One round trip, one come-from-behind victory.

Mission accomplished for the Campbell Sabers, who returned from the Big Island with a big 42-27 win over BIIF champion Hilo last weekend.

But here comes another mission. No travel fare this time, just old nemesis Mililani.

The Sabers know their OIA Red West foe well. They led the Trojans 21-7 in their regular-season battle before miscues fueled a Trojan comeback. Mililani’s 42-21 win kept a remarkable streak alive of nine victories in a row.

When second-ranked Mililani (10-1) and No. 5 Campbell (9-3) meet on Friday, a spot in the title game of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I State Football Championships will be at stake. It would be unprecedented territory for either program.

Mililani will be well rested after last week’s bye — a major perk for being seeded No. 2 — and there is an appetite that has yet to be satisfied.

"That was over a month ago when we played them and I know Campbell’s a whole lot better. They’re peaking at the right time," Mililani coach Rod York said. "Their defense is underrated, really fast. They’re physical and they’re active. They’re great tacklers. You don’t see a lot of guys getting yards after the catch."

York hasn’t forgotten the spectacular plays of Campbell’s defense, particularly a 100-yard interception return to paydirt by Sabers safety Solomon Matautia.

"I watch the film and I admire their defense," he said.

The Sabers held on for a win over Hilo last week in a game that was in the Vikings’ favor, 17-14, late in the third quarter. That explosive Campbell offense, spearheaded by quarterback Isaac Hurd, has all the elements of coach Amosa Amosa’s philosophy. For York, facing Campbell always means seeing an old friend from childhood.

"Amosa’s uncle, Sala, and my dad (Rod Tanu) are best friends. We go way back, watch (UH) games, tailgate," York recalled.

Sala Amosa, a lead dancer, and Rod Tanu, a co-star, were part of Al Harrington’s show.

"They were close when we didn’t have houses, didn’t have money to go McDonald’s," York said.

On the field, however, it’s all about competition.

"The first time, it was two different halves. We were down 21-7 because of turnovers," York said. "That’s the key to the game, the turnover situation."

The Trojans’ offensive fireworks is a bit of a surprise coming just one year after the graduation of prolific quarterback Jarin Morikawa. Sophomore running back Vavae Malepeai (1,266 yards, 19 touchdowns) has been a force of nature and another 10th grader, McKenzie Milton, has been a pleasant surprise at quarterback. Milton has been an effective passer (1,323 yards, 13 TDs, three interceptions) and scrambler (453 rushing yards, four TDs).

But York isn’t assuming anything. He’s taken his share of deep shots as the offensive play-caller this season, but is still a defense-first guy.

"We have our game plan and our contingency plan, and a contingency plan for the contingency plan. Amosa will have his guys ready," York said. "We started the season with seven returning starters on defense. Most of our captains are on defense. Everything we do starts with our defense."

York, a former defensive lineman who played at UH, would be content to grind out a win with his defense and running game. But the weaponry in his arsenal — from McKenzie to receivers Bronsen Ader (56 receptions, 572 yards, three TDs), Kaimi Wilson (34-502-4), Bronson Ramos (14-253) and Ryan Reedy (13-179-2) — comes in handy when defenses crowd the box.

In their previous game, a 37-6 win over Farrington for the OIA Red crown, the Trojans weren’t as precise as York wanted.

"We had a lot of mistakes. McKenzie did a lot of running. His legs have got us a lot of plays. I’m not going to put handcuffs on him. The offense is to get the ball out to the playmaker, so it’s been a blessing that the quarterback is a playmaker, too," York said.

Another bonus, if risky sometimes, is that York allows his starting defense to go full-throttle against his starting offense. That means his swarming defense, led by linebackers Jacob Afele and Dayton Furuta, have plenty of experience chasing fleet-footed quarterbacks. That helps against the nimble Hurd.

The Campbell senior has passed for 2,438 yards and 23 touchdowns, and is difficult to stop one on one when he races out of the pocket. Hurd, at 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds, has rushed for 516 yards and 11 TDs.

That makes Afele a busy man each time these teams meet.

"I call him ‘lights out’ Afele. He makes a lot of plays. People don’t know about his leadership on the field, pumping his teammates up. He goes up to them and gets in their ear," York said. "He might be our most underrated defensive player."

Coralling Hurd and running back Austin May (698, four TDs) is a must, but so is smart coverage. Hurd burned Hilo with four scoring strikes and continually went deep.

"It’s tough because every time he threw a bomb, he connected. We definitely want to contain Hurd and their other guys," York said.

The "other guys" are playing reliably. Hurd went to his five primary receivers from start to finish, spraying the ball around the field. Kainoa Perry (56-596-5), Jayce Bantolina (32-512-5), Amosa Amosa Jr. (29-396-4), Galuenga Castro (24-292-3) and Keola Himan (19-436-4) each played a key role in the quarterfinal win.

The Sabers have often played close against Mililani, but the Trojans have won nine of their past 10 meetings. The past three games, including two last year, have gone Mililani’s way. The men of Troy have won last year’s matchups 42-14 and 45-26.