The regular season begins to wind down Friday night with the OIA Division I playoffs set to begin next week.
So much on the line tonight as the Central Oahu rivalry is renewed between No. 7 Mililani and Leilehua. The Trojans (4-2, 4-2 OIA Red) clinch a state tournament berth and a first-round bye in the OIA playoffs with a win, but could drop as far as fifth and potentially have to play on the road in the first round of the OIA playoffs with a loss to the Mules (3-4, 3-3), who have won three of their last four.
HISTORY: Leilehua leads the all-time series 21-15-1.
Live updates of the 7:30 p.m. kickoff will follow below:
FINAL
MIlilani 52, Leilehua 35
FOURTH QUARTER
Mules battling, but they still haven’t found an antidote to stop Muasau and Olomua. Gabriel is over 200 yards of total offense, more than 70 on the ground. Trojans gashing again with Muasau and Olomua, but a procedure call pushes them back. Gabriel short on a pass, third and 9, and he finds Valladares, Mr. Clutch. That’s 30 yards and a first down on a post route. The Trojans drive to the 20, time out Leilehua, 3:39. The Mules need a turnover, but they’re simply overpowered at the point of attack. Muasau is at 121 yards and Olomua is at 91. Gabriel keeps and runs right for the first time tonight, easily gets by an arm tackle for 10 yards. Olomua gallops through a hole up the middle for a 5-yard TD. MIL 52, LEI 35, 2:23.
Andres hits Piceno with a quick pass at the line of scrimmage, he turns the left corner with help from two blocks and springs free. That’s a 56-yard TD. He’s holding his left arm after scoring. MIL 45, LEI 35, 6:29.
After Leilehua pulls within 10 points, the Trojans march to paydirt with Gabriel finding open space for gains of 20 and 19 yards. Olomua’s second TD is a 4-yard run. Key play: a 28-yard flag route by Valladares on a key third down. MIL 45, LEI 28, 8:12.
Third-down pass by Gabriel should’ve been picked off, right off the LB’s hands. Fourth down, high snap, punter loses the ball, desperation punt, no net yardage. Mules ball at the Mililani 47. Trick play, handoff from Andres to Piceno, who passes to Andres for a nice gain, and Mililani is whistled for a personal foul at the end of the play. Mules gashing the Trojans up the middle with Piceno and Serafi Urai. TD pass from Andres to Piceno, 9 yards, as Piceno cuts back and steps over the goal line. MIL 38, LEI 28, 9:35.
THIRD QUARTER
Muasau has 102 rushing yards on 11 carries after three quarters. Olomua has 61 yards (11 attempts). Gabriel is 11-for-22, 100 yards, 1 TD, no picks. He has also rushed eight times for 32 yards and three TDs.
Mililani recovers the on-side kick with :53 left in the third. Lead is still comfortable, but the Mules have some confidence and momentum right now. The quarter ends with Mililani third and 6 at the Mules 47.
The teams have exchanged punts since scoring early in the third. Andres with a 27-yard completion near the right pylon to Piceno, who tip-toes and is out at the 2. Next play, 250-pound Kalika Anderson Seumanutafa-Bryant bowls in for the TD. MIL 38, LEI 21, :53.
After Watson’s scintillating TD, the Trojans go back to stomp mode. Muasau and Olomua pounding between the tackles. No-huddle, hurry-up, same as the first half and Leilehua calls time out after the Trojans get to the 3-yard line. Leilehua stops Olomua for 1-yard gains, third and goal from the 1. Gabriel keeps again, scores easily on the left-side keeper. But it looks like he injures his ankle and jumping in the air to celebrate with a teammate. MIL 38, LEI 14, 7:31.
Quick pass from Andres to Watson, who blows past everyone down the right sideline for a 67-yard TD. MIL 31, LEI 14, 11:27.
HALFTIME
At Hugh Yoshida Stadium
Mililani 14 17
Leilehua 7 0
MIL—Dillon Gabriel 1 run (Damien Santiago kick)
LEI—Kaleo Aloha Piceno 50 run (Akoni Tom Makue kick)
MIL—Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 19 pass from Gabriel (Santiago kick)
MIL—Jalen Olomua 3 run (Santiago kick)
MIL—FG 37 Santiago
MIL—Gabriel 3 run (Santiago kick)
JV—Leilehua 33, Mililani 32.
RUSHING
Mililani:
Gabriel 7-31
Jalen Olomua 7-41
Darius Muasau 7-55
Kaine Park 5-10
Leilehua:
Kaleo Aloha Piceno 9-61
PASSING
Mililani:
Gabriel 8-19-0-78
Leilehua:
Kona Andres 9-23-1-77
Piceno 4-6-0-18
RECEIVING
Mililani:
Andrew Valladares 2-21
Olomua 1-9
Ryan Chang 4-29
Kuboyama-Hayashi 1-19
Leilehua:
Piceno 2-6
Chad Dilay 3-18
Kawai Phifer 3-49
Warren Lagaala 1-1
SECOND QUARTER
Gabriel kneels and that’s the end of the first half.
Charles Moku Watson at WR for this late-half series. Mules drive into Mililani territory. Crowd is a bit abuzz when Watson’s on offense. I’d love to see him line up at QB once in awhile, Terelle Pryor style. Then again, he plays every down on defense and that would be crazy, expecting someone to play almost every down on both sides. Punt, touchback, :07.
Trojans marching again. Gabriel looking to run more. He wrestles the ball out of Olomua’s hands on a read option for 2 yards. Then he keeps around left end for 15. Takes a shot deep to Dustin Gapusan, incomplete. FG time. Santiago lines up for a 33-yard try, but Leilehua jumps offside. First down, Trojans. Ball at the 12. Gabriel play-action, read well by the Mules, but they can’t grab him. He runs for 4 yards. Then Leilehua is offside again. Ball at the 3 and Gabriel reads, fakes to Olomua and dashes in for another easy TD. MIL 31, LEI 7, 2:08.
Mules go three and out. Punt. Valladares returns it 19 yards and the Trojans set up at the Mules’ 41-yard line, 4:50 left in the first half.
Shrewd move by Damien Santiago, the Mililani PK, who sees a huge opening on the right and instead of a normal kickoff, on-sides it. Valladares recovers at the Leilehua 37. Trojans just gashing up the gut on a tiring Mules defense. Time out, Mules, 6:18. Gabriel takes a shot deep, too long for Valladares. Then RB Kaine Park is stopped in the backfield. Fourth and 7, Santiago booms a 37-yard field goal, and it’s good. MIL 24, LEI 7, 5:21.
Mililani ball at its 36 after the dead-ball foul. First-down pass from Gabriel to Chang is a loss, but Mililani called for personal foul. No stopping the Trojans with Gabriel’s quick passes and the smashmouth RBs up the middle. Gabriel’s 3-yard TD run is called back for holding, but he finds Chang for an 11-yard gain, and on the next play, Olomua sores standing up for a 3-yard score. MIL 21, LEI 7, 7:34.
Huge break for the Mules, but they face a fourth and 4 after an incomplete deep pass by Andres, who again is falling backwards with no pressure as he heaves it. Fourth down, low snap and he dives on it, but Mililani is called for a personal foul after the ball is dead. Mililani ball.
Trojans saddled by an illegal procedure call. Two incomplete passes and a run by Olomua, they line up to punt. But punter Kainalu Wong makes a run for it and is stopped 5 yards short of a first down. Mules ball at the Mililani 48.
FIRST QUARTER
Mules kick return is a repeat sort of, of the last try. This time it’s a backwards pass/lateral that is well covered. Mules start at their 20. Andres has Phifer open deep on a post, but he drops it. Fans screaming for pass interference. Two more incomplete passes. Punt. High snap, he goes up to get it and gets the punt off. Mililani ball at its 43 as the quarter ends.
Trojans in hurry-up mode, pounding the ball up the A gap with Darius Muasau and Olomua. Muasau 8 yards, then 7. Olomua for 13, then 4. Then Gabriel has a 9-yard pass to Ryan Chang before finding Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi for a 19-yard TD strike. That was fast. MIL 14, LEI 7, :33.
Mules nearly fumble away the ensuing kickoff. First down at their 15-yard line. Andres with a 32-yard bomb to Kawai Phifer, first down at the 50. Time out, Mililani. That’s the final time out of the half. Piceno runs inside, stonewalled, but circles to the sideline, turns the corner and he’s gone. WOW. Piceno goes 50 yards to paydirt. LEI 7, MIL 7, 2:32.
Mililani driving after a 59-yard punt return by Andrew Valladares on the left sideline. Dillon Gabriel with a nice swing pass to RB Jalen Olomua and the Trojans are at the 13, first and 10. Gabriel scores on a 1-yard keeper. Sneaky nice fake. MIL 7, LEI 0, 3:22.
The Mules open at their 20 and QBs Kona Andres and Kaleo Aloha Piceno are basically taking turns firing spirals out of the pocket. It is working. They are a combined 4-for-5, 31 yards and Leilehua has advanced past midfield. Rod York calls time out for the Trojans. We’ve seen him call quite a few early time outs with this young bunch this fall. It seems to work well. Two injury time outs already. First it was Leilehua’s DeShayne Stevens, who was carried off the field. Now it’s Mililani lineman Cyrus De Rego. Deep pass by Andres is intercepted and down at the 12. Threw it off his back foot, basically worked out like a punt.
Mililani three and out with the opening series. Punt.
PRE-GAME
Mililani wins the coin toss and elects to receive. Leilehua will defend the makai end zone. Weather is perfect tonight. Slight breeze, cool and not very humid. It was overcast during the JV game, then cleared up.
JV: Leilehua 33, Mililani 32. What a wild finish. JV Mules rally from a 19-6 deficit.
Leilehua 42-21 mililani