautia 64 fumble return (Tobias kick)

Mil—Timoteo 66 pass from Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi (Chad Senas pass from Kuboyama-Hayashi)

Mil—Timoteo 40 pass from Kuboyama-Hayashi (Kuboyama-Hayashi run)

RUSHING—Mil: Malepeai 32-258, Milton 10-70, Makana Tauai 1-(-15), Kuboyama-Hayashi 1-(-5). Saint Louis: Tagovailoa 7-58, Jahred Silofau 3-51, Dylan-James Silva 5-16, Chevan Cordeiro 2-15, Lefau 11-16, Gonsalves 5-6, Maika Bonner 2-3, Team 1(-1).

PASSING—Mililani: Milton 5-14-3-82, Kuboyama-Hayashi 10-15-1-165. Saint Louis: Tagovailoa 15-18-0-376, Cordeiro 1-1-0-8.

RECEIVING—Mililani: Timoteo 7-158, Rico Sallas 3-17, Bryson Ventura 1-40, Tauai 2-14, Jarod Alama 1-15, Malepeai 1-3. Saint Louis: Lefau 4-102, Lanakila Wilson 4-74, Noah Alejado 3-80, Spear 3-41, Kobayashi 1-76, Ronson Yuong 1-11.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS—Mililani: Jalen Olomua 9 tackles, 1 TFL; Kaimana Padello 6 tackles; Ma’a Tanuvasa 6 tackles, fumble recovery; Isaac Liva 2 tackles, 1 sack. Saint Louis: Dylan Toilolo 11 tackles, 2 FF, sack; Isaac Slade-Matautia 7 tackles, FF, FR, PD; Timbroza 5 tackles, 2 int; Nichols 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL, FF; Jalen Saole 3 tackles, 2 int, 2 PD.

Attendance: 11,704