Dillon Gabriel has always been a stickler.
He likes his routines. He likes structure. Yet, when it’s time to buck the trend, he picks spots on and off the field wisely.
That’s how potential becomes a reality. The Mililani senior reached a milestone on Saturday, passing for 362 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Waianae. With a 20-yard completion to Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi, Gabriel became Oahu’s all-time career passing yardage leader. He surpassed Saint Louis legends Timmy Chang, then Tua Tagovailoa in one night.
All he cares about is the team. Mililani is 3-0 in OIA Open play (5-2 overall) with a showdown at Kahuku coming up. It was with a bit of hesitation that Gabriel opened up to being singled out for his statistics, but he carries the responsibility of being a senior leader comfortably.
The preparation, the development, the astronomical results. Even with a shoulder injury, Gabriel now has 8,201 passing yards. This season, he has passed for 1,738 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The numbers have been the byproduct of consistency, even though this year’s ILH-OIA Open Division slate has been spectacularly difficult.
It starts with work ethic
It starts, however, with the work ethic and character of the team, from the offensive line to running backs to receivers to Gabriel.
“He is such a humble kid,” Mililani coach Rod York said. “He puts in the work. If I ask him to watch film, he’ll ask when and where.”
The one person who is unfazed and, for the most part, uninterested in individual feats is the same person whose name is at the top of the list. Gabriel is so focused on one task at a time, and then building toward perfection each week.
“Not to be disrespectful at all, but if we have to run the ball the whole game, it’s just whatever it takes to win,” Gabriel said. “We don’t really care about stats. I think that’s what everybody gets caught up in these days.”
The comparisons are inevitable. Gabriel turned down an offer from Hawaii and committed to Army. High school coaches have plenty to say about Gabriel.
“Dillon reminds me a lot of (former Mililani standout) McKenzie Milton and (former Saint Louis standout) Chevan Cordeiro, where you not only have to account for his passing accuracy, but his ability to make things happen with his legs,” said Farrington coach Daniel Sanchez, whose team lost to Mililani early in the season.
Another victim to Mililani was Kamehameha (31-24).
“I like his composure. Seeing him out in public, he doesn’t take himself too seriously, and is very respectful,” Warriors coach Abu Maafala said. “He has a cannon for an arm, has great touch and accuracy when he has time.”
Punahou coach Kale Ane sees some similar aspects between Gabriel and Tagovailoa.
“Like Tua, he gets the ball out quickly and he can run,” Ane said. “He’s not as big as Tua, but he’s able to get out of the pocket or run. He’s accurate on the move and smart enough to get out of bounds.”
During middle school, while Gabriel was at Punahou, it seemed like the right place and time to work toward becoming the next potential starting QB in a powerhouse ILH program. Gabriel decided otherwise.
“I think it’s not necessarily what school you’re going to. It’s how much you apply yourself. I didn’t like everyone sacrificing so much for me. Not so much that it was a burden, but it was a lot of money,” he said.
Mililani was a perfect match
So the southpaw slinger wound up attending Mililani. He tried out for the Mill Vill JPS League program, which has the DNA of the system at Mililani High School. It was a match made in heaven.
“Basically, I didn’t have to teach him too much,” York said. “He kind of knew it. We had to teach him how to make the reads, but he didn’t have to start from scratch and we didn’t have to show him how to throw the ball. His football IQ is so high, it made things so much easier.”
In Mililani’s offense, Dillon Gabriel was already equipped to handle the basic mechanical aspects of quarterbacking. It was a matter of reps on the field as an eighth-grader with Mill Vill that harnessed his physical ability and polished his timing in the run-pass-option offense. By his freshman year, Gabriel was pressed into varsity action when Milton suffered a shoulder injury. Milton has gone on to higher heights at Central Florida, a candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
Now, Gabriel is a senior. Kahuku awaits this weekend. First place in the OIA Open is at stake.
“Everyone buys into Coach Rod’s system. You can’t make it about yourself,” he said. “Truly, I’d rather have an ugly win than a beautiful loss.”
DILLON GABRIEL
• Mililani football • Senior
FAVORITES/Q&A
>> Athlete: LeBron James.
>> Team: Los Angeles Rams
>> Food (at home): Pasta (by mom, Dori)
>> Food (eating out): CPK
>> Hobby: Golfing range
>> Movie: “The Notebook”
>> Video game: Madden
>> Music artist: Lil Skies
>> GPA: 3.8
>> Class: Math
>> Scripture: Luke 10:27
>> What dad (Garrett) says: “Pick up your feet.”
>> Did you know: Dillon is named after former New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon. Dillon’s younger brother is named Roman Gabriel, after the former Rams quarterback. … Dillon’s father, Garrett, has gone down in UH football lore as the quarterback who beat rival BYU in 1989 and 1990. The second victory vs. then No. 4-ranked BYU came against Ty Detmer, who won the Heisman
Trophy on the day of the game.
