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Defense defined Saint Louis’ latest conquest as the Crusaders continued their pursuit of a fourth straight state championship and set up a familiar duel in the final.
No. 1 Saint Louis converted two interceptions into touchdown drives and returned another for a score while smothering No. 4 Mililani in a 35-0 victory Friday at Aloha Stadium in the Open Division semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships.
The Crusaders (11-0) held the Trojans to 106 yards in total offense and also scored on special teams as they marched into their fifth straight state final, where they will face No. 3 Kahuku in the finale of the state championship tripleheader next Friday at Aloha Stadium.
>> Click here to see photos of the game between Saint Louis and Mililani.
Coming off a three-week break since clinching the ILH title with a win over Punahou on Nov. 1, Saint Louis posted its second shutout of the season and quarterback Jayden de Laura threw two touchdown passes, both going to Roman Wilson.
“Coming off (the) bye we put a lot of hard work and preparation into this game,” said Saint Louis linebacker Lawai’alani Brown, who scored on a 70-yard interception return in the third quarter. “This is what we’ve been waiting for, moments like this.”
Saint Louis, ranked sixth nationally, extended its winning streak to 37 and will face Kahuku in a state championship game for the fourth time in the past five years. The Crusaders’ 38-17 win over Mililani in last year’s final represents the outlier in that span.
But Saint Louis coach Cal Lee wanted to take at least a moment to savor the hurdle immediately behind before focusing on the one ahead.
“After this game I want to maybe just get some orange juice and relax and take it easy,” said Lee, who will have a shot at a 19th Prep Bowl or state championship next week. “We’ll have time (today).”
Since the advent of the Prep Bowl in 1973, Saint Louis has reached the season’s final game 30 times and will face Kahuku for a Prep Bowl or state championship for the 13th time since 1989. The Crusaders enter the latest matchup with a 7-5 advantage in title games.
Saint Louis has won the last five meetings overall since Kahuku’s 39-14 win in the 2015 Division I final.
“It’s a great energy when you come into the stadium,” Brown said. “They bring their whole town and and it’s just a great environment to play in.”
No. 4 Mililani (8-5) saw Saint Louis end its season for the third straight year after falling to the Crusaders in the 2017 semifinals and last year’s championship game.
Mililani stayed with Saint Louis early in their regular-season matchup on Sept. 27, taking a 14-13 lead into the second quarter before the Crusaders broke away for a 54-21 victory.
The Trojans struggled to sustain drives in the rematch and crossed midfield just once in the first three quarters.
“Saint Louis is a tough team. You make one mistake, they make you pay,” Mililani coach Rod York said.
“The offense gets all the credit because their QB and wide receivers and how good they do. But their defense is their staple.”
The Crusaders defense allowed just 36 yards in the first half Friday and Saint Louis took a 21-0 lead into the break.
De Laura completed 11 of 19 throws before the break, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Wilson in the first quarter to cap a three-play drive set up by an interception by Brian Cox.
The Crusaders converted an interception by Bronz Moore into a seven-play march bridging the quarter break. Facing fourth-and-1, de Laura ran an option to the left and pitched to Koali Nishigaya, who found room down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown run.
Mililani twice had issues with punt snaps and the second resulted in a Saint Louis touchdown when Kaiser Cambra-Cho pounced on a loose ball in the end zone in the second quarter.
The Crusaders opened the third quarter with a 14-play march with de Laura — who finished 15-for-26 for 99 yards — throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Wilson, who made the catch while lying on his back, to open up a 28-0 lead at the 7:57 mark.
“We can’t teach that,” Lee said. “He’s just an athlete that does a great job catching the ball and it showed tonight.”
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NO. 1 SAINT LOUIS 35, NO. 4 MILILANI 0
At Aloha Stadium
>> Mililani (8-5) 0 0 0 0 — 0
>> Saint Louis (11-0) 7 14 14 0 — 35
Saint Louis — Roman Wilson 25 pass from Jayden de Laura (Lason Napuunoa kick)
Saint Louis — Koali Nishigaya 40 run (Napuunoa kick)
Saint Louis — Kaiser Cambra-Cho fumble recovery in end zone (Napuunoa kick)
Saint Louis — Wilson 2 pass from de Laura (Napuunoa kick)
Saint Louis — Lawai ’alani Brown 70 interception return (Napuunoa kick)
RUSHING — Mililani: Jasiah Alcover 5-20, Malosi Sam 8-14, Isaiah Gideon 2-0, Brendyn Agbayani 1-0, Team 3-(-25). Saint Louis: Kaohu Kamakawiwo’ole 8-50, Nishigaya 3-47, Mason Taliulu 4-16, Kainalu Tumpap 5-14, Jason Cruz 1-4, Isaac Silva 1-4, Connor Apo 1-1, Justin Tsai 2-(-3), de Laura 5-(-14).
PASSING — Mililani: Agbayani 12-23-3-74, Gideon 2-4-0-23. Saint Louis: de Laura 15-26-0-99, Apo 2-3-0-5.
RECEIVING — Mililani: Koa Kalama 5-53, Kanoa Gibson 3-30, Raysen Motoyama 2-8, Kai Banks 2-(-5), Alcover 1-12, Mystic Sampaga 1-(-1). Saint Louis: Wilson 9-74, Silva 2-8, Nishigaya 2-8, Matthew Sykes 1-9, Keanu Wallace 1-5, Prince Solomon 1-0, Jacob LeLesch 1-0.
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