Rod York has had to solidify the quarterback position more this season than he has in his whole time as the Mililani coach.
The line of succession through the years from Trent McKinney to Jarin Morikawa to McKenzie Milton seemed — to outsiders anyway — smooth and seamless.
But, when Milton — the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s All-State player of the year as a junior — went down with a broken AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder late in the regular season, York turned to backup Kaysen Higa and then to freshman Dillon Gabriel, who was brought up from the junior varsity.
Gabriel suffered a broken collarbone to his right, nonthrowing shoulder in the third-ranked Trojans’ 20-7 loss to No. 2 Kahuku in last Friday’s Oahu Interscholastic Association.
So, the decision was made this week to bring up another freshman JV quarterback, Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi, to start at quarterback for Mililani in the first round of the Division I state tournament on Friday against Hilo at Aloha Stadium.
York told Hawaii Prep World that Kuboyama-Hayashi is “athletic and a competitor” and added that he “has an arm.”
Kuboyama-Hayashi, who is 5 feet 11, 160 pounds, was Gabriel’s backup on the JV team. He was also a starting wide receiver.
York’s decision to start Kuboyama-Hayashi was first reported by York himself on The Galdeira Show on KHKA, 1500-AM radio on Wednesday night.
Milton has been cleared by doctors this week to fully participate in practice and play in the game.
York told radio host Kyle Galdeira on air that he will likely work Milton into the game at some point against the Vikings (7-4).
In addition, York said two-time Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State running back Vavae Malepeai is now the third-string quarterback.
Yeah Cy! This kid is awesome..
What confidence does this give Kayenta Higa?
Did you guys not coach up Higa to be able to replace Milton? This speaks “volumes” about the coaching staff. Poor Mililani One-And-Done!
Mililani should take snaps under center. Use J.Olomua as a blocking back for Malepeai. As much as the pistol works, you will always have qb injuries from tall fast DES like Mejia and Latu.
Higa did look a little wide eyed and rattled and made no bones about it where he was going with the rock that led to the interception. That tends to happen more often than naught when the kids come to the ‘show’ and find out the Big Red Machine is the ‘show’!!! Smh
Sounds like lots of talent in Mililani. Good luck to the Trojans.
York is proving to NOT be the coach everybody thinks he is. He’s had Milton all these years but nobody else. Freshmen should NOT be playing on the varsity period!! Unless they are big and brawny, they are still growing which is why Gabriel got hurt. As athletic as he and the other freshmen quarterback is, they are physillcy not ready, They are still growing. York is desperate for sure, I’m sure he’s just dying to get Milton back on the field – at any cost!!! Too bad his ego is so big!!
Kahuku would benefit from bringing up players from their JV ,OIA championship team. Give those outstanding players a chance to be on the Aloha turf and instill the STATE atmosphere surrounding. One is Wesley Maiava, an rb who has been tearing it up. Don’t forget that name. Hope the ILH don’t come calling.
Next Man Up.
ThaGame- What show? The Big Red Machine was out of order for the last 2 years!! Btw congrats to Kahuku on the win. Good luck to all the teams!!
SimpleSimon- u can lead a jackass to a water hole but u can’t force him to drink.i got a book for u. “Football for Dummies” . It just shows that Moanalua and Kailua is not on Kahuku”s level.
GABRIEL GOT HURT BY TRYING A GUTSY RIGHT-HANDED THROW; COACH YORK HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. HOPE HE HEALS WELL.
COACH YORK IS VERY INTELLIGENT, KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING.
Allan – He had no business asking these freshmen to come up to the varsity. They still have another year of JV eligibility. But then again, I guess he can hold it over their heads if they refuse to move up. So now Gabriel is out of football and any other sport he plays for this year…that’s a lot to ask of any 13-14 year-old so he (York) can fill his ego for another championship.
This is a slap to HILO VIKINGS. Bringing up a freshman with zero varsity playing time… don’t sleep on this hilo squad.. this might be the year they advance to the semi’s.
I don’t understand the idea behind that double tight power set that Kahuku has! I know a lot of those kids play rugby but this is football! I would like to see them try against St. Louis. No way!
Does 11-0 with 6 shut outs and an OIA Championship give you an idea?
Hilo Vikings will get the smack down! You got to b dreaming Hk808 ! No big island team can advance to the Semis EVER! Baldwin is the only outer island team that can compete in D1 here on oahu. RRFL. .. and that’s the fact Jack D. Lmao
Now days football kids are held back a year so they really would be sophmores. and the parents are the ones giving the ok to let their freshmen boys get pulled up to vars, not entirely the coaches fault. I do believe that York exhibits a win at all cost attitude and if you ever been to a live game like last weeks championship you could tell that this guy is far from a humble coach, his words on camera or in a email say one thing but on the field hos actions are less the admirable. I like Randall Okimoto, Walter Young, Neal Maeda as local humble dudes but then again they are not winning championships so maybe there is a correlation.
Reggie Torres, Kale Ane are prime examples of winning championships with class.
This should be interesting ……. He knows his Ace is back and will save him as long as he can till the Freshman kid cannot do what he wants and then he will sit him down and bring in the ACE …. Milton. I feel sorry Kaysen Higa ….. Hold your head up!! You did your best.
I would love to see Mililani lose but this is Hilo……. I don’t think so. Not to discredit what Hilo has done this year but I don’t see it coming tomorrow night.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS!!!
GO BIG RED!!! RR4L.
Everybody’s gonna have an opinion on what the defending state champions are doing. Regardless of who’s at qb, Mililani should be ok and advance if they play their game. Congrats to a tough Hilo team on a good season, I’m sure they’re going to be ready to play as well. But I’m looking forwarded to hopefully seeing a Milton led Mililani squad play the ILH champion Crusaders.
Go Trojans!
@Basementcoaching – York’s philosophy is “Next Man Up”. If your so-called “jackass” wasn’t drinking the water, York should have been priming a different “jackass” instead of riding Milton’s “—” for the past 3 years. Like someone mentioned, York isn’t the coach he’s been “jacked” up to be. He might be one helluva recruiter though. And you mentioned Moanalua and Kailua is not on Kahuku’s level. Well everyone has been talking about Kahuku’s schedule, when in reality Mililani has had the same MIRROR-IMAGE schedule as Kahuku. I’m glad you Trojan fan has admitted that Mililani’s schedule was rubbish. Stick to your coaching in the basement you rookie 😉
Even Stevie Wonder could see that Higa was scared, so York did what he had to do , pulled him out for his safety. What good coaches do, NEXT UP that wants to play.
Just cause rod York doesn’t use kaysen higa doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach!! Next man up!. If you can’t produce you get out of the game! Period.
@basementcoch…we’ll be the show next Friday and the Friday after…just hope your team makes it to see it!!! Heawekooooo!!!
#LB365 #RRFL
@TGOD your right everybody has their own opinion. The sad part is they don’t know coach York like this community. If we wanted to be hateful, there’s a lot that could be said about some other coaches but that’s not what we’re all about. Thank you coach for all you do for the young men and women on and off the field. May GOD bless you and your ohana.
GO TROJANS!!!
I had the opportunity to coach Cy and in all accounts he is a great quarterback.
Can’t believe people are bashing coach York for benching Higa and starting a Freshman. It’s all comes down to ability, not everyone could be a varsity QB. You can give a 100% have the best coach in the world if you don’t have the God given talent or work your butt off. You are not going to be successful. Bottom line is York is a great coach he knows what he is doing. Everyone is talking about the next man up mentality that works great when you have players with about the same skill level. This is High School people and Mililani runs a complex offense.You have to have the right player, a player of Milton Caliber might come around once every 10 to 2 years. There aren’t that many payers with the it factor and feel for the game exc. So give coach York Credit he is doing a hell of a job
He had the God given talent vs Moanalua. Did God all of a sudden take it away?
@88 – Amen!
@BGFL – true story, hating is not what we’re all about. It’s all about the kids, and I think our community knows coach York is all about the kids. Outsiders will say what they say, it is what it is. Good and bad in every community. But as I’ve written on here before, coach York, his staff, and the team, have my ohana’s support win or lose.
As a fan of the game, I feel coach York should not bring another freshman qb up… For one, give the kid a chance to develop in his skills as a quarterback… Two, next year, you will have two sophomore quarterback playing varsity.. That mean one will sit and the other one probably will be the starter for the next three years…Hmmmmm…Three, Good coaches would built there team around the next man up (Higa), mililani has one of the top runningback in the state… Create plays around Higa’s strengthens.. Four, milton is cleared to play, no need for another freshman qb to come up. Who will run the JV level at qb to develop your future players.. Five, with defenses like KAHUKU AND ST. LOUIS, tell me what freshman wouldn’t be scared and a litter bit nervous.. That’s like throwing fishes to the Sharks…This is the playoffs, use your personnel you have already and go forth… Coach Higa to be confident and milton can alway be your alternate plan, but please leave your freshmen alone to DEVELOP into another possible Milton.. PLEASE… In my opinion and it’s an opinion, coach York put Gabriel in the toughest position of his life and he got hurt.. Imagine the next time, he plays Kahuku, there will be alot of jitters and nerves going on, because what he experience with that defense…Be confident Coach York and good luck…
@88 @SimpleSimon I cannot believe you are comparing Kahuku and Moanalua LMFAO What planet you fellas living on?!
@88- Gabriel started the Moanalua game, Higa was his backup. Again you are running your mouth with out fact brah. I think you just like the disagree with people
88 don’t know football that’s why. kahuku and moanalua IS TWO totally different teams. Period.
No one said nothing about who the starter was. I was commenting on your silly assumption that somehow it’s the kids fault for not having “God given talent” and not the lack of preparation by his Coach. I find it odd that this same kid who scored 4 TD’s in the Kailua game( when the starter got hurt) and threw for almost 300 yards and 2 TDs in the Moanalua playoff game is now being thrown under the bus. I mean does God only bless him with talent when he plays teams wearing the color blue and than take away the talent when he plays teams wearing red?
Braap, when grown people are talking you just sit quietly at the little kids table, eat your cookies and drink your Capri sun. Daddy will let you know when its time to leave.
Mililani with Milton = 2nd State Championship. Go Trojans!
@88- Those are his stats from the last regular season game not the payoff Fawm. For the record no one is blaming Higa. Just point something out, York knew what was best for his team. Why do you think Higa wasn’t name the starter in the Playoff. Braap, when grown people are talking you just sit quietly at the little kids table, eat your cookies and drink your Capri sun. Daddy will let you know when its time to leave.
88, little kids table is for people that don’t know what there talking about, wet behind the ears. Like you.. If you wanna meet up we can talk about it, and not hide behind a key board..
“It’s all comes down to ability, not everyone could be a varsity QB. You can give a 100% have the best coach in the world if you don’t have the God given talent or work your butt off. You are not going to be successful.” So which QB you talking about and blaming here? You not going come into a game after riding the bench all year long and throw 4 TD’s after your all world QB gets hurt if you A. dont have God given talent and B. work your but off. The Coach failed to prepare this kid for Kahuku. Now go give back Braap his Capri sun and come go home with daddy, fwuam….
Braap i’ll be at Laie park at 430pm. We can talk football there.
So…what happened?
No show. Probably had car trouble
or maybe he did show and they both went to Mcdonald’s and grind eachotta mcnuggets! Fwams!
Why, you jealous?