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One simple mistake for Campbell. One clutch comeback by Mililani.
Kini McMillan’s 41-yard bomb to Onosa’i Salanoa tied the score, and Mikel Paiva’s PAT kick gave No. 3 Mililani the lead with 2:18 left, and the Trojans escaped with a thrilling 35-34 win over No. 5 Campbell on Saturday night before a packed house at John Kauinana Stadium.
“We just stayed confident and never gave up. It’s a team game. We wanted this win badly after the loss (to Mission Viejo),” said Salanoa, who finished with nine receptions for 89 yards. “I had to make a play for the team. Coach (Rod York) called me a play and I made the most out of the opportunity.”
Mililani cornerback Gavin Hunter had two interceptions and hauled in a TD pass. Jordan Fetu also had two picks for Mililani, while Campbell sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele passed for 336 yards and three TDs. Hunter praised his soph QB, McMillan, and Salanoa.
“You don’t see a sophomore-to-sophomore connection to win a game very often,” Hunter said.
Fetu’s second interception, this one in the end zone, and a return to midfield just about sealed the win, except McMillan fumbled the snap on the ensuing — and planned — kneel-down. Campbell recovered at its 42-yard line with nine seconds to play.
Sagapolutele completed a 16-yard pass to Mason Muaau. With three seconds left, his Hail Mary toss into the end zone fell incomplete, ending what was, to this point, the game of the year.
The visiting Sabers seemed to have the game under control when Rowan Bucao scored on a 33-yard screen play with 4:37 remaining in regulation. However, Campbell missed the ensuing point-after kick, opening the door for Mililani.
“They’re loaded. It came down to heart, to execution, and at the end of the day, we made just one more play. We could’ve easily lost the game,” York said. “I would’ve been fine with it. No matter what, we’ve got to get better.”
The Trojans hit pay dirt on the game’s opening series. McMillan needed just five plays to get them into the end zone, connecting with Raymond Roller near the sideline, and the speedster raced for a 53-yard TD.
Sagapolutele answered with an eight-play, 57-yard march. He found Muaau in the left corner of the end zone, and the Colorado State commit made a dazzling diving grab — a 9-yard TD — for Campbell’s first score, tying the game at 7 with 7:01 to go in the first quarter.
Hunter had the first of his two interceptions to end Campbell’s next series, but again, the Trojans offense stalled.
Campbell broke the stalemate early in the second quarter. Sagapolutele’s 50-yard bomb to Rowen Bucao set up a 1-yard TD run by Tana Togafau-Tavui, who lined up as a wildcat QB. The Sabers led 14-7 with 10:38 to go in the first half.
Hunter’s second pick was on a deep ball by Sagapolutele, and the Trojans responded with a 19-play, 85-yard march. McMillan found no receivers open, darted to the goal line, and his teammates moved the scrum past the goal line for a 7-yard touchdown.
Mililani then tried a fake on the PAT, but the run was stopped short and Campbell had a 14-13 lead with 2:22 left in the second quarter.
The Sabers got a 31-yard scoring pass from Sagapolutele to Togafau-Tavui with 13 seconds to go in the first half, but it was negated by a penalty.
The third quarter was a defensive stalemate until Kela Moore stepped in front of a Mililani receiver in deep coverage and returned his interception 74 yards for a TD. The Sabers led 21-13 with 5:52 left in the third stanza.
Bucao, who had a 50-yard reception earlier, came up with a 34-yard TD on a screen pass from Sagapolutele. Campbell extended the lead to 28-13 with 4:01 to go in the third quarter.
Just when Campbell seemed to have complete momentum, Mililani went heavy on its ground attack to cut the margin to seven points. Kingsten Samuelu carried the load five times during the drive, and McMillan scored on a read-option keeper for a 4-yard TD.
McMillan’s PAT pass to Hunter brought Mililani within 28-21 with 45 seconds to go in the third.
After a Mililani interception, the Trojans took possession at its 25-yard line. Eight plays later, using Samuelu to run for gains of 11 and 10 yards, McMillan launched a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hunter in the right corner of the end zone. Paiva’s PAT kick tied it at 28 with 9:41 remaining.
Sagapolutele led the Sabers downfield on a seven-play, 58-yard drive. His screen pass to Bucao turned into a 33-yard TD, but the extra-point kick sailed left. Campbell led 34-28 with 4:38 left.
Then, the incredible finish. An encroachment penalty against Campbell on fourth-and-4 kept Mililani’s drive alive. On the next play, McMillan heaved a perfect deep ball to Salanoa in the right corner of the end zone.
Mililani extended its win streak to 13 over Campbell, which last beat the Trojans in 2011. Mililani will host Moanalua next Saturday. Campbell will entertain Leilehua, also on Saturday.
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MILILANI 35, CAMPBELL 34
At John Kauinana Stadium
Campbell (2-1, 1-1)7 7 14 6 — 34
Mililani (2-1, 1-0) 7 6 8 14 — 35
Mil—Raymond Roller 53 pass from Kini McMillan (Mikel Paiva kick)
Camp—Mason Muaau 9 pass from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cristian Wyckstandt kick)
Camp—Tana Togafau-Tavui 1 run (Wyckstandt kick)
Mil—McMillan 7 run (run failed)
Camp—Kela Moore 74 interception return (Wyckstandt kick)
Camp—Rowan Bucao 34 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)
Mil—Gavin Hunter 20 pass from McMillan (Paiva kick)
Camp—Bucao 33 pass from Sagapolutele (kick failed)
Mil—Onosa‘i Salanoa 41 pass from McMillan (Paiva kick)
RUSHING—Campbell: Bucao 8-20, Orion Bayot 1-4, Chauncee Lopez 3-2, Togafau-Tavui 1-1, Sagapolutele 3-(minus 5), team 1-(minus 12). Mililani: Kingsten Samuelu 11-82, McMillan 11-40, Sisco Kaleopaa-Ancheta 7-20, Jaylan Johnson 3-10, Nakoa Kahana-Travis 1-6, team 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Campbell: Sagapolutele 23-48-4-336. Mililani: McMillan 29-43-1-273.
RECEIVING—Campbell: Togafau-Tavui 9-126, Muaau 5-44, Bucao 4-121, Dallas Fonseca-Juan 3-22, Kanoa Ferreira 1-14, Lopez 1-9. Mililani: Salanoa 9-89, Roller 8-95, Hunter 4-52, Isaiah Padello 3-12, Lehiwa Kahana-Travis 2-7, Kaleopaa-Ancheta 2-3, Derek Tsuchiyama 1-15.
Junior Varsity—Mililani 33, Campbell 14
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