[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
Mililani runs
past Pearl City
Even with their top ball carrier sidelined in the second half, the Mililani Trojans had enough horsepower to rush to a 35-20 victory over the Pearl City Chargers in last night's Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West Conference football game at Pearl City.
Mililani running back Carlo Raneses ran for 83 yards in the first half, but sat out the second with a knee injury. Jordan Apduhan and Aran Bisho picked up the slack by combining to rush for 153 yards and four touchdowns.
"They do well in practice and we knew that they'd come through for us. They both stepped up and played well," Mililani coach James Millwood. "And they're going to have to next week because I don't know if Carlo will be ready."
The battle of unbeaten teams started with a bang as the Trojans and Chargers combined for 35 points in the first quarter. Pearl City cut Mililani's 21-14 halftime lead to one early in the third quarter, but a fumble deep in their territory set up a Mililani touchdown and the Trojans held Pearl City off the rest of the way to remain undefeated at 4-0, 3-0 in the OIA Red West.
Pearl City fell to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
"We just played a better team and we made too many mistakes," Pearl City coach Onosai Tanuvasa said. "I told my kids the team with the less mistakes is going to win and we made too many mistakes."
The Mililani defense did its part to snuff the Chargers' comeback hopes, coming up with four sacks, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and two blocked punts.
The Trojans also pulled out a few tricks, scoring on a halfback option pass and gaining chunks of yardage on misdirection plays.
"We knew we were in for the ballgame," Millwood said. "It was their homecoming and the coaches had them prepared for what we were coming out with and that's why we had to throw in different wrinkles."
Pearl City QB Jensen Cabanero threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, both to speedy receiver Nathaniel Nasca.
The teams combined to score three touchdowns of 55 yards or longer in the first quarter.
At Pearl City H.S. field
Mil -- Jordan Apduhan 25 run (Jay Abrigo kick)
Mililani (4-0, 3-0) 21 0 7 7 -- 35 Pearl City (3-1, 2-1) 14 0 6 0 -- 20
PC -- Nathaniel Nasca 64 pass from Jensen Cabanero (Steven King kick)
Mil -- Andrew Tokumi 80 pass from Jordan Perry (Abrigo kick)
PC -- Brandon Green 19 pass from Cabanero (King kick)
Mil -- Aran Bisho 55 run (Abrigo kick)
PC -- Nasca 17 pass from Cabanero (kick failed)
Mil -- Apduhan 12 run (Abrigo kick)
Mil -- Bisho 4 run (Abrigo kick)
RUSHING -- Mililani: Carlo Raneses 7-83, Peter Raneses 5-17, Apduhan 8-88, Bisho 4-65, Sene Maafala 1-1, Maka Kahoano 2-4, Perry 2-14. Pearl City: Michael Yamauchi-Yamate 13-57, Royal Kaua 6-27, Cabanero 5-(-24), Michael Tanuvasa 1-2, Dale Valedor 1-2.
PASSING -- Mililani: Maka Kahoano 8-18-1-115, Perry1-1-0-80, Tokumi 0-1-0-0, Jared Tavares 0-1-0-0. Pearl City: Cabanero 15-32-2-247, Chaston Bertola 0-1-0-0.
Receiving -- Mililani: Tokumi 2-126, Bisho 3-34, Chase Nakachi 1-22, Apduhan 1-6, Alex Patykula 2-7. Pearl City: Royce Yuen 2-18, Nasca 3-93, Keone Peiper 6-83, Green 2-51, Kaua 1-(-1), Valledor 1-3.
Junior varsity -- Mililani 34, Pearl City 12.
