The quest for a fourth OIA Division I championship in the past eight years got one step closer for No. 3 Mililani on Friday night via a 42-6 rout of No. 6 Waianae at Aloha Stadium.
The win set up a title-game showdown against No. 2 Kahuku on Nov. 4 against a Red Raiders team whose OIA résumé is even brighter than the Trojans’. Kahuku is going for its fifth crown in the past seven years.
Expect that championship skirmish to be won at the line of scrimmage. Mililani’s domination in the trenches was the difference Friday. Behind a tactically efficient, veteran offensive wall, the Trojans (10-0) rushed for 186 yards and passed for 186 more against the Seariders’ defense, which is considered one of the best in the league. On the other side of the ball, led by a miserly, gap-filling front seven, Mililani yielded 135 yards of Waianae offense and gave up just 18 yards rushing to All-State first-team running back Rico Rosario.
“The O-line, they get endless love,” Trojans quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “They’re top notch and I can’t complain. I didn’t get touched for a long time. They’re a big reason why we win and I can’t thank them enough. Waianae was smashmouth, but we just stuck to our game and executed. As long as we believe in coach (Rod) York and his game plan, good things can happen.”
The touchdowns came quickly and often for the Trojans, who built a 35-0 lead at the half on the strength of Jalen Tuivaiave-Olomua’s scoring runs of 2, 15 and 28 yards. Gabriel added to the output with a 20-yard TD strike to Josiah Sampaga and a 1-yard TD run.
“Our kids, they’re on another level right now and they’re believing in the team and playing for one another,” said York, whose team won its 14th straight game, the longest active streak in the state. “It’s a special group this year, and hopefully we can take that into next week’s game against Kahuku. It’s gonna be a tough one.”
Waianae’s offense never got untracked, running into Mililani’s carefully constructed defensive minefield that was led by end Shane Kady, tackle Mykah Tuiolemotu and linebacker Darius Muasau.
“You try to mimic them in practice, but it’s hard,” Waianae coach Walter Young said. “They’ve got a lot of speed, they’re strong, they’re tough. We tried, but we’ll go back home and regroup and get ready for the next game.”
The Seariders (6-4) missed out on their bid for a first OIA championship since 1997, but are still alive for a state berth, something both Kahuku and Mililani clinched Friday. They play Campbell (7-4) in the league’s D-I third-place game on Nov. 4, with the winner moving on and the loser done for the season.
With a running clock for the whole second half, Mililani struck for the final time late in the third quarter on Gabriel’s 28-yard TD pass to an in-stride Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi.
With two minutes left in the third, Kaai Tamboan-Kaeo’s 25-yard up-the-gut TD run put Waianae on the board. Then, after Kanai Mauga gave the Seariders some more hope by recovering the ensuing onside kick, one of Waianae’s best drives of the night ended on downs at the Mililani 21 with six minutes to go.
“Winning up front was key and our offensive and defensive line did really well,” Mililani’s York said. “Hat’s off to Waianae. They’re a great team and they’ll be back.”
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NO. 3 MILILANI 42, NO. 6 WAIANAE 6
at Aloha Stadium
>> Waianae (6-4) 0 0 6 0 — 6
>> Mililani (10-0) 21 14 7 0 — 42
Mil—Jalen Tuivaiave-Olomua 2 run (Damien Santiago kick)
Mil—Josiah Sampaga 20 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Mil—Tuivaiave-Olomua 15 run (Santiago kick)
Mil—Tuivaiave-Olomua 28 run (Santiago kick)
Mil—Gabriel 1 run (Santiago kick)
Mil—Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 28 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Wain—Kaai Tamboan-Kaeo 25 run (kick failed)
RUSHING—Waianae: Tamboan-Kaeo 9-58, Eteuati Lui 6-31, Skyler Kaleiohi 5-21, Rico Rosario 9-18, Kana‘i Mauga 1-9, Justin Tacgere 6-3, Elijah Lujan 1-(minus-1), Team 1-(minus-7). Mililani: Tuivaiave-Olomua 8-72, Kilifi Malepeai 7-60, Gabriel 6-41, Kailiohu Kila 2-9, Keola Wilhelm 3-4.
PASSING—Waianae: Tacgere 1-10-1-3, Lujan 0-1-0-0, Kaeiohi 0-1-1-0. Mililani: Gabriel 15-24-1-186, Kuboyama-Hayashi 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Keoki Davis 1-3. Mililani: Kuboyama-Hayashi 6-76, Raysen Motoyama 3-38, Nayyir Muhammad 3-37, Sampaga 2-26, Malepeai 1-9.
