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Mililani and Leilehua
fear the unknown
The OIA schools are going into
the state tournament blind
The tape, as it goes, never lies.
State FootballTomorrow's first roundDivision I » Leilehua at Kealakehe, 7:30 p.m. » Mililani vs. Lahainaluna at War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Division II
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"Our concern is that they remind me of Campbell a couple of years ago," said Millwood, who guided Mililani to a runner-up finish in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference.
The Trojans play Lahainaluna tomorrow at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku as the First Hawaiian Bank State Football Championships kick off.
In the other Division I state-tournament matchup, Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Kealakehe hosts Leilehua, also tomorrow night.
Maui Interscholastic League champion Lahainaluna is a team from the old school, with great athletes on defense and an offense that establishes the run first and foremost.
"It's kind of like a Wing-T with a lot of fly motion," Millwood said. "The quarterback will fake to the fly. There's a lot of misdirection."
For a smaller but quick defense like Mililani's, discipline is mandatory. Kailua showed, three weeks ago, that misdirection can send the Trojan defense into overpursuit mode. Mililani adjusted by halftime, but the tendencies may still remain.
At Kealakehe, Leilehua may be in for quite an experience. Kona is a football-crazy region, and the opportunity to host a state-tournament game will likely draw an enormous crowd.
Here's a look at this weekend's D-I games.
No. 3 Mililani (10-1) vs. No. 5 Lahainaluna (8-1-1)
When: Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.
Where: War Memorial Stadium, Wailuku
On paper: The Trojans earned plenty of respect this season by winning their first 10 games, including a few on statewide TV. Last week's lopsided loss to Kahuku was a valuable experience.
"We definitely learned, as coaches and players, from the game," Millwood said. "We didn't lose any confidence. Kahuku is a team everybody measures themselves against."
Lahainaluna, meanwhile, is the highest-ranked team that most fans have never seen. The Lunas were expected to contend for the MIL title this year, but coming off a tough '03 season, the young team was not the league favorite.
By tying and then defeating defending champion Baldwin, Lahainaluna seized the crown and earned a berth in the Division I state tourney. Even controversy regarding interpretation of league rules regarding ties -- a messy situation that has finally passed over -- has not rattled the Lunas.
Longtime coach Bobby Watson is ever the disciplinarian, and his ability to be flexible with the newer generation of student-athletes has yielded enormous success in West Maui. "We've been lucky and competitive in the MIL," said Watson, who also has one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the state.
The skinny: Last week, Kahuku's relentless, physical defense took a toll on the Trojans. Once the Red Raiders started blitzing like crazy, Mililani wasn't able to adjust, going scoreless after two early touchdowns.
Like Kahuku, Lahainaluna has an impressive corps of linebackers and defensive backs. Led by Ikavalu Sake, who may have had the best season of any defender in the MIL, the Lunas pose problems for any offense. Lahainaluna limited one of the state's most potent offenses, Baldwin, to just 20 points in two games.
The Lunas operate out of a 3-3 set. "My guess is they're gonna come at us, like they did to Baldwin," Millwood said.
The Trojans, meanwhile, had plenty to learn from their first defeat of the season.
Can Lahainaluna stop Mililani's ball-control offense? The Lunas have not seen the kind of size that Sene Ma'afala, Micah Kia and Nate Kia bring to the line of scrimmage. Whether the Lunas have the kind of acceleration and quickness that Kahuku's defense brought is a key ingredient.
"They're big offensively. They have a good mixture of pass and run," Watson said. "In the MIL, we haven't seen anybody with that combination. They do a heckuva job trapping. (Receiver Jon) Santos is a heckuva athlete."
Mililani's defense will be tested by Lahainaluna's run-first offense. "They're quick on defense. They remind us of Baldwin," Watson noted. "(Cornerback Chris) Dickerson is a helluva athlete."
The Trojans will face senior quarterback Preston Medeiros, a threat as a runner. "They have one wide receiver and everyone else is tight," Millwood said. "We're more concerned with their stuff on the inside."
X factor: Fatigue. Eight of Lahainaluna's starters play both ways. "That's a big factor for us, especially against a big offensive line and their tough running backs," Watson said.
For Mililani, the loss of fullback Kekoa Osurman is significant. He suffered a leg injury against Kahuku and is done for the season. "He's our best blocker," Millwood said. "That's why he started."
Another key ingredient is the specter of perhaps 5,000 fans at War Memorial Stadium.
"They're gonna have a huge home-field advantage," Millwood said of the Lunas, who will drive about 20 miles to the game.
"We gotta play a perfect game," Watson said. "I might be overestimating Mililani's speed. I think maybe we can match up with our offense, but their offensive line is my biggest concern, the size."
No. 6 Leilehua (9-2) vs. Kealakehe (8-4)
When: Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Kealakehe H.S. Stadium
On paper: The ultimate matchup of finesse versus power ensues on the slopes of Hualalai. Leilehua's hybrid offense is built to travel by air. Kealakehe's attack is pure old school, complete with double tight ends, just one receiver and a Power I formation.
It's the kind of game worth taking grandpa to, just for the game-long debate about power football versus aeronautic football.
"No matter what island you're on, football is football," first-year Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda said.
Kealakehe coach Sam Papali'i expects a battle from Leilehua's quick defense. "They've held their own defensively. They've shown they can stop the run," he said.
Kealakehe, the defending league champion, knew the '04 season would be difficult because of key losses to graduation. The Waveriders suffered early defeats, but rode out the storm. The playoff format, which uses the regular season strictly for seeding purposes, certainly helped.
"I knew we'd struggle early because we have a young team. I've always advocated that the regular-season winner should get a spot in a championship game," Papali'i said. "But the format helped us this year."
Kealakehe's Jinho Tohara was a playmaking slotback two seasons ago when Michael Kaniho lobbed passes downfield. This year, Tohara is the BIIF's most explosive running back, churning up ridiculous amounts of yardage. The 5-foot-6, 155-pound senior ran for 238 yards on 34 attempts in last week's win over Hilo. He has racked up nearly 1,700 yards since returning from an early-season injury.
His success also arrived with Papali'i's decision to junk the option attack in favor of the Power I.
Leilehua has the OIA Red West's leading passer, Bryant Moniz. The Mules also have one of the best wide-receiver duos in the state with Anthony Palomares and Chustin Senas. "Their quarterback is outstanding, and he has really good receivers," Papali'i said.
The skinny: Historically, good passing teams have found great success on the Big Island. Go back to the '80s, when Jim Barry sparked a dynasty at Konawaena. His best team was led by Aaron Sumida, who passed for more than 3,000 yards. In the '90s, Waiakea ran a precise spread option, but Jonny Young's prolific passing ability turned the Warriors into an offensive juggernaut.
In recent years, though, there have been no teams in the BIIF that can throw consistently. As years of Neighbor Island Classic and state-tournament games have shown, this could spell trouble for a Kealakehe defense that hasn't been truly tested by air.
Conversely, the two coaches didn't exchange video because Papali'i told Tokuda none is available. "It's scary, not knowing what to prepare for," Tokuda said. "I'm guessing they run a play-action game, but we don't know what it looks like."
Whether Kealakehe can execute its play-action is a mystery. "We need to complete the passes. They're always open. That was the case against HPA, but we missed open receivers," Papali'i said.
Defense is Kealakehe's strength. Linebacker Jared Ha'o is just 5-10, 180 pounds, but had four interceptions and six fumble recoveries. The line is powered by Jason DeSilva and Derwin Breichaupt. Safety Tai Papali'i and cornerback Mikah Pada lead the secondary.
X factor: Injuries. Moniz suffered bruised ribs near the end of last week's 14-10 win over Castle and is questionable for tomorrow's game. The injury was serious enough for the sophomore to go to an emergency room, barely able to breathe, Tokuda said.
Senior defensive lineman Vai Tamafuta (6-1, 310), who gives the otherwise medium-sized Mules an anchor in the middle, suffered an ankle injury. "I don't think he's gonna play," Tokuda said Monday.
If Moniz is unable to start, Guy Cantrell will step in. The junior is more of an option quarterback and has taken just 12 snaps all season. He's no stranger to action, however, having played wide receiver, running back, slotback, cornerback and safety.
But Leilehua is still figuring out who would back up Cantrell.
"We haven't even thought that far," Tokuda said.
State Football
Division I
First round
Tomorrow
Game 1: Leilehua at Kealakehe, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Mililani vs. Lahainaluna at War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Nov. 26
At Aloha Stadium
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Kahuku, time TBD
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. Kamehameha, time TBD
Championship
Dec. 3
At Aloha Stadium
Game 3 & 4 winners, 8 p.m.
Division II
First round
Tomorrow
Game 1: Hawaii Prep vs. Waipahu at Radford, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Pac-3 vs. Kauai at Vidinha Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Nov. 26
At Aloha Stadium
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Iolani at Kamehameha, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. Campbell at Moanalua, 7:30 p.m.
Championship
Dec. 3
At Aloha Stadium
Game 3 & 4 winners, 5 p.m.
