Well, that’s one less question for the Mililani Trojans to answer. With 362 yards and five touchdowns through the air in a 35-0 win over Waianae on Saturday night, Dillon Gabriel passed two Saint Louis legends, Timmy Chang and Tua Tagovailoa, to become the all-time career leader in passing yardage in Hawaii. Gabriel now has 8,201 yards. Tagovailoa, the starting quarterback at Alabama, compiled 8,158 yards in his prep career. Chang has 8,001 yards.
A sideline pass to Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi for 20 yards in the fourth quarter pushed Gabriel past Tagovailoa. Kuboyama-Hayashi finished with 10 receptions for 97 yards. He was one of 10 Trojans to make a reception.
The fourth-ranked Trojans improved to 3-0 in OIA Open play (5-2 overall). Waianae remains winless (0-5, 0-3 OIA Open) despite staying close for a long stretch. There wasn’t much they could do as Gabriel caught fire before halftime.
The senior needed 320 yards to pass the previous leader, Tagovailoa, but prior to the game, he had no interest in records. His concern was Waianae’s front seven.
“They bring six on their blitzes,” he said earlier in the day after a steady week of film study.
Kapolei hangs with No. 1
Saint Louis managed to survive without its starting quarterback on Friday, although the Crusaders’ 20th consecutive win wasn’t secure until the clock hit :00.
With Jayden de Laura sidelined, the Saint Louis defense helped stake the top-ranked Crusaders to a 23-0 lead on Kapolei in an OIA-ILH Open Division matchup on the West side. But the defending state champions ended up having to sweat out the final seconds before a walk-off sack by Jordan Botelho and Stanley McKenzie finished off a 30-22 victory.
“The bottom line is we got by,” Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said. “(Kapolei’s) a good football team. They have a good passing game. They scored on us a couple times and I have to give them credit. They never gave up. They kept battling all the way to the end until the clock hit zero.”
De Laura had started Saint Louis’ first four games and warmed up prior to Friday’s game despite a sore shoulder. He threw for 293 yards and a touchdown with four interceptions and ran for two scores in last week’s 35-28 win over Punahou. Lee said de Laura could have played on Friday, but sophomore Connor Apo, who had completed three of six passes for 55 yards in three appearances this season, was given his first start.
“It’s a physical game and kids are going to get banged up. They’re going to get hurt,” Lee said. “But (Apo) had a good chance to show his stuff and it was good experience for him.”
Liufau leads Punahou
It might be the flowing hair flopping back and forth, but Punahou’s Marist Liufau sure looks like a blur when he turns it on with intense closing speed on a defender.
Liufau has been a force as a Punahou outside linebacker for three seasons now and he dialed up another choice performance Saturday night in the third-ranked Buffanblu’s 43-14 victory over No. 5 Campbell in Ewa Beach.
Liufau finished with three sacks, including one for a safety to give Punahou its first two points of the game.
“We try to bring Marist from all over the place,” Punahou coach Kale Ane said. “And he loves doing it. He’s a spectacular player. He makes plays at linebacker, in the defensive backfield, at the line. He’s like Troy Polamalu for us. He carries a big stick.”
Akana brothers step up
St. Francis remained one of five undefeated teams in the state with a 13-0 shutout of Kaimuki on Saturday.
Quarterback Bubba Akana threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns, including one to his brother, Chase. They are both coached by their father, Kip Akana.
Shepherd Kekahuna had two interceptions and Sione Lolohea had three sacks for the Saints (6-0, 5-0 ILH D-II).
Kaimuki (4-2, 4-0 OIA D-II) lost for the first time to a Hawaii opponent.
“I like where the team is at. The defense was lights out,” Kip Akana said.
This week
The two top-ranked teams in the OIA will meet head-to-head on the North Shore.
No. 4 Mililani will play at No. 2 Kahuku for the first time since 2009 on Saturday night. The winner will be the only undefeated team remaining in OIA Open Division play.
The teams have played in three of the last four OIA title games, with Kahuku winning two.
