FIRST QUARTER
Trojans take the opening kickoff, return it 27 yards to the 40, and then drive 60 yards in four plays. Kaysen Higa to Bryson Ventura for a 25-yard TD pass (catch and run). MOA penalty on the PAT, half the distance. York sends the offensive unit back on the field. Vavae Malepeai runs in for 2 points. MIL 8, MOA 0, 10:26.
I don’t know who calls the count on PATs for Mililani, but they must have a magic spell because it seems like every week they draw the defense offside and go for 2 after that.
Touchback on the kickoff, then MOA goes three and out. Big pass rush by MIL. Next play from scrimmage, Malepeai picks up a head of steam on the left, 55-yard TD run. MIL 15, MOA 0, 9:06.
Third series for MIL. Higa to Kalakaua Timoteo for a 23-yard TD to cap a five-play, 8-yard drive. MIL 22, MOA 0, 6:22.
Fourth series, MIL goes 80 yards in 12 plays. Malepeai turning the corner every time. Looks as fresh as I’ve seen in a while. He scores on a 5-yard blast. MIL 29, MOA 0, :18.
SECOND QUARTER
Na Menehune on the board. Amazing catch and run by Brandon Bender, who broke three tackles on route to an 82-yard TD. MIL 29, MOA 7, 11:41.
MOA defense stiffens and MIL turnover on downs in series 5. But in series 6, 15 plays and 79 yards to paydirt. Malepeai left, middle and right. He scores on a 1-yard push by his O-line. MIL 36, MOA 7, 3:24.
What a play. Alaka‘i Yuen escapes the pass rush, heaves up a long spiral that is deflected by a Mililani DB and falls into the hands of Michael Feliciano, who goes the rest of the way for a 54-yard TD. MIL 36, MOA 14, 2:07.
Dillon Gabriel is in a groove off the bench, and he’s been in for the past few series. Interesting. He’s just up from the JV, but I thought Higa would play at least a half. Gabriel has nice command and can throw the ball deep pretty well for a young QB.
Malepeai scores his fourth TD, a 17-yard power surge up the middle, dragging tacklers, stiff-arming smaller defenders and bigger ones. MIL 43, MOA 14, :40.
HALFTIME
Malepeai has 193 rushing yards on 23 carries to go with the four TDs. Wondering if he’ll play in the second half.
THIRD QUARTER
MOA driving nicely out of a Power I set. Feliciano has a nice pickup on a fly sweep, then gets tripped by one of his linemen and is down for a minute.
There he goes. After MOA punts, MIL’s first play from scrimmage on the next series is an 89-yard TD jaunt by Malepeai, shredding tacklers at the point of contact. MIL 50, MOA 14, 7:04.
Malepeai now has 282 rushing yards on 24 carries. I believe that’s a career high for No. 19, as are the five TDs. Is he pau for the night?
Next series, a new RB is on the field and Malepeai is done.
FOURTH QUARTER
Mililani has reserves on defense and MOA takes advantage. Eight plays, 60 yards and Yuen scrambles for a 10-yard TD. Yuen to Feliciano on the 2-point pass. Feliciano playing all over, RB, slot, making plays all night. MIL 50, MOA 22, 8:32.
Kuloloia boots a 31-yard FG. MIL 53, MOA 22, 7:10.
Gabriel with a TD pass to Tommy Factora. MIL 60, MOA 22, 6:42.
Feliciano scores on a 1-yard run. MIL 60, MOA 28, 3:43.
Kaimi Kinni with a 7-yard TD pass from Yuen. They connect on the 2-point conversion. MIL 60, MOA 36, :03.
PRE-GAME
Beautiful afternoon at Moanalua. It’s been sunny and breezy all day with fairly low humidity (65 percent). Temperature is 84 degrees as of 5:10 p.m. with no rain clouds visible.
Moanalua coach Jason Cauley and some of his staff did a nice job of painting fuscia pink paint on the midfield logo, the 50-yard line and the 20-yard lines in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Mililani comes into the game at the top of the OIA Blue standings 6-0 mark (6-1 overall). This will be sophomore QB Kaysen Higa’s first start. He looked great last week in a 45-21 win at Kailua after a difficult stretch when McKenzie Milton got hurt.
The Trojans have potent offensive weapons in RB Vavae Malepeai and WR Kalakaua Timoteo. Malepeai’s role will draw more attention than usual with Milton out 3-5 weeks (shoulder). Timoteo is back after missing last week’s game with an ankle injury. Bryson Ventura was outstanding as Higa’s favorite receiver last week.
Moanalua’s Alaka‘i Yuen is healthy and ready to load up from the pocket. With two pass-heavy offenses, this could be a long game, somewhere in the 3-hour to 3 1/2 hour range. Michael Feliciano is a huge weapon for Na Menehune, but he was dinged up with injuries from the start as defenses focus on the versatile RB.
Moanalua is 2-4 in conference play (3-4 overall).
JV game kicks off 5:30 p.m.
First and foremost, hats goes off to Coach Cauly and his staff. What a class act going the extra mile for breast cancer awarenss. Guess this win will quiet all the Mililani critics. Malepeai and Timoteo would destroy any defense in the state no matter who is throwing the ball. No disrespect to Milton, hope you come back soon, Go Trojans!!!!!!!
First of all:
Mckenzie- Best QB in the State
Malepeai- Best RB in the State
Timoteo- Best WR in the State
Mililani- Best Offense in the State
But why would a win over Moanalua quiet all the critics??
I would understand if Mililani beat St Louis (game not scrimmage) or Punahou
and Kahuku (this year not last year). Then yes that should quiet the critics. But Moanalua? I don’t think Moanalua ever played in a D1 State tournament. Don’t get me wrong they do have a good team but I wouldn’t use them as a measuring stick.
But back to Mililani, I do feel they are the team to beat. Even with a loss to Liberty I feel they can outgun St Louis, Punahou and Kahuku. By the question is can they stop those teams from scoring. I feel Punahou has the best chance of beating Mililani simply because they can do what Mililani does, Run and Pass. Kahuku has a chance to beat Mililani by doing what Kauku does best smash mouth football and wear down the opposing Defense. By doing that they eat up the clock and keep the best offense off the field. Kahuku defense can cause some havoc too. St Louis, well they can beat you if they’re healthy. Tua at a 100% and Kobayashi too just might be enough to give silofau a big game. Not to mention that St Louis Defense ain’t no joke either.
@Dive
That’s a great comment, I was wondering the same thing myself. I don’t think Punahou or ST Louis can’t stop the Mililani high power offense, but I don’t think that Mililani defense can’t stop them either. Kahuku is a great team with the best defense in the state but their offense is one dimension and I don’t think they can beat any of the top three teams. The games are won on the field and you never know. The reason I used the Moanalua game to quiet the critics is because a lot of people were saying that Mililani was done after the Milton injury. Anytime you hang 60 on an oponent is a good day.
Both of you guys are on point. Should be interesting in the OIA’s to see if/when Kenzie can return. And if they continue to rotate Higa and Gabriel. In the future I’d love to see Mililani vs Kahuku or Waianae. Punahou vs St. Louis 2 would be great too. Anything can happen and I’m looking forward to the top teams meeting up soon. #TGOD
@TGOD
Brah, you can pencil in Kahuku vs Waianae in the OIA finals. Kahuku will destroy Waianae tonight. The ST Louis vs Punahou was one for the ages you bet every football fan in Oahu will be at that game. On a serious note something has to be done about the refs. Can the ILH and OIA hire competent officials instead of these old goats than don’t have a clue about football. I would hate for them to ruined another great game.
Corrections, Kahuku vs Mililani
@lee boy – I think you’re right after last nights 30-0 Kahuku win. Really want to see that match up in the OIA final with all the questions being answered on the field. Go Trojans!!!
@TGOD
All York has to do is watch some clips of Kahuku’s defense against Waianae and that’s exactly how you stop Kahuku. I am just tire of all the people jumping on the Kahuku van wagon. There is a reason why most high school, college and pro team don’t just rely on that type of offence anymore
It works great when you are running over a 150 pound Linebacker but not when the other team is athletic too.
Which LB on Waianae’s team is 150lbs? Waianae’s leading tackler was a defensive back. a DB my bradah. That means their front 9 was getting SMASHED. I saw it, you saw it, the whole damn State of Hawaii saw it.