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Mililani won the coin toss prior to Saturday’s season opener and just about everything that followed went the Trojans’ way as well.
The third-ranked Trojans elected to receive the opening kickoff, took the lead less than three minutes later and rolled to a 44-6 nonleague win over Kailua at John Kauinana Stadium.
Dillon Gabriel, the only active quarterback on the Mililani roster, began his senior season by completing his first four throws on the Trojans’ opening possession and finished the night with three touchdown passes and 168 yards.
The Trojans managed 287 yards in total offense, while the defense held the visiting Surfriders to 152, 79 coming on Kailua’s lone touchdown.
“We looked like a unit. I think we played really well together, experience definitely showed,” said Gabriel, who played the entire game due to an injury to backup RJ Javar. “But we have some minor things we have to go back and fix.”
An injury to running back Kilifi Malepeai — who opened the scoring by running through, then spinning away from Kailua defenders on his way to a 26-yard touchdown run — was among the few low points for the Trojans on opening night.
Malepeai was injured at the end of a 20-yard burst that set up Mililani’s fourth touchdown of the first half and did not return. Mililani coach Rod York said Malepeai had a sprained ankle and is unsure of his availability for the Trojans’ Open Division matchup against Farrington next Saturday.
“If not … next guy has to get in and get going,” York said.
After Malepeai’s score, Gabriel connected with Ryan Chang on a 22-yard touchdown pass followed by an 18-yard dart to Reichel Vegas over the middle to cap the Trojans’ next possession. Raysen Motoyama and Dreyston Barquis finished off drives with short touchdown runs and Mililani took a 35-0 lead into halftime.
NEXT WEEK
FRIDAY
OIA-ILH Open Division
>> Kapolei vs. Kamehameha, at Aloha Stadium, 5 p.m.
>> Saint Louis vs. Waianae, at Aloha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
OIA-ILH Division I
>> Nanakuli at Aiea, 7:30 p.m.
>> Moanalua at Castle, 7:30 p.m.
>> Leilehua at Kailua, 7:30 p.m.
>> Damien at Radford, 7:30 p.m.
OIA-ILH Division II
>> Kalani vs. Kaimuki, at Skippa Diaz Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
>> Kalaheo at Kaiser, 7:30 p.m.
Nonleague
>> Kauai vs. Maui, at War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.
>> Waimea at Honokaa, 7 p.m.
Nonleague 8-man
>> Molokai at Pahoa, 6 p.m
SATURDAY
OIA-ILH Open Division
>> Farrington at Mililani, 6:30 p.m.
>> Punahou at Kahuku, 6:30 p.m.
OIA-ILH Division I
>> Waipahu at ‘Iolani, 3 p.m.
OIA-ILH Division II
>> McKinley vs. St. Francis, at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium, 3 p.m.
>> Pac-Five at Roosevelt, 5:30 p.m.
>> Pearl City at Waialua,6:30 p.m.
Nonleague
>> King Kekaulike at Hawaii Prep, noon
>> Bartlett (Anchorage, Alaska) vs. Baldwin, at War Memorial Stadium, 6 p.m.
>> Kapaa at Konawaena, 6 p.m.
“You give a team like that a short field, they’re gonna score,” Kailua coach Joseph Wong said. “They have a veteran quarterback and veteran receivers out there, they know how to play and they’ve been playing together for a while. You can never do that to anybody, let alone Mililani.”
Mililani freshman Kai Banks added to the lead in the third quarter by taking a swing pass and breaking loose for a 42-yard touchdown, and Shane Kady blocked a punt out of the end zone to account for the Trojans’ final points of the night.
Kailua managed just 19 yards in total offense in the first half and broke up the shutout in the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Cole Weber hit Kamryn Kahoonei on a slant for a 79-yard touchdown.
The evening began on a somber note with a moment of silence in honor of freshman Kekiai Hett, a Mililani junior varsity defensive lineman who died suddenly on Friday.
“It’s real tough. It was unexpected. Everybody loved Hett,” York said. “He was an incoming freshman, played on our 7-8 grade Millville team and did well and he was looking to have a good year. The team has rallied around his family and we preach, ‘One Trojan, one team, one family.’ Condolences to the Hett family.”
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GAME SUMMARY
No. 3 Mililani 44, Kailua 6
At Mililani
>> Kailua (0-1) 0 0 0 6 — 6
>> Mililani (1-0) 21 14 7 2 — 44
Mililani — Kilifi Malepeai 26 run (Liam McGehee kick)
Mililani — Ryan Chang 22 pass from Dillon Gabriel (McGehee kick)
Mililani — Reichel Vegas 18 pass from Gabriel (McGehee kick)
Mililani — Raysen Motoyama 4 run (McGehee kick)
Mililani — Dreyston Barquis 1 run (McGehee kick)
Mililani — Kai Banks 42 pass from Gabriel (McGehee kick)
Mililani — Safety, punt blocked out of end zone
Kailua — Kamryn Kahoonei 79 pass from Cole Weber (kick failed)
RUSHING — Kailua: Samson Rasay 7-8, Weber 4-16, Lahaina Kane 1-3, Brian Allen Kamanu 6-(-6), Raynen Ho-Mook 8-(-5). Mililani: Malepeai 7-67, Gabriel 4-34, Barquis 3-5, Keola Lanias 1-9, Motoyama 1-4.
PASSING — Kailua: Ho-Mook 9-20-0-32, Weber 3-5-0-106. Mililani: Gabriel 10-17-0-168.
RECEIVING — Kailua: Kahoonei 4-102, Isaiah Hopson 3-11, Solomon Farley 2-22, Kale Makaneole 1-5, Kaniala Williams 1-3, Rasay 1-(-5). Mililani: Vegas 3-40, Mystik Sampaga 1-29, Chang 4-57, Banks 1-42, Kanoa Gibson 1-0.
*JV — Mililani 50, Kailua 18
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