Trojans trample Hurricanes 56-0
Oct. 8—Blowouts are not supposed to be the norm. And yet, that's exactly what they have become for Mililani.
Blowouts are not supposed to be the norm. And yet, that's exactly what they have become for Mililani.
For the third straight week, the Trojans beat an opponent by more than 50 points, pummeling Star-Advertiser No. 5 Kapolei 56-0 on Saturday night at John Kauinana Stadium.
"It was a big game for us. It was a playoff-type game. The winner tonight got home-field advantage for the playoffs and the bye, so there was a lot at stake, " Mililani coach Rod York said. "This team is led by our players and guided by our coaches. Our captains, we got eight of them, they lead our team every day."
Quarterback Kini McMillan finished with 458 yards on 18-for-27 passing. He threw five touchdowns with two interceptions, while adding 23 yards on the ground. McMillan's big game came along with some added responsibilities, a big step for the signal-caller.
"Kini has progressed a lot. He called the plays for half the game. I feel like he's ready to do something that (former Mililani QB ) Dillon Gabriel did. We let (McMillan ) do that for the first time tonight."
Davyn Joseph was the leading receiver for Mililani, finishing with 202 yards on six catches with a score. McMillan's passing yardage is second in school history behind McKenzie Milton's 515 against Kapolei in 2015 and Joseph is the second Mililani receiver to go over 200 yards, after Andrew Valladares, who did it twice in 2016.
Onosai Salanoa, Mililani's leading receiver this season, bounced back from a quiet zero-reception game last week with a 151-yard performance last night. Salanoa got those yards on just three catches, two of which were touchdowns.
"Preparation all week, " Salanoa said about his bounce-back game. "It was a new week after the Waianae game. We came to work in practice, and the work paid off today."
Nakoa Kahana-Travis led the ground game with 98 yards on 11 carries.
Meanwhile, the defense pitched a shutout for the third straight week. The Trojans pressured Kapolei quarterback Tama Amisone relentlessly, hounding him into three interceptions. Kamaehu Roman was the first to pick off Amisone, in the first quarter, while Tysic Puni intercepted a pass to end the first quarter. Elton Saole-Su'e, in his second season at Mililani after transferring from Kapolei, got a pick off his former team in the third quarter.
"It's our defense. Don't focus on the wrong score. We look at what the opponents are scoring, " York said. "We're playing great defense."
Saole-Su'e said the close-knit defense is built on accountability.
"It's all about playing together. Over the course of the season we got tighter and tighter. As you can see on the scoreboard the other teams are scoring less and less, " he said. "It's a player-led defense. I hold the other boys accountable and they hold me accountable."
The Trojans wasted no time to start scoring. After forcing a Kapolei three-and-out, Mililani needed just two plays to get on the board. McMillan's second completion of the game was a 50-yard touchdown throw to Salanoa less than two minutes into the game.
The third and fourth drives mirrored the first and second. Kapolei punted after going three-and-out, and Miliani scored soon after. This time, it was Nakoa Kahana-Travis who capped a four-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Kapolei's third offensive drive was even shorter, as quarterback Amisone's pass was intercepted by Kamaehu Roman. The Trojans were back in the end zone three plays later on McMillan's 9-yard touchdown throw to Kanoa Ferreira.
Mililani capped off a 28-point first quarter with McMillan's 56-yard touchdown pass to Salanoa. The Trojans didn't wait long to pick the scoring back up in the second quarter. McMillan and Joseph connected for a 51-yard pass to the Kapolei 3-yard line on the first play of the second quarter, then McMillan finished it on the ground with a 3-yard touchdown run.
The rest of the second quarter was up-and-down for Mililani. The Trojans punted for the first time, then McMillan was intercepted by Kapolei's Pennsylvania Tuaopepe.
Despite that, Mililani managed two more scores to widen the deficit to 49-0 at the halftime break. McMillan found Isaiah Padello for a 16-yard pass to cap a five-play scoring drive, then connected with Joseph for a 51-yard touchdown to end the half.
The starters came back out for one more drive in the second half, with Kahana-Travis scoring his second touchdown from 5 yards out.
