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No. 2 Mililani rallies
to topple Castle
When Mother Nature takes control, defense and special teams have their chance to shine brightly.
Or, as was the case last night at Aloha Stadium, mistakes happen.
Mililani took advantage of four Castle turnovers for a come-from-behind 21-9 victory to advance into the finals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association football playoffs.
The Trojans (10-0), ranked No. 2 in the Star-Bulletin Top 10, will meet Kahuku on Friday at Aloha Stadium.
The win also secured a state-tournament berth for the Trojans.
"It's a great win for our school, and we've gotten so much community support," said Mililani coach James Millwood, an alumnus of the school. "The boys feel good about themselves."
Castle (7-2) will meet Leilehua on Friday for third place and the OIA's final state berth.
"It's devastating coming off a loss, but we have to get ready," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said of next weekend's game. "Our defense played well. I'm pleased with their effort. But our offense had no consistency at all. The credit goes to Mililani's defense."
For Mililani, the game was somewhat similar to last week's matchup with Kailua.
The Trojans struggled early, scored a key touchdown before halftime, and took command in the second half. The Trojans amassed 316 total yards, including 194 on the ground (4.4 yards per carry). Jordan Torres (73 yards), Kekoa Perbera (65) and Jordan Apduhan (54) carried the load for Mililani, which overcame three turnovers of its own.
Maka Kahoano completed 11 of 20 attempts for 122 yards.
"Our defensive front seven gave a great battle against a good offensive line," Maeda said. "But our defense was on the field too long."
Castle finished with 164 yards in total offense. Jordan Nakayama started off with two completions but struggled, with overthrows against a mix of Mililani defensive schemes. He completed 10 of 26 attempts for 116 yards with two interceptions.
"He reads defenses well, even when he scrambles," Millwood said. "We wanted to stay disciplined when he scrambled."
Mililani's defense came through again, especially after halftime. Defensive backs Aaron Po'oloa and Matt Welch came up with big plays. Po'oloa, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, recovered two fumbles. Welch, a 5-7, 170-pound senior, intercepted two passes.
"We've been practicing in the rain," Po'oloa said. "Castle is a good team. We worked on our responsibilities and assignments all week."
Castle took the opening kickoff and drove to the Mililani 16-yard line. Ethan Gonsalves drilled a 33-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead with 9:01 left in the first quarter.
Mililani's initial drive got as deep as the Castle 21-yard line, but on third-and-7 with Castle's nearby band raising decibel levels, the Trojans were called for illegal procedure.
Mililani's first two drives stalled, and Castle's special teams stepped up.
Lihikai Domingo returned a Mililani punt up the right sideline, nearly stepping out of bounds at the Mililani 25-yard line, and went the distance for an 88-yard touchdown play.
Immediately after the touchdown, Millwood called timeout.
"We didn't want to lose our focus, not get caught up in everything," he said. Trojan lineman Sene Ma'afala partially blocked the PAT attempt, sending it short and wide right. Castle led 9-0 with 11:28 remaining in the second quarter.
"When Sene came up with that block, it rejuvenated us," Millwood said. "The boys rallied off that."
