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Kini McMillan passed for 416 yards and five touchdowns as Mililani rallied in the second half for a 39-29 win over Campbell in the semifinals of the OIA Open Division playoffs at John Kauinana Stadium.
The Trojans trailed 21-13 at halftime but scored 19 unanswered points.
With a 26-21 Mililani lead, a pivotal play came on a pass near the goal line that was apparently caught by Campbell playmaker Tana Togafau-Tavui, who lost the ball as he was hit by Mililani defensive back Ezekiel Rodrigues. The bang-bang play led to a fumble return by Kayden Anzaldo to the Campbell 41-yard line.
“That was a fumble. Right there, Ezekiel forced (the fumble). They were in bunch and the receiver came over the middle. Zeke drove on it, made a big hit and the ball was on the ground. I just picked it up and went,” Anzaldo said.
Togafau-Tavui disagreed.
“At first I thought they blew the whistle, but they didn’t. They picked up the ball and started running. I tried telling the ref it was an incomplete pass,” he said.
Anzaldo’s 50-yard return set his offense up nicely. Four plays later, McMillan’s back-shoulder laser to Onosa’i Salanoa near the right pylon added to Mililani’s lead. The 12-yard TD opened the margin to 32-21 with 42 seconds left in the third.
Playing to the whistle, a defensive play made the difference in a game that featured two 400-yard passing performances. McMillan completed 30 of his 47 attempts, throwing an interception only on a Hail Mary pass to end the first half.
Campbell’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele passed for 457 yards and four TDs with one pick, by Gavin Hunter. Sagapolutele completed his first 10 pass attempts and finished 34-for-51.
Hunter was one of many big playmakers, scoring on a TD pass in addition to the pick.
Mililani (7-3 overall) will play the Kahuku-Kapolei winner next week for the OIA title. Campbell will play the Kahuku-Kapolei loser for third place and the league’s final state-tournament berth.
The second-quarter interception by Hunter on a deep out pass from Sagapolutele gave Mililani the ball at the Campbell 45-yard line. Four plays later, McMillan’s perfect spiral found Raymond Roller on a slant route, and the speedy senior raced to pay dirt for a 39-yard TD. After an illegal substitution penalty on the PAT, Mililani’s kick was blocked. Campbell still had the lead, 14-13, with 5:09 left in the first half.
The Sabers reclaimed momentum on the next snap from scrimmage. Sagapolutele heaved a perfect deep ball down the right sideline to Mason Muaau, who collected the ball near midfield and raced home to the end zone, fending off a tackler inside the 5-yard line for an 80-yard TD. Campbell led 21-13 with 4:47 to go before the half.
Campbell got another big break in the final three minutes of the first half, intercepting a fake-punt pass by Mikel Paiva at the 48-yard line, but a sack by Jabiel Lauvao thwarted the Sabers’ drive.
The Trojans marched into the end zone on their first series of the second half. McMillan found Jensyn McGee for a 31-yard TD pass. The 2-point attempt failed on a reverse to Roller, but Mililani was within 21-19 with 10:37 left in the third quarter.
Another defensive stand by Mililani led to a Campbell punt. The Trojans drove 77 yards in seven plays. A 46-yard catch-and-run by Roller set up a 15-yard TD pass from McMillan to Hunter, the two-way playmaker. Mililani led for the first time, 26-21, with 4:54 left in the third stanza.
Then came the pivotal play on the fumble by Campbell deep in Mililani territory, followed by Salanoa’s TD haul.
Despite a sack by the Trojans, Sagapolutele led the Sabers on a seven-play, 64-yard drive. His 11-yard lob to the left back corner was hauled in by Togafau-Tavui for a TD. After converting a tough 2-point pass to Rusten Abang, Campbell was within 32-29 with 10:59 remaining.
Mililani’s defense stopped Campbell on a fourth-and-4 at the Sabers 43-yard line with 8:21 to play. The Trojans then drove to pay dirt in five plays. McMillan found Roller open on the left sideline, and again he beat his defender for a big gain. That 31-yard pickup, plus a roughing-the-passer flag, set up Mililani at the Campbell 4-yard line. On third and goal, McMillan found Derek Tsuchiyama standing near the right pylon for a 3-yard TD.
Mililani led 39-29 with 6:41 left.
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MILILANI 39, CAMPBELL 29
At John Kauinana Stadium
Campbell (6-3) 7 14 0 8 — 29
Mililani (7-3) 7 6 19 7 — 39
Camp—Mason Muaau 64 pass from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cristian Wyckstandt kick)
Mil—Kingsten Samuelu 6 run (Mikel Paiva kick)
Camp—Dallas Fonseca-Juan 7 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)
Mil—Raymond Roller 39 pass from Kini McMillan (kick blocked)
Camp—Muaau 80 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)
Mil—Jensyn McGee 31 pass from McMillan (run failed)
Mil—Gavin Hunter 15 pass from McMillan (Paiva kick)
Mil—Onosa‘i Salanoa 11 pass from McMillan (pass failed)
Camp—Tana Togafau-Tavui 11 pass from Sagapolutele (Rusten Abang pass from Sagapolutele)
Mil—Derek Tsuchiyama 3 pass from McMillan (Paiva kick)
RUSHING—Campbell: Chauncee Lopez 3-4, Miles Parlet 1-(minus 2), Sagapolutele 7-(minus 40). Mililani: Samuelu 9-31, Nakoa Kahana-Travis 9-29, McMillan 6-15, Tsuchiyama 1-(minus 4).
PASSING—Campbell: Sagapolutele 34-51-1-457. Mililani: McMillan 30-47-1-416, Paiva 0-1-1-0.
RECEIVING—Campbell: Tana Togafau-Tavui 9-153, Muaau 8-150, Rowen Bucao 10-108, Dallas Fonseca-Juan 5-42, Rusten Abang 2-4. Mililani: Roller 10-181, Salanoa 6-78, McGee 3-51, Tsuchiyama 5-45, Davyn Joseph 2-26, Lehiwa Kahana-Travis 3-20, Hunter 1-15.
JV—Mililani 35, Campbell 14
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