It was far from easy for the unbeaten Mililani Trojans, but once again, they did their best work after halftime.

Second-ranked Mililani turned a close game into a runaway with three unanswered touchdowns for a 48-26 win over Moanalua on Saturday night at rainy John Kauinana Stadium.

With the win, Mililani finished regular-season play 7-0 in the OIA Blue Division (8-0 overall). The Trojans had already clinched first place and a bye in the first round of the OIA D-I playoffs.

Moanalua dropped to 3-4, sharing fourth place with Kapolei, which beat Aiea on Saturday. Kapolei defeated Moanalua in regular-season play and has the tiebreaker edge, which means Kapolei gets to host its first playoff game, while Moanalua goes on the road.

The Trojans came up with five interceptions — they now have 19 picks for the season — and sacked Moanalua quarterback Kawika Keama-Jacobe six times, getting three sacks from Kaimana Padello.

"Up front is where our advantage is and we try to take advantage by getting mismatches, mixing up our blitz. To his credit, he scrambled around, planted his foot and sometimes he made plays," Mililani coach Rod York said of Keama-Jacobe.

The Mililani pass rush was so prevalent in the second half that Moanalua’s offensive line had a string of holding calls to kill any semblance of decent field position.

Offensively, the Trojans got their share of resistance from Moanalua’s quick secondary and persistent pass rush. McKenzie Milton threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, but had his lowest single-game completion rate (61 percent) and threw a rare interception. Moanalua’s swarming coverage limited him to a season-low 23 rushing yards on eight carries.

Running back Vavae Malepeai had to grind for every yard, finishing with 122 on 21 carries, scoring two touchdowns. The Trojans rushed for 210 yards on 40 carries and tallied 486 yards of total offense. Moanalua had 326 total yards, including 284 yards and four TDs through the air by Keama-Jacobe.

"The kids executed and played well. Hat’s off to Moanalua. They pushed us to our limit," York said. "Last week, they came from behind, double-digit (deficit) and won the game (at Kailua). We knew that coming in, Moanalua had heart and they’d fight for all four quarters."

Na Menehune needed a near-perfect performance to keep the game close.

"A lot of mistakes in the first half. A team like Mililani, you can’t turn it over six times," Moanalua coach Jason Cauley said. "All things considered, our offensive line did a great job against the talent (Mililani) has."

At John Kauinana Stadium

Mil—Vavae Malepeai 6 run (kick blocked)
Moan—Jason Sharsh 5 pass from Kawika Keama-Jacobe (Thomas Sheridan kick)
Mil—Roman Tovi 32 pass from McKenzie Milton (Jerrod Cunningham kick)
Mil—Bronson Ramos 65 pass from Milton (Jaren Zadlo pass from Milton)
Moan—Michael Feliciano 55 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Mil—Milton 5 run (Cunningham kick)
Mil—Malepeai 3 run (Cunningham kick)
Mil—Cheyne Constantino 1 run (kick failed)
Moan—Sharsh 20 pass from Keama-Jacobe (pass failed)
Mil—Chad Senas 36 pass from Milton (Cunningham kick)
Moan—Sharsh 15 pass from Keama-Jacobe (pass failed)

RUSHING—Moanalua: M. Feliciano 9-34, Keama-Jacobe 17-15, Sharsh 2-(minus 7). Mililani: Malepeai 21-122, Constantino 8-67, Milton 8-23, Bryson Ventura 1-5, Jaden Bantolina 1-1, team 1-(minus 8).
PASSING—Moanalua: Keama-Jacobe 22-40-5-284. Mililani: Milton 20-33-1-276.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Sharsh 8-96, Steve Feliciano 6-71, M. Feliciano 5-95, Karson Cruz 2-27, Isaiah Jackson 1-(minus 5). Mililani: Tovi 4-56, Ramos 3-84, Joshua Butac 3-9, Malepeai 2-27, Luani Matagiese 2-24, Ventura 2-11, Senas 1-36, Nick Culp 1-18, Kalakaua Timoteo 1-7, Isaiah Manding 1-4.
Junior Varsity—Game cancelled with 1:48 left in first quarter due to severe weather (lightning). Moanalua led 14-0.

ALSO
Waialua 27, Anuenue 14

FRIDAY’S LATE RESULTS

NANAKULI 27, RADFORD 26
At Roosevelt

Nan—FG Clifford Cunningham 36
Rad—Thomas Reid 12 pass from Andrew Morgan (Kara Downey kick)
Nan—Kale Kanehailua 9 run (Cunningham kick)
Rad—Rashon Osborne 24 run (Downey kick)
Nan—Kanehailua 20 run (Cunningham kick)
Rad—Reid 17 pass from Morgan (kick failed)
Nan—Makaila Haina-Horswill 70 run (Cunningham kick)
Nan—FG Cunningham 21
Rad—Reid 12 pass from Morgan (2-point attempt failed on bad snap)

RUSHING—Nanakuli: Haina-Horswill 20-189, Kanehailua 13-35, Isain Wong 2-5, Randy Manewa 1-15, Luke Luna-Luuloa 3-(minus 31), Haku Kamai 1-8. Radford: Chance Cacatian 17-107, Morgan 9-(minus 31), Justin Lugo 1-(minus 3), Osborne 2-27, Reid 1-16.
PASSING—Nanakuli: Kanehailua 15-28-1-197. Radford: Morgan 20-32-0-227.
RECEIVING—Nanakuli: Cunningham 5-100, Wong 4-8, Luna-Luuloa 1-14, Edward Sellers 1-29, Louis Hulama 2-1, Brandon Sevellino 1-43, Haina-Horswill 1-2. Radford: Reid 8-133, Lugo 6-61, Solomon Loggins 2-20, Cacatian 2-7, Osborne 2-6.
Junior varsity—Nanakuli 27, Radford 21

KAIMUKI 45, KALAHEO 18

At Kaiser

Kaim—Safety
Kaim—Billy Masima 5 run (Lloyd kick)
Kalh—Matthew Sasaki 9 pass from Tommy Capplonch (Francisco Cadillo kick)
Kalh—FG Cadillo 23
Kaim—Tevita Lino 1 run (Dathan Lloyd kick)
Kaim—Nixon Siona 23 pass from Lino (Lloyd run)
Kaim—Lino 13 run (Lloyd kick)
Kaim—Sean Noda 72 run (Lloyd kick)
Kalh—Kaliu Lapera 5 run (Capplonch run)
Kaim—John Sunia 6 run (Lloyd kick)

RUSHING—Kaimuki: Noda 22-205, Lino 5-24, Masima 5-24, Sunia 1-6, Ivan Maio 1-0, Lloyd 1-0. Kalaheo: Kawika Cavanh 17-102, Capllonch 7-37, Lapera 7-13, Sasaki 1-0, Dylan Kirk 1-(minus 17).
PASSING—Kaimuki: Lino 8-12-0-115. Kalaheo: Capplonch 6-22-1-97, Kirk 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING—Kaimuki: Siona 3-61, Lloyd 2-25, Noda 1-15, Ieke Seei-Cleveland 1-10, Sloan Fuller 1-4. Kalaheo: Caden Smith 2-55, Sasaki 2-36, Dillon Veneziani 1-5, Lapera 1-1.