Kailua pulls away from Mililani
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
It seems the bye week only worked for Kailua.
The only seeded team remaining from the start of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association football tournament rolled over Mililani, 41-17, in a quarterfinal last night before 4,031 at Aloha Stadium.
"You worry because of all the upsets earlier," Kailua coach Darren Johnson said. "Mililani always plays us tough. It's always a dog fight every year. We knew they'd play us hard because they had an inspirational win last week and they were riding on a good high."
The East co-champion Surfriders (8-1), ranked fourth in The Advertiser Top 10, will face McKinley in Friday's semifinal. During the regular season, the Surfriders, won 42-22.
Kailua is the only team among the top four seeded teams — Kahuku, Wai'anae and Campbell — to advance to the semifinals and secure a state tournament berth. The seeded teams received a bye last week.
Nathan Leaver rushed for 227 yards, including an 85-yard TD run, on 22 carries for the Surfriders, who also beat Mililani, 34-13, in last year's playoffs. Kailua is defending OIA co-champion. Last year, two champions were crowned when the events of Sept. 11 shortened the playoffs by a tier.
Last night, there were four lead changes in the first half. But Brad Ching's 42-yard TD reception from Ranson Kepa gave Kailua a lead it would not relinquish.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Surfriders got three scores to pull away.
"They put a lot more pressure on us," Mililani coach James Millwood said. "If we could've run screens effectively, that might have held them off. But they're very quick and aggressive. They're athletic and fast, just like Castle, only bigger."
Mililani (6-4), which is done for the season, was killed by big plays. Kailua scored three times from its first play from scrimmage to start a series.
The Surfriders scored on their first play of their first series on a 54-yard TD pass from Kepa to David Kaihenui on a wide receiver screen.
But the Trojans stormed back on their ensuing series. Quarterback Sean Fujimoto hit tight end Willi Leilua on a 9-yard TD pass. Whitney Shimatsu's PAT tied the game at 7 with 5:30 on the clock.
The Trojans took the lead on their next series when Shimatsu nailed a 47-yard field goal with 1:19 on the clock in the first quarter.
The Surfriders regained the lead in the second quarter when a 2-yard TD sneak by Kepa capped a five-play, 56-yard drive. But Jose Santos blocked Mike Sakaba's PAT to make it 13-10.
Following a fumble by Leaver later in the quarter, the Trojans took back the lead on running back Billy Barbour's 1-yard plunge, making it 17-13.
But just before the half, the Surfriders moved 86 yards on five plays, ending with Kepa's 42-yard TD pass to Ching on a crossing pattern to make it 20-17 at halftime.
MILILANI (6-4) 10 7 0 0 — 17
KAILUA (8-1) 7 13 0 21 — 41
- Kail—David Kaihenui 54 pass from Ranson Kepa (Mike Sakata kick)
- Mili—Willi Leilua 9 pass from Sean Fujimoto (Whitney Shimatsu kick)
- Mili—FG Shimatsu 47
- Kail—Kepa 2 run (kick blocked)
- Mili—Billy Barbour 1 run (Shimatsu kick)
- Kail—Brad Ching 42 pass from Kepa (Sakata kick)
- Kail—Nathan Leaver 85 run (Sakata kick)
- Kail—Ching 18 pass from Kepa (Sakata kick)
- Kail—Bronson Kamaka 70 run (Sakata kick)
RUSHING—Mililani: Fujimoto 8-(minus 24), Billy Barbour 15-26, Landon Galicinao 1-13, Peter Enomoto Hahn 1-(minus 1), Peter Raneses 3-14, Charlos Reneses 3-11, Maka Kahoano 1-(minus 1), Clint Blackman 2-57. Kailua: Kepa 6-15, Leaver 22-227, Kamaka 5-102.
PASSING—Mililani: Fujimoto 19-40-0—179, Blackman 1-1-0—1. Kailua: Kepa 5-14-0—135.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Nate Adams 4-79, Patrick Sung 1-9, Aran Bisho 7-39, Jose Santos 2-9, Barbour 1-2, Tayvis Erlandiz 2-18, C. Raneses 1-9, Jon Santos 1-15. Kailua: Kaihenui 2-55, Ching 3-80.
Correction: Kailua High's kicker is Michael Sakaba. His name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.
