LIVE BLOG: Mililani 37, Kahuku 22, Final

In order to advance to the OIA Red title game, Mililani has to do something it hasn’t done in over 40 years.

The Trojans are 0-10 against Kahuku since 1973. Can they end the streak? Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

4:25 p.m.: Mililani linebacker Dayton Furuta is not expected to play because of an ankle injury.

4:38 p.m.: Just about to kick off. Worthy of note: Kahuku starts only one senior on defense. Five juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen are the others.

4:41 p.m.: Herkley Latu gets the start at DB for Kahuku, so make that three freshmen and zero seniors starting on the Red Raiders’ defense.

4:49 p.m.: Mililani lines up to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 3 but call timeout. Trojans decide to kick and junior Marc Matas boots a 20-yard field goal to end a 14-play drive. Trojans lead early, 3-0, 7:55 Q1.

4:56 p.m.: Kahuku converts two third downs through the air. Nice start for QB Tuli Wily-Matagi.

4:57 p.m.: Wily-Matagi is 3-for-3 passing on third downs. Kahuku lines up to go for it on fourth-and-1 on the Mililani 29 but is whistled for moving early. The Red Raiders go for it on fourth-and-6 and Wily-Matagi scrambles for 5 yards but is tackled short by Jacob Afele.

5:01 p.m.: Trojans have it third-and-14 but a busted coverage leads to a 60-yard TD pass from McKenzie Milton to Kainoa Wilson. Trojans ahead, 10-0, 2:22 Q1.

5:08 p.m.: Quarter ends with Kahuku driving. A steady diet of Soli Afalava and PJ Liua Jr. banging away on the Trojans’ D.

5:11 p.m.: Our first Kelii Padello sighting. Padello sacks Wily-Matagi on third down, forcing a Kahuku punt.

5:24 p.m.: Both teams trading punts as the defense’s are starting to dominate. Mililani has a fourth-and-9 on its own 45 and tries a fake punt but Padello drops the pass. Wily-Matagi runs 18 yards on a keeper and Kahuku has something going.

5:29 p.m.: Kahuku goes for it on fourth-and-3 from the 20 and Wily-Matagi overthrows a wide-open Douglas Napaa. Trojans take over on downs.

5:37 p.m.: Mililani marches 80 yards in nine plays as Vavae Malepeai scores on a 14-yard run to make it 17-0, 2:26 remaining in half.

5:44 p.m.: Kahuku marches right down the field as Wily-Matagi hits a couple of big passes to set up an 8-yard TD run by Soli Afalava with 1:24 left in the half. Kahuku with a HUGE drive right there to stay in this game.

5:51 p.m.: Wild ending to the half. A 69-yard TD pass from Milton to Bronson Ramos on a busted coverage is called back because of an illegal man downfield penalty. Milton then throws a perfect 39-yard pass to Ryan Reedy to put the ball on the Kahuku 36 with 11 seconds left. Milton then finds Kainoa Wilson for a 21-yard gain as Wilson gets out of bounds with 2 seconds left. Matas misses a 32-yard FG however and we go to the break with Mililani leading 17-7.

Quick note, on the play prior to the Milton pass to Ramos, Kahuku DB Keala Santiago was injured and had to be helped off the field by teammates.

Defensive leaders at halftime:

For Kahuku, freshman DB Herkley Latu and junior LB Pene Kaonohi have five tackles each. Pedello has four tackles and a sack and safeties Ian Namu and Jaren Zadio have five tackles each for the Trojans.

6:13 p.m.: Kahuku gets the ball first to start the second half.

6:16 p.m.: Kahuku goes three-and-out, giving Mililani excellent field position. Santiago is not back in the game on D for Kahuku. Malepeai scores on a 3-yard TD run and Mililani extends its lead to 24-7, 9:07 Q3.

6:24 p.m.: Padello gets his second sack of the game. That’s 10 for him in the four Mililani games I’ve been to this season. (Punahou 4, Leilehua 2, Leilehua 2, Kahuku 2).

6:28 p.m.: On third-and-16, Mililani is called for roughing the passer, giving the Red Raiders a first down at the Mililani 14. Polikapo Liua Jr. ends an 18-play drive with a 2-yard TD run to make it 24-14 with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter.

6:38 p.m.: Third quarter ends with Mililani driving. Malepeai has 114 yards and two TDs on 22 carries.

6:42 p.m.: Kahuku stops Mililani on fourth-and-1 at the 16 but is whistled for a face-mask penalty, giving the Trojans a first down. Malepeai gets his third rushing touchdown of the game, scoring from a yard out to make it 30-14 after a missed extra point. 9:12 remaining in the game.

6:59 p.m.: Kahuku’s secondary inexplicably gets burned again. Ryan Reedy gets behind the defense for a 25-yard TD on fourth-and-12. Not sure how that has happened so many times tonight. Mililani leads 37-14, with 6:02 left.

Jason Kaneshiro reports that the 37 points scored by Mililani are the most points Kahuku has allowed to an OIA team since Waianae dropped 43 on the Red Raiders on Sept. 24, 1999. No OIA team has scored more than that on Kahuku in the last 40 years.

7:13 p.m.: Padello nabs his third sack of the game. Kahuku driving for a late touchdown as only 1:25 is left on the clock. Afele gets a sack. Monster game for Afele with 12 tackles, four for loss, and a sack. Huleia Naeole catches a 24-yard touchdown pass from Wily-Matagi. Two-point conversion is good to make it 37-22 with 1:07 left.

7:18 p.m.: Mililani recovers the onside kick and that should do it. Trojans advance to the OIA Red championship for the second year in a row against either Campbell or Farrington. First win for Mililani over Kahuku in 11 tries dating back to 1973.