Unbeaten Mililani advances to semis

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mililani's Darren Smith, left, watches a pass sail just out of his reach while being defended by McKinley's Daniel Desoto in last night's OIA quarterfinal football playoff game. Mililani won, 13-12. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

"This feels great, this feels great," Apduhan said. "The team put everything together. It's not a one-person thing. It's everybody. Everybody contributed."

The Tigers (4-4, 5-4), ranked seventh in The Advertiser Top 10, tied the game at 6 with 1:59 left in regulation on an 11-yard TD pass from Abel Werner to Iakopo Taumua. McKinley missed its extra-point kick attempt after a bad snap.

After Mililani (8-0, 9-0) scored in overtime, Werner and Taumua again connected on McKinley's first play in overtime — a 20-yard TD pass — which made it 13-12.

The Tigers called time and the Trojans followed with the same. McKinley elected to go for the 2-point conversion, but Werner's pass to Michael Vasconcellos near the goal line was incomplete, ending the game.

"We just wanted to go for the win," McKinley coach William Moeava said. "We made that decision in the huddle. The kids wanted to go for the win, so we went for it."

The fourth-ranked Trojans, the only West team left in the playoffs, will face Kailua in a semifinal Friday at Aloha Stadium.

McKinley won the toss in the overtime and elected to go on defense first. After an incomplete pass in the end zone on first down, Apduhan took a hand-off from quarterback Maka Kahoano on a draw play, went straight, then cut outside to the left, diving into the corner of the end zone.

The Trojans went with Smith for the PAT, and he cleared the uprights easily; Mililani had missed an earlier PAT when Jay Abrigo's PAT try went wide left after running back Peter Raneses scored on a 16-yard run in the second quarter that gave the Trojans a 6-0 lead at the half.

Rain earlier in the day left the field muddy and might have given the Trojans, a more straight-ahead running team, an advantage. McKinley's Werner might not have had the traction he is usually accustomed to on a dry field.

"Our big concern was trying to slow down Werner," Mililani coach James Millwood said. "He's so good at running the ball, throwing the ball and reading defenses. But I give our defense a lot of credit there. They kept us in the game with a lot of turnovers. I think the field kind of slowed down both offenses. It might have been a blessing for us. It was a close game. For it to come down to this, it just shows the heart and desire the boys have."

•

OIA playoffs Division I Yesterday's results Game 1: at Kahuku 41, Wai'anae 8 Game 2: at Kailua 42, Nanakuli 6 Game 3: at Mililani 13, McKinley 12, OT Game 4: Farrington 21, at Pearl City 7 Friday's semifinals at Aloha Stadium (All earn Division I state berths) Kahuku (8-0, 9-0) vs. Farrington (5-2-1, 5-3-1) Kailua (6-1-1, 7-1-1) vs. Mililani (8-0, 9-0) Nov. 7 at Aloha Stadium Third place Semifinal losers Championship Semifinal winners Division II Yesterday—No games Saturday, Nov. 1 Semifinals, sites TBA 'Aiea vs. Radford Kapolei vs. Kaiser or Kalaheo Nov. 7—Bye Nov. 14 at Mililani Championship (both earn Division II state berths) Semifinal winners Neighbor Islands Kaua'i Yesterday at Hanapepe Ball Park Waimea 31, Kapa'a 8 Bye—Kaua'i Maui Yesterday at War Memorial Stadium Maui 18, Lahainaluna 6 Today at War Memorial Stadium King Kekaulike vs. Pac-Three

The game was scoreless midway through the second quarter until a McKinley turnover turned the tide. From the McKinley 23 on second-and-3, Vasconcellos took a direct snap from center, but had the ball jarred loose, and linebacker Mikhail Mabry recovered at the line of scrimmage. Three plays later, running back Peter Raneses found a hole up the middle, scoring from 16 yards.

On its ensuing series, McKinley drove from its 15 to the Trojans' 26. But the drive was stalled when Welch intercepted a Werner pass at the Trojans' 14 with 2:47 left in the half. Mililani reach its 45 before time expired at the half.

The Tigers finally got on the board with 1:59 left. Their drive started at their own 30, after Tony Sefo returned the punt 10 yards to the McKinley 40. A holding penalty moved the ball back to the 30, but it was still the Tigers' best starting point of possession all night.

Smith, who also punts for the Trojans, helped keep the Tigers in poor field position.

"Darren Smith comes up big with his punting," Millwood said. "He puts the other team in a real bad field position. He came up big for us. That's why went with him for the extra-point (in overtime)."

MCKINLEY 0 0 0 6 6 — 12
MILILANI 0 6 0 0 7 —13

• Mili—Peter Raneses 16 run (kick failed)
• McK—Iakopo Taumua 11 pass from Abel Werner (kick failed)
• Mili—Jordan Apduhan 20 run (Darren Smith kick)
• McK—Taumua 20 pass from Werner (pass failed)

RUSHING—McKinley: Werner 8-57, Quinton Sayers 9-46, Michael Vasconcellos 141-49. Mililani: Maka Kahoano 7-29, Apduhan 11-46, Carlo Raneses 7-27, Peter Raneses 9-51, Jordan Perry 1-(minus 4).

PASSING—McKinley: Werner 21-32-1—230. Mililani: Kahoano 6-16-0—39.

RECEIVING—McKinley: Sayers 11-96, Daniel DeSoto 4-53, Vasconcellos 3-41, Taumua 3-40. Mililani: Andrew Tokumi 2-11, Perry 1-4, Jon Santos 1-5, P. Raneses 1-4, Aran Bisho 1-15.

JV: Mililani 21, Radford 6

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042

Farrington 21, Pearl City 7

PEARL CITY — Matt Bell rushed for 161 yards and scored three first-half touchdowns, lifting the Farrington Governors into the OIA semifinals with a victory over the Pearl City Chargers.

Bell scored touchdowns on pass receptions of 9 and 21 yards from Eti Atonio, and on a 47-yard run.

"It's playoff football and you have to give it to your best player," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said of Bell, who carried 21 times.

"Our game plan was to control the clock."

The Governors also recorded eight sacks.

Pearl City quarterback Jensen Cabanero completed 22 of 33 passes for 297 yards.

Farrington will play Kahuku in Friday's semifinals. Kahuku beat Farrington 40-7 in September.

"Were going to have a fight ahead of us," Okimoto said.

Farrington (5-2-1, 5-3-1) 7 14 0 0—21
Pearl city (5-3, 6-3) 7 0 0 0— 7

• PC—Nathaniel Nasca 80 pass from Jensen Cabanero (Steven King kick)
• Farr—Matt Bell 9 pass from Eti Atonio (Ropeti Gafa kick)
• Farr—Bell 21 pass from Atonio (Gafa kick)
• Farr—Bell 47 run (Gafa kick)

RUSHING—Farrington: Bell 21-161, Atonio 4-(minus 5), Ameko Vaimasanuu 5-11, Jostin Waialae 3-19, Harrison Harris 1-0, Neemia Tuua 2-15. Pearl City: Roya Kaua 7-20, Dale Valledor 2-3, Michael Yamauchi-Yamate 1-0, Cabanero 15-(minus 61), Team 1-0.

PASSING—Farrington: Atonio 6-12-1—130. PC: Cabanero 22-33-2—297, Chazton Bertola 2-2-0—33.

RECEIVING—Farrington: Bell 3-54, Mika Letalu 1-38, Tuua 1-8, Alvin Faumui 1-30. Pearl City: Royce Yuen 9-123, Keone Peiper 6-73, Nasca 2-80, Michael Tanuvasa 5-38, Valledor 2-16.

JV—Pearl City 21, Radford 14.

Reported by Kalani Takase

Kailua 42, Nanakuli 6

KAILUA — Damien Torres rushed for 254 yards and three touchdowns, including a 70-yarder, as the Kailua Surfriders routed the Nanakuli Golden Hawks in an OIA playoff game.

Torres carried 15 times, leading the Surfriders into a semifinal game against unbeaten Mililani, the OIA West champion.

Kelroy Kohatsu passed for 152 yards and two scores for Kailua.

Torres' two touchdown runs and Kohatsu's 7-yard scoring pass to Jeremy Wicker helped Kailua run up a 21-0 halftime advantage.

Nanakuli (4-4, 5-4) 0 0 6 0— 6
Kailua (6-1-1, 7-1-1) 14 7 14 7—42

• Kail—Damien Torres 18 run (Mike Sakaba kick)
• Kail—Jeremy Wicker 7 pass from Kelroy Kohatsu (Sakaba kick)
• Kail—Torres 3 run (Sakaba kick)
• Kail—Torres 70 run (Sakaba kick)
• Nana—Kyle Beck 3 run (run failed)
• Kail—Wicker 40 pass from Kohatsu (Sakaba kick)
• Kail—Donovan Ho 13 run (Sakaba kick)

RUSHING—Nanakuli: Beck 7-13, Jaycee Alapai 16-(minus 1), Alex Maiava 1-6, Donald Fisher 1-23. Kailua: Torres 21-254, Kohatsu 1-(minus 3), Dyland Linkner 1-16, Aaron Kunioka 1-(minus 1), Ho 11-51.

PASSING—Nanakuli: Alapai 5-17-1—68. Kailua: Kohatsu 9-12-0—152.

RECEIVING—Nanakuli: Beck 3-15, Maiava 1-50, Jeral Alapai 1-3. Kailua: Linkner 2-31, Wicker 4-94, Mike Kealoha 1-10, Sione Tuifua 1-9, Albert Kaleo 1-8.

JV—Kailua 21, 'Aiea 7

Reported by Leila Wai