MILILANI, Hawaii — Mililani beat Campbell in an entertaining shootout in the Oahu Interscholastic Association semifinals. In the state semifinals, the Trojans proved they could do it in a lopsided lockdown of the Sabers, too.
Their 44-7 rout on their home field set up another rematch from the OIA playoffs—this time with Kahuku in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division championship at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on Friday.
“Shoot, I’m ready, let’s go. I’ve been waiting for this,” said Trojans quarterback Kini McMillan, a junior who has 41 touchdowns against five interceptions this season. Against the Sabers, he was 33-for-45 for 272 yards, three touchdowns and one pick.
Mililani-Kahuku is the first all-OIA final in a state tournament at any tier of classification. State tournament play began in 1999.
The Trojans ended Kahuku’s 31-game winning streak against Hawaii teams two weeks ago in the OIA final. Now Mililani is endeavoring to become the third school to win a state Open Division title since that tier was added in 2016; Kahuku claimed the last two and Saint Louis won the first four.
Kahuku beat Punahou 28-16 in Friday’s second semifinal at John Kauinana Stadium.
“This is what everybody dreams about in the beginning of the year,” coach Rod York said. “You know, now we’re here. … We’re enjoying the moment, too. We’re not out here stressed out, man. If we win, we win; if we lose, we lose. Fortunately for us, we’ve been winning on the scoreboard.”
McMillan, who was entrusted with play-calling by York for the second straight game, found Onosai Salanoa for touchdowns of 8 and 35 yards in the first quarter and Nakoa Kahana-Travis added a 6-yard score in the second quarter as Mililani took a 21-7 lead.
"It’s pretty stressful to be honest," McMillan said of calling plays, "but I feel like Coach prepared me well. He trusts me, I trust him. I’m trying to read the defense, pre-snap."
Kayden Anzaldo’s 42-yard interception return extended the run in the second half as the Trojans closed out the game with 37 unanswered points, capped with Kahana-Travis' second punch-in.
Salanoa, who drew the game-winning pass interference penalty on Kahuku in the OIA final, was named Friday’s Spectrum OC16 Impact Player for his five catches for 65 yards and the two TDs.
“Man, we go way back. He’s such a hard worker and I’m just so proud of him,” McMillan said. “I was so happy when I heard he was the Impact Player. I was like a happy puppy.”
Linebacker Elijah Nua had a game-high eight tackles with a sack, a tackle for loss and two fumbles forced to lead the Trojans defensively.
Mililani committed more penalties for significantly more yardage (11 for 95) than Campbell (seven for 57), but it each flag assessed to the Sabers seemed to cost more. Untimely holding calls brought quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele back after he’d gained significant yardage more than once.
York was asked what the difference was in points allowed to Campbell from 37 in the OIA playoffs to seven in states.
“I have no idea,” he said. “You know, I’m just thankful they just got seven, but it’s the most stressful seven points we ever gave up. Because they’re so dangerous. We got lucky a couple times and got a turnover on downs. The big one was the pick-six (by Anzaldo). It was a game of slight momentum and then we got the big momentum with the turnover.”
Sagapolutele, who was sacked four times, was 26-for-43 for 216 yards. His lone touchdown, to Tainoa Lave in the first quarter, gave the Sabers a short-lived 7-6 lead.
Darren Johnson’s Sabers (9-4) have seen their season come to an end in the Open first round for the last five editions of the tournament.
Mililani (11-1) has two state titles to its name, both in Division I. Its 2014 game against Punahou was when D-I was the top tier in the state, and the 2016 title against Iolani was the first year of the three-tier format before the Trojans moved up to the Open Division.
The Trojans lost to Punahou in the 2013 championship and to Saint Louis in their first Open final in 2018.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.