No. 4 Mililani 35, Waianae 0, FINAL
At John Kauinana Stadium
Waianae (0-5, 0-3) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Mililani (5-2, 3-0) 0 7 21 7 — 35
MIL—Kilifi Malepeai 8 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Kekoa Kuloloia kick)
MIL—Maka Hill 5 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
MIL—Kai Banks 7 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
MIL—Dreyston Barquis 27 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
MIL—Barquis 7 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
JV—Waianae 37, Mililani 28.
RUSHING—Waianae: Kaai Tambaoan-Kaeo 15-32, Zefften Thompson-Avilla 1-1, Kevin Poepoe 5-(-13), Kenneth Joseph Jr. 14-72, Shaydon Lopes 1-(-4), Elijah Lujan 2-1. Mililani: Malepeai 4-5, Gabriel 4-(-11).
PASSING—Waianae: Poepoe 5-12-2-59, Joseph 1-1-0-27. Mililani: Gabriel 34-55-1-362.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Chad Pule 2-37, Adonnis Puou 1-5, Lopes 1-1, Diesel Tuinei 2-43. Mililani: Reichel Vegas 4-32, Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 10-97, Keola Lanias 1-(-1), Maka Hill 5-84, Ryan Chang 4-72, Raysen Motoyama 2-14, Malepeai 2-9, Javon Miller 1-(-4), Dreyston Barquis 3-42, Kai Banks 2-17.
That’s a final. Mililani turns a seven-point halftime margin into a decisive win over the tough Seariders of Waianae. Dillon Gabriel finishes with 362 passing yards and five TD strikes (34 for 55) with one pick, passing legendary Tua Tagovailoa for most career passing yards.
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Mililani driving again, starring from its 3. On a 20-yard completion to Kuboyama-Hayashi, Gabriel passes Tua Tagovailoa on the career passing yardage list and is now at the top. He completes a 7-yard TD pass to Barquis to complete the drive. Gabriel now has 362 passing yards tonight with five TDs. MILILANI 35, WAIANAE 0, 5:03, Q4.
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The third quarter ends with Mililani driving and Gabriel up to 265 passing yards. He is now 55 yards away from the all-time passing yardage mark.
After another Waianae punt, Gabriel completes a sideline pass to Dreyston Barquis, who rumbles down the right sideline for a 27-yard TD. MILILANI 28, WAIANAE 0, 1:37, Q3.
Mililani needs just three plays to get over the goal line. Gabriel connects with SB Kai Banks for a 7-yard TD. Gabriel has now passed for 215 yards and three TDs. MILILANI 21, WAIANAE 0, 5:00, Q3.
Waianae goes three and out deep in its own territory and the punt is partially blocked, tumbling out to the 21 for an 18-yard kick before it is downed.
Mililani’s first series of the second half is a 10-play, 45-yard march to paydirt. The Trojans convert twice on fourth-and-1, and Gabriel hits Hill on a 5-yard pass for a TD. MILILANI 14, WAIANAE 0, 7:29, Q3.
Second half begins with a touchback, Waianae ball at its 20. Three and out. Punt.
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HALFTIME
At John Kauinana Stadium
Waianae 0 0 xx xx — 0
Mililani 0 7 xx xx — 7
MIL—Kilifi Malepeai 8 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Kekoa Kuloloia kick)
JV—Waianae 37, Mililani 28.
RUSHING—
Waianae:
#21 Kaai Tambaoan-Kaeo 13-30,
#43 Zefften Thompson-Avilla 1-1,
#11 Kevin Poepoe 1-6,
#24 Kenneth Joseph Jr. 5-8
Mililani:
#9 Malepeai 2-3,
#3 Gabriel 3-(-6)
PASSING—
Waianae:
#11 Poepoe 1-5-1-5,
#24 Joseph 1-1-0-27
Mililani:
#3 Gabriel 14-26-1-167
RECEIVING—
Waianae:
#3 Chad Pule 1-27,
#87 Adonnis Puou 1-5
Mililani:
#39 Reichel Vegas 2-16,
#6 Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 5-59,
#81 Maka Hill 2-58,
#11 Ryan Chang 1-21,
#5 Raysen Motoyama 1-8,
#9 Malepeai 2-9,
#8 Javon Miller 1-(-4)
Waianae has RB Kenneth Joseph Jr. at quarterback in the wishbone running keepers effectively. Then he hauls a 27-yard pass to Chad Pule and its first and goal at the 9. Tambaoan-Kaeo returns to the game and nearly scores on a run off right tackle, stopped at the one. Then it all falls apart in the final 15 seconds. Poepoe is at QB, illegal substitution is whistled on Waianae, 8 seconds left in the half. Clock starts running and Poepoe fumbles the under-center snap, recovers and the clock runs out. Huge break AGAIN for the Trojans. Counting the dropped TD pass, that’s two major opportunities squandered by Waianae even though Mililani has dominated in total yardage. Mililani leads 7-0 at the half.
One play after Ramos’ pick, Gabriel is sacked, I believe by Angus Ramaila, and recovered by Zefften Thompson-Avilla. Seariders have the ball at the Mililani 41 with 4:26 left in the half.
Pass interference call on Mililani on third and long keeps Waianae’s drive alive, but Kevin Poepoe’s pass down the middle is intercepted by Kiai Ramos. He wanders around on a crazy, zig-zag return that nets 18 yards to the Waianae 49.
Mililani breaks through and ends the scoreless duel. Gabriel’s elusiveness comes up huge as he escapes a sack for a key completion, then he tosses an 8-yard TD pass to Malepeai, who leaked out of the backfield over the middle and was wide open. MILILANI 7, WAIANAE 0, 7:41, Q2.
Kaai Tambaoan-Kaeo breaks through the right side for a 42-yard gain and a first down. Waianae has operated out of the classic I all game and that’s the first big gain. Waianae will punt, but that run changes the field-position edge.
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Seariders milking the clock, two runs and it’s third and 8 from their 7 as the first quarter concludes. Tied at 0. Gabriel has passed for 100 yards already, no points on the board yet. Waianae defense very resilient.
Trojans drive to the 5 with a 21-yard pass from Gabriel to Ryan Chang, but again, four incompletions in a row, including a miss to RB Kilifi Malepeai out of the backfield. Wide open, missed opportunity. Waianae ball.
Seariders take over at their 9 after that strong stand by the defense. They keep it basic, three runs, punt. Reichel Vegas returns it 23 yards to the Waianae 34-yard line.
Mililani fair catch, second series will begin at its 12. Trojans get two completions from Dillon Gabriel to Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi, but a pass near midfield is intercepted by Xaiston Kamehaloha for a 55-yard return to the 2-yard line. HOWEVER, a flag is down and Waianae will have to start at its 44. Time out, Seariders. Coach Walter Young is questioning the officials on this one. It was a straightaway run, so Kamehaloha didn’t need much help. Huge break for Mililani. OK, now they’re saying it’s Mililani ball. Penalty was on Waianae. TD pass from Gabriel to Kuboyama-Hayashi is wiped out by holding. Drive stalls at the 9 with four incompletions.
Waianae fair catch, first down at the Mililani 41. They convert on fourth and a foot, then a first-down play-action bomb is dropped at the goal line. Fourth and 12 at the 33, Waianae lines up to punt. They take the delay penalty for more space, and I haven’t seen that maneuver in decades. Punt.
Mililani’s 8-yard return to the 10 opens the game. Three and out, punt.
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PRE-GAME
6:45 p.m. Waianae wins the coin toss and elects to defer. Mililani will receive the opening kickoff facing makai (toward Meheula Parkway).
6:12 p.m. Lights are on as the sun sets beyond the Waianae Mountain Range. Seariders defeated the Trojans in the JV game, 37-28. Sky is partly cloudy, still a bit of breeze, not overly humid for a change. The varsity teams have just begun to warm up. Mililani is in dark yellow (goldenrod) jerseys and pants, large dark brown numbers, white helmets with white cages. Much easier to see the numbers than the uniforms of two, three seasons ago. Waianae is in classic white jerseys with navy blue numbers, pants and helmets with white cages.
Mililani quarterback Dillon Gabriel doesn’t think about personal numbers, but our resident historians know he is 319 passing yards from tying Tua Tagovailoa for the all-time career total.
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For Waianae’s roster, click here
For Mililani’s roster, click here
SERIES HISTORY: Waianae leads 20-11
Mililani’s Dillon Gabriel on verge of setting state passing record
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