Mililani clamps down to outlast Kamehameha

The Mililani defense grabbed two takeaways and had 10 tackles for loss with seven sacks. Mycah Yokotake | Special to SL

MILILANI — When it comes to crunch time, the best teams make big-time plays, and there were plenty of them to go around Saturday night in central Oahu.

In the end, it was the third-ranked Trojans making the ultimate big play with defensive lineman Seth Ebesugawa notching a strip sack recovered by McKenna Alcover at their own 27 yard line with 22 seconds left in the game to preserve the victory for Mililani in outlasting No. 6 Kamehameha, 31-24, in an Oahu Interscholastic Association-Interscholastic League of Honolulu interleague Division I-Open battle at John Kauinana Stadium.

The Warriors fought back from a 24-3 second half deficit and were marching on a 13-play, 57-yard drive toward a potential game-tying score before Ebesugawa's sack ended all of that on play No. 14.

"We just made one more play than they did and we were fortunate to come out with the win," Mililani coach Rod York said. "But credit Kamehameha. They fought and we knew it was going to be a battle."

After receiving the opening kickoff, it took the Trojans just four plays to drive 59 yards for a touchdown, capped off by senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel hitting Raysen Motoyama for a 5-yard pass. Their next possession resulted in the addition of three points from Liam McGehee's 29-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead into the start of the second quarter.

Less than a minute later, Gabriel threaded the needle on an 8-yard pass to Mystic Sampaga to make it a 17-0 game that seemingly was headed toward a lopsided score.

Kamehameha got on the scoreboard midway through the period on a 41-yard field goal from Preston Rezentes. The ensuing kickoff was taken by Mililani's Reichel Vegas but Chanston Kaleikoa ripped the ball away and Kailaau Piena got the recovery at the Trojans 8 yard line. However, a false start penalty and back-to-back sacks sent the Warriors backwards and Rezentes' 32-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

On the Trojans' first offensive play of the second half, Gabriel rolled left and slung a 42-yard dart to Ryan Chang to extend the lead to 24-3.

Reach Spencer Honda at [email protected].