On paper, the toughest matchup on opening weekend of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships takes place in the second game of a doubleheader at War Memorial Stadium on Maui.
MIL champion Baldwin (8-2) takes on Mililani (6-3) in a matchup of two teams ranked in the top nine in the state by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Mililani 49, Baldwin 28
Valladares (five receptions, 213 yards, 4 TD) with his second 200-yard receiving performance in last three games. Mililani plays Leilehua in the semifinals. It will be the third meeting in 44 days between the two schools. The Trojans won the first two meetings 52-35 and 63-42.
at War Memorial Stadium
Mililani (7-3) 14 0 14 21 — 49
Baldwin (8-3) 7 14 7 0 — 28
Mil—Jalen Olomua 7 run (Damien Santiago kick)
Mil—Andrew Valladares 65 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Bald—Chayce Akaka 1 run (Luke Maghanoy kick)
Bald—Kamaki Gouveia 10 run (Maghanoy kick)
Bald—Akaka 3 run (Maghanoy kick)
Bald—Bishop Wickes 47 pass from Akaka (Maghanoy kick)
Mil—Olomua 1 run (Santiago kick)
Mil—Valladares 57 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Mil—Valladares 17 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Mil—Valladares 28 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Mil—Olomua 36 run (Santiago kick)
RUSHING—Mililani: Olomua 11-96, Gabriel 8-57, Kailiohu Kila 11-53, Darius Muasau 1-1. Baldwin: Gouveia 18-177, Akaka 16-14, Daniel Corpuz 2-0, Dalton Mata 1-(minus 1), Bishop Wickes 1-(minus 2), team 1-(minus 19).
PASSING—Mililani: Gabriel 22-35-1-397. Baldwin: Akaka 6-22-2-135, Isaiah Kusunoki 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 6-51, Valladares 5-213, Roman Tovi 4-47, Stanton Lee 3-35, Ryan Chang 2-32, Olomua 2-19. Baldwin: Wickes 2-59, Damien-Luke Awai 2-8, Gouveia 1-61, Shawn Silva 1-7.
FOURTH QUARTER
Bears backed up after two sacks and have to punt. Trojans with the ball and 1:40 remaining and should run out the clock. Oloomua with a 36-yard TD run to give him 96 yards in the game and three TDs to go along with seven tackles on defense.
Gabriel to Valladares for a 28-yard TD and Valldares has 213 receiving yards and four TDs on five catches. Gabriel with 397 passing yards and that may have put it away with 3:43 remaining pending the extra point. XP is good.
Fourth-and-2 from the Baldwin 28 and the pass is broken up by Kainalu Wong. Trojans take over on the 28. 3:51 to go.
DEEP BALL IS CAUGHT BY VALLADARES. 90-yard TD pass but somebody came out of nowhere and delivered a blindside block on a player chasing. What an incredibly bad penalty to wipe out the TD. Valladares was going to house it. Trojans get the ball at the 41 but that was a horrible penalty. Sideline warning on Mililani as you can bet that coaching staff is furious. Timeout Mililani to regroup. Pass to Olomua and then an Olomua run gets it into Baldwin territory. Gabriel up to 325 passing yards. Two more receptions and Gabriel now with a career-high 352 passing yards and counting…ball at Baldwin 23. Gabriel keeps it and scampers for 14 to the 9. Jalen Olomua has a 9-yard TD run wiped out by a hold. Second TD on the drive negated by a penalty. Gabriel hits Valladares (4-185-3) with a 17-yard TD pass and the Trojans take a 35-28 lead with 5:11 remaining.
Gapusan called for a hold on third-and-forever so Baldwin still has a chance. Third-and-11 after it was third-and-32. Incomplete. Ball was underthrown. Ball on Mililani 38. Bears pin the ball out of bounds right at the 5. Nice punt.
Valladares goes to fair catch the punt but he drops it and Baldwin recovers. Gouveia of all people with the recovery. Gouveia with 238 total yards of offense but that might be his biggest play. Fifth Mililani turnover.
Crazy turn of events as Gapusan picks off a pass on third down but then fumbles and Baldwin recovers on the Mililani 44. Shawn Silva on the forced fumble. Isaiah Kusunoki on the recovery. Incomplete pass on third down but Trojans take the holding penalty instead of making it fourth down. It’s third-and-26. SACK LUNCH by Tasimasaua Sappa. Bears now punting from their own 33.
Mililani will start third-and-5 on own 23. Pass incomplete for Ryan Chang and Mililani has to punt.
THIRD QUARTER
Mililani starts on own 18.
Fox comes in on the blitz to make the stop on Akaka to force third down. Underneath pass is dropped and it’s a three-and-out for Baldwin. Mililani seizing momentum late in the third quarter.
Tough run of 16 yards for Gabriel across the 45. Gabriel scrambles and finds a receiver for what looks like a 52-yard game-tying TD pass but it will be called back by a holding penalty. Third-and-long and Gabriel finds a wide-open Valladares for a 57-yard TD. 28-28, 1:45, Q3.
Gouveia starts the next drive with an 11-yard run to the Mililani 49. Akaka sacked by LB Darius Muasau. Pass interference by Mililani will move the chains but a second flag is thrown well after the play. Senior Dustin Gapusan called for PI and then unsportsmanlike for arguing the call and the ball goes all the way to the Trojans’ 22. Gouveia picks up 5 on the counter. LB Maui Kela with a HUGE sack. Third-and-long. LB Dante James-Fainga breaks up the screen pass and it’s fourth down. Pass incomplete. Mililani takes over on its 30.
First offensive play for Mililani in the second half is a 36-yard pass to Stanton Lee from Gabriel. Big third-down catch for Tovi at midfield. Chang makes a defender miss and picks up 28 yards on the catch. Mililani able to go up-tempo converting plays and Olomua rumbles inside the 5. Olomua caps a 10-play, 90-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run. 28-21, 7:04.
A Baldwin three-and-out is negated by a defensive PI call on Mililani. Ball on the Trojans’ 48. After a 1-yard run, Akaka hits Bishop Wickes for a 47-yard TD. Wide open. 28-14. 28 unanswered for the Bears.
HALFTIME BOX
at War Memorial Stadium
Mililani (6-3) 14 0
Baldwin (8-2) 7 14
Mil—Jalen Olomua 7 run (Damien Santiago kick)
Mil—Andrew Valladares 65 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Santiago kick)
Bald—Chayce Akaka 1 run (Luke Maghanoy kick)
Bald—Kamaki Gouveia 10 run (Maghanoy kick)
Bald—Akaka 3 run (Maghanoy kick)
RUSHING—Mililani: Kailiohu Kila 9-46, Olomus 5-35, Gabriel 5-23. Baldwin: Gouveia 10-156, Akaka 11-55, Bishop Wickes 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Mililani: Gabriel 8-16-1-130. Baldwin: Akaka 3-7-1-80.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 4-38, Valladares 1-65, Olomua 1-12, Roman Tovi 1-11, Stanton Lee 1-4. Baldwin: Gouveia 1-61, Wickes 1-12, Shawn Silva 1-7.
SECOND QUARTER
HALF.
Two incomplete passes and it’s quickly third-and-10. Timeout Baldwin. Gabriel just overthrows Valladares who was in the slot. Mililani will go for it on fourth-and-10. Receiver gets open but it’s incomplete. Ryan Chang never saw the ball. Turnover on downs.
Gouveia picks up 7 on the first carry. He has 153 rushing yards on eight carries. Senior Walter Fox with an interception as the ball hits the defender and pops into the air. Fox returns it inside the 10 but a flag is down. Illegal block in the back on Mililani but the turnover stands. First Baldwin turnover is a pick by Fox. 1:28 to go. Mililani takes over on the Baldwin 31.
Olomua with a 17-yard return to the 38. Gabriel sacked back at the 29 by Aloalii Laga. Third-and-long. Screen pass is dropped. Mililani will punt.
Kamaki Gouveia breaks off an 88-yard run but is caught at the 3. HUGE RUN. Chayce Akaka with a 3-yard TD run and Baldwin takes its first lead, 21-14, 4:18, Q2.
Poor punt and Mililani will take over on the Bears 35. LB Samiu Ika Oto with the TFL on Gabriel. Gabriel finds Olomua out of the backfield for a 15-yard pick up. Tack on a 15-yard face mask by Baldwin. Olomua fumbles it and Damien-Luke Awai recovers it. Rahstan Benivides with the force. Third turnover by Mililani.
Akaka sacked by Olomua, who is having a monster game on both sides of the ball. Akaka nearly runs himself into a safety but runs out of it and gets a couple of positive yards but it’s still fourth-and-a-mile and Baldwin will punt from deep in its own territory.
Mililani recovers its own fumble on the kickoff and will start on the 42. Kailiohu Kila stuffed for a 1-yard gain but picks up 13 on the next run. Change of pace now with Olomua in at running back and he bowls over people en route to a 20-yard run. Kila back in after Olomua loses a shoe and he’s stopped for nothing. Ball is out and Baldwin recovers. LB Christopher Bacos with the FF and LB Aloalii Laga on the recovery.
Bears will start on their 19. Akaka breaks contain and picks up 6 to the 25. A screen to Shawn Silva goes for 8 yards and a first down. Akaka off to the races. He breaks it back to the middle and goes for 47 yards to the 20. Flag down though nowhere near the run. Flashback to Keelan Ewaliko on that one. The run of 47 yards counts and Mililani is called for a defensive face mask. Ball on the 10. Timeout Baldwin facing first-and-goal. Kamaki Gouveia 10-yard TD run. 14-14, 9:16.
Kila picks up 3 yards on third-and-1. Third-and-long after Baldwin sniffs out the quick screen. Deep pass to Valladares is incomplete. Flag is waved off on the DB. Mililani will punt.
FIRST QUARTER
Baldwin starts on its 40. DT Joshua Banks with the TFL for Mililani. Akaka to Kamaki Gouveia for 61 yards to the 1. Chayce Akaka with the 1-yard TD run. Quick answer from Baldwin.
Third-and-5 and Gabriel launches a 65-yard TD pass to Andrew Valladares. Perfect throw and catch. TD Mililani. 14-0, 1:58.
Gouveia stuffed on the first run from the 4. Akaka tries to stretch it to the outside but can’t get anything. PERFECT middle screen call and Gouveia is all by himself for a TD but Akaka overthrows him. GREAT play call but it isn’t executed. Wickes misses a 22-yard field goal wide right and Mililani dodges one.
First-and-20 after a penalty but Kailiohu Kila, back from injury, picks up 20 and a first down. DL Andre Vaivela with the TFL. Damien DeFrancia with the interception of a pass by Gabriel and he returns it to the 4-yard line. Huge play by the Bears defense.
Chayce Akaka starts at QB and Olomua, who scored the TD, gets the TFL to start. Kamaki Gouveia breaks off a 44-yard run for the Bears’ first first down. Ball on the Trojans’ 26. Akaka hits the slant on third-and-9 to Bishop Wickes for a first down inside the 15. Option pitch to Gouveia on third down hits the ground but he picks it up and gets it to the 10. Flag on the play is holding on Baldwin. Mililani accepts the penalty so it’s third-and-12 instead of fourth-and-5. Akaka’s pass is in and out of the hands of the receiver to set up fourth down. Wickes misses the field goal wide left from 31.
Trojans receive. First pass is to Roman Tovi, who hauls in a 12-yard reception from QB Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel uses his feet to turn a loss into an 11-yard gain to set up third-and-4. Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi gets lost by the Baldwin defense on third down and hauls in a big pass of 30 yards inside Baldwin territory. Gabriel hurts Baldwin again with his legs inside the 10. Jalen Olomua 7-yard TD run. 7-0 Trojans, 10:10.
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TEAAM CAPTAINS
Mililani: Scottie Agasiva, Noah Williams, Joshua Banks, Andrew Valladares
Baldwin: Mango Finau, Joshua Yoruw, Daniel Corpuz, Andre Vaivela
The Bears’ five wins in the Division I state tournament are the most by a neighbor island team, but Baldwin has never made a state final. Mililani won the 2014 state title and advanced to the semifinals last year.
HISTORY: Mililani leads the all-time series 3-1 and has split its last two games at War Memorial Stadium against the Bears. Mililani won 24-13 in 2012 and lost 22-17 in 2006.
Live updates of the 6:30 p.m. scheduled kickoff will follow below.
Other schools in the tournament are lucky that these two teams have to beat up on each other. The winner of this game should be the favorite to win it all.
Wishing this game had been televised instead of Campbell vs Waiakea
So none of the outer island teams won against the OIA’s middle feeders. That should shut down any debates as to whether the outer islands belong in the states tournament.
Simple Simon your name it fitting. One team won by 1 point and the other game was tied in the 4th quarter. Waiakea is only in the tournament because of the OIAs participation formula. If that is your definition of not belonging then only 1 team from OIA should go to states, Kahuku since no one in the OIA can compete with them. We all in the same boat, or are championships not your goal?
@Rpaahana – Like I said, the outer islands struggled against the “middle feeders” of the OIA. At this point and time, Kahuku is on a different level than ALL Hawaii schools and it ain’t even close. It’s sad but true, Hawaii football is 20 years behind the top 25 teams in the nation (except Kahuku). I’ll say St Louis and Punahou are 10 years behind. Pretty close but really.