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A late-first-half eruption catapulted Mililani past Campbell 42-14 in the OIA football quarterfinals Friday night at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium.
The No. 4 Trojans broke a 14-14 deadlock with two late touchdowns before the break and then ran away with it in the second half. They’ll face Farrington next week in the semifinals at Aloha Stadium.
"It wasn’t easy," Mililani coach Rod York said. "We were lucky to win and now we move on. Any time you play Campbell, you better strap it up. All the kids turned it on (to break the tie). It’s on them."
No. 10 Campbell (6-4) opened the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Brannon Bantolina for a 7-0 lead.
But the Trojans (8-1) fought back to make it 14-all, and it looked like that’s what the score would be at halftime.
Mililani’s Dayton Furuta, however, capped an 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 21-14 with 2:22 left in the half.
The Trojans’ Russel Satele recovered a bold onside kick to put Mililani back in business at the Campbell 31, and after a 10-yard sack, quarterback Jarin Morikawa hit Erren Jean-Pierre in stride for a 41-yard touchdown and a 28-14 lead at halftime.
"We felt like we had an opportunity (to do the onside kick) and we took advantage of it," York said.
Morikawa completed 24 of 42 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns.
"We feel like we’re the best team and we want to prove it," Morikawa said about going to the semifinals. "We want to make a statement. We didn’t give up (when the score was tied) and we got through it."
The Mililani defense had six sacks on two Campbell quarterbacks, and Mene Parese was responsible for two of them.
After halftime, Morikawa led a 75-yard touchdown drive that he finished off with a 21-yard scoring pass to Ekolu Ramos for a commanding 34-14 lead with 1:47 to go in the third.
"Morikawa was spectacular tonight," Sabers coach Amosa Amosa said. "Early on, we controlled the ball and our defense was getting to him. He put on a clinic after that. You can only keep him down for so long."
After the game, Morikawa said he has given an oral commitment to Illinois State.
The Sabers got a big performance from quarterback Justin Tago Su’e, who completed 15 of 19 passes for 171 yards. He ran for a 12-yard score for a 14-7 first-quarter lead.
The Campbell defense sacked Morikawa three times, one each by Canaan Saole, Jerney Tago Su’e and Guy Silva.
"We’re telling our kids to keep their heads up," Amosa said. "It was a great season."
The Trojans capped the scoring on Furuta’s 6-yard TD and Ryan Reedy’s 2-point conversion run with 3:56 left in the game.
At Mililani
| Campbell (6-4) |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
14 |
| Mililani (8-1) |
7 |
21 |
6 |
8 |
— |
42 |
Camp–Brannon Bantolina 95 kickoff return (Tyler Subia kick)
Mil–Dayton Furuta 1 run (Ryan Carlomany kick)
Camp–Justin Tago-Sue 12 run (Subia kick)
Mil–Preston Sinn 26 pass from Jarin Morikawa (Carlomany kick)
Mil–Furuta 2 run (Carlomany kick)
Mil–Erren Jean-Pierre 41 pass from Morikawa (Carlomany kick)
Mil–Ekolu Ramos 21 pass from Morikawa (kick failed)
Mil–Furuta 6 run (Ryan Reedy run)
RUSHING–Campbell: Triston Pebria 10-43, Paul-Andrew Rhoden 8-27, Isaac Hurd 4-3, Tago-Sue 11-(-7), TEAM 1-(-16). Mililani: Furuta 10-42, Kobe Antolin 2-10, Antonio Boies 3-9, Morikawa 5-(-35).
PASSING–Campbell: Tago-Sue 15-20-0-171, Hurd 1-1-0-12. Mililani: Morikawa 24-42-0-367.
RECEIVING–Campbell: Amosa Amosa, Jr. 4-34, Bantolina 3-22, Bronson Ader 3-20, Rhoden 2-24, Quinton Chandler 1-49, Solomon Leaeno 1-16, Brant Cadelina 1-9, Kainoa Perry 1-9. Mililani: Ramos 7-116, Sinn 5-35, Jean-Pierre 4-105, Dustin Camarillo 4-56, Kainoa Wilson 3-52, Dakota Turner 1-3.
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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM