Trojans trounce Seariders, 38-28


Hassan Richardson had 4 touchdown receptions on the night to lead the Mililani pass-catching corps. Eugene Tanner | SL
Trent McKinney accounted for 412 yards in total offense and passed for five touchdowns to help No. 3 Mililani beat No. 8 Wai'anae, 38-28, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red semifinal Friday at Aloha Stadium.

The Trojans (9-1), whose only loss was 42-28 to the Seariders during the regular season, will play Kahuku next Friday for the OIA Red championship.

"The difference is we kind of slowed them down and our offense just kept scoring," first-year Trojans' coach Rod York said. "Fortunately, there are only four quarters, not five quarters."

Both teams clinched Division I state tournament berths. Mililani's only previous appearance in the title game was 2004, when it lost to Kahuku, 36-13.

"We practiced all offseason, so we expected to be here," McKinney said. "We're not surprised about this. This is what we planned on."

McKinney was 22 of 38 for 317 yards. Four of his TD passes were to Hassan Richardson and one to Colby Lum. McKinney also rushed for 95 yards.

Richardson had nine catches for 162 yards. McKinney pinpointed passes where only the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Richardson could catch.

"We practice it all the time," said Richardson, who made some over-the-shoulder catches.

"He's a playmaker," McKinney said of Richardson. "He wanted the ball. They came off of him and when you come off of him, that's when he makes plays."

After a scoreless first quarter, the Seariders stormed to a 14-0 lead on a one-yard TD run by QB Puletua Wilson and his 35-yard TD pass to Lawrence Akana.

But McKinney with three unanswered TD passes, the first two to Richardson for 40 and 37 yards and a 14-yarder to Lum to take a 21-14 lead on the Seariders.

Jarin Morikawa's 32-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter open the Trojans' lead to 24-14. But James Wilson's 36-yard TD run pulled the Seariders to 24-20.

McKinney answered with his second 40-yard TD pass to Richardson to make it 31-20.

Wai'anae retaliated with a 63-yard TD pass from Puletua Wilson to Akana to pull to 31-28 with 6:18 left in the game.

The Trojans added insurance with 17 seconds left on a fourth-down, four-yard TD pass from McKinney to Richardson to make it 38-28.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].