The last thing Dillon Gabriel pays attention to is numbers.
But there it is, perhaps the biggest number any quarterback could surpass. With a 20-yard completion to Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi during Mililani’s final scoring drive, the senior southpaw rose past Tua Tagovailoa to become the all-time career leader in passing yards.
No. 4 Mililani turned a seven-point halftime margin into a decisive 35-0 win over Waianae on senior night and improved to 3-0 in OIA Open Division play (5-2 overall). Waianae (0-5, 0-3 OIA Open) sacked Gabriel three times, but couldn’t get to him consistently enough. Across the second and third quarters, Gabriel completed 10 passes in a row, and 18 out of 19, as the Trojans opened the lead.
Gabriel, an Army commit, finished with 362 yards and five TDs on 34-for-55 passing.
He entered the game with 7,839 career passing yards, trailing Tagovailoa (8,158) and Timmy Chang (8,001). Gabriel now has 8,201 yards.
Two of Gabriel’s five touchdown passes went to reserve senior running back Dreyston Barquis, who turned a sideline pass into a 27-yard sprint to the goal line and later hauled in a 7-yard TD toss to cap the scoring.
“No disrespect, it’s a cool accomplishment, but truly, I had to play a better game. We came out really slow and a lot of that was my fault,” Gabriel said. “Waianae was mixing their blitzes up. I’ve got to go back and work hard.”
RECORD BOOK
The all-time leaders in yards passing in a career (Oahu schools only):
Dillon Gabriel, Mililani – 8,201 yards
Tua Tagovailoa, St. Louis – 8,158
Timmy Chang, St. Louis – 8,001
Andrew Manley, Leilehua – 7,637
Trojans coach Rod York praised his quarterback’s work ethic, and that of the team.
“It speaks for all his teammates. There’s no individual success without team success in football. His teammates, they’re the ones that put it together, and it says a lot about Dillon, too. He works hard when only God’s looking,” York said. “We’ve got a lot of football left. We don’t really concern ourselves with the stats, but he deserves it.”
With Mililani’s offense facing a stiff challenge from a physical, swarming Waianae defense in the first half, the Trojans defensive front came through. Mililani limited Waianae to 175 yards of total offense, with much of the gains coming in the final quarter with reserves on the field.
Waianae’s game plan was sound, using a deliberate tempo and a determined ground game to keep Mililani’s offense on the sideline. By the end, the Seariders finished with 89 hard-earned rushing yards on 38 carries.
The Trojans finally got on the scoreboard with 7:41 left in the first half on an 8-yard pass from Gabriel to a wide-open Kilifi Malepeai, who had leaked out of the backfield.
Mililani’s first series of the second half was a 10-play, 45-yard march to paydirt. The Trojans converted twice on fourth-and-1 and Gabriel found sure-handed Maka Hill on a 5-yard pass for a TD.
The Trojans partially blocked a punt and took possession at the Waianae 21-yard line. Three plays later, Gabriel found freshman Kai Banks for a 7-yard touchdown, opening the lead to 21-0 with five minutes left in the third.
All that followed were two more TD plays from Gabriel to Barquis.
The Trojans led 28-0 when Waianae punter/defensive tackle/fullback Zefften Thompson-Avilla’s coffin-corner punt bounced out at the Mililani 3-yard line. Gabriel directed the Trojans downfield, and his 20-yard sideline strike to Kuboyama-Hayashi pushed his total past Tagovailoa’s.
GAME SUMMARY
No. 4 Mililani 35, Waianae 0
At John Kauinana Stadium
>> Waianae (0-5, 0-3) 0 0 0 0 — 0
>> Mililani (5-0, 3-0) 0 7 21 7 — 35
Mililani — Kilifi Malepeai 8 pass from Dillon Gabriel (Kekoa Kuloloia kick)
Mililani — Maka Hill 5 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
Mililani — Kai Banks 7 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
Mililani — Dreyston Barquis 27 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
Mililani — Barquis 7 pass from Gabriel (Kuloloia kick)
RUSHING — Waianae: Kaai Tambaoan-Kaeo 15-32, Kenneth Joseph Jr. 14-72, Elijah Lujan 2-1, Zefften Thompson-Avilla 1-1, Kevin Poepoe 5-(-13), Shaydon Lopes 1-(-4). Mililani: Malepeai 4-5, Gabriel 4-(-11).
PASSING — Waianae: Poepoe 5-12-2-59, Joseph 1-1-0-27. Mililani: Gabriel 34-55-1-362.
RECEIVING — Waianae: Chad Pule 2-37, Adonnis Puou 1-5, Lopes 1-1, Diesel Tuinei 2-43. Mililani: Cy Kuboyama-Hayashi 10-97, Maka Hill 5-84, Ryan Chang 4-72, Reichel Vegas 4-32, Dreyston Barquis 3-42, Kai Banks 2-17, Raysen Motoyama 2-14, Malepeai 2-9, Keola Lanias 1-(-1), Javon Miller 1-(-4).
* JV — Waianae 37, Mililani 28
