After early-season showdown, Mililani now primed

When Punahou met Mililani at John Kauinana Stadium in mid-August, it was more than a typically good battle between the ILH and OIA.

Both teams, now unbeaten in their respective league games, came away with some vital truths. Punahou, which won that game 24-14, learned a few things.

» Running back Wayne Taulapapa was ready for prime time. The sophomore stepped in when running back Kotoni Sekona left with an injury and showed exactly why the Buffanblu didn’t have to worry. They just put the 5-foot-11, 185-pound back to work.

In relief, Taulapapa gained 83 yards on just 14 carries — 212 all-purpose yards in all — and confirmed what the coaching staff believed: depth at the tailback spot was real. Taulapapa later rushed 30 times for 153 yards in a 10-6 win over Helix (Calif.) in La Mesa. Big stage, no problem.

» About the pass pro: The Buffanblu learned another valuable lesson in that game, and the same goes for the Trojans. Defensive end Kelii Padello, all 5-11, 200 pounds of him, is a hellacious pass rusher. Had he burned most other teams, the accolades would’ve had no legs. But he got past all-state left tackle Semisi Uluave several times to sack quarterback Larry Tuileta. Padello finished with four of his team’s six sacks.

Since then, the Buffanblu have shown a willingness to adjust. In last week’s 24-0 win over Kamehameha, Uluave, a 6-5, 310-pound junior, lined up at left guard, and Davis Miyashiro-Saipa‘ia (6-2, 280) moved to LT. The results have been positive: two wins and less contact on Tuileta.

» Mililani found a sophomore star of its own in the backfield. Coach Rod York, a former defensive tackle at UH, has himself a battering-ram ground attack with first-year starter Vavae Malepeai at tailback, as well as a ruthless defensive unit.

What used to be an aerial attack led by an elite passer (Jarin Morikawa) is now a squad that finds enjoyment in black-and-blue football. Malepeai is a fluid, 6-foot, 190-pound ballcarrier. He has 486 yards (6.7 per carry) and nine touchdowns in four games.

Since that meeting, Punahou and Mililani have emerged as the best in their respective leagues. Punahou is 4-0, including 2-0 in the treacherous ILH. Mililani (4-1 overall) is the only OIA Red West team unscathed (3-0). A big test comes on Saturday night when Campbell visits the Trojans.

In their past two games, the Trojans have seen quarterbacks in run-oriented offenses — Kekoa Kaluhiokalani of Waianae and Kai Mercado-Aiona of Waipahu — but Campbell’s Isaac Hurd is averaging nearly 60 rushing yards per game at 5.2 yards per rush.

At 6-1 and 195 pounds, Hurd (206.6 passing yards per game, 11 touchdown passes) runs like a power back with speed when he gets loose on scramble plays and rarely goes down on initial contact. His legs alone — he ran for a pair of 11-yard touchdowns in a comeback win over Waianae last week — force most defenses to fill the box more than they normally would. That’s when his arm strength comes in. With a raw, powerful delivery, he whips out 60-yard bombs in the face of a pass rush, a release comparable to Tuileta in quickness.

That puts the onus on Mililani’s pass rush to keep Hurd under wraps. Waianae limited him to 13 yards on 12 rushes, racking up multiple hurries and two sacks.

Can Padello reach Hurd consistently? Campbell left tackle James Copelan (6-2, 240) and right tackle Arona Amosa (6-1, 265), both juniors, will be quite aware of No. 33 (Padello) in the yellow jersey.

If and when Hurd gets enough time, his favorite targets have been Kainoa Perry (23 receptions, 263 yards, three touchdowns), Jayce Bantolina (12, 212, 2) and, as of last week, Keola Himan (9, 257, 2). Himan caught two TD passes from Hurd in the win over Waianae.

TODAY’S GAMES

No. 5 Kahuku (3-2, 3-0 OIA Red East) vs. McKinley (3-3, 2-2), Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium — The loss of leading rusher Soli Afalava (collarbone, shoulder ligaments) is major. In last week’s win over Moanalua, the Red Raiders showed depth at running back, but ultimately, Afalava could’ve stepped in as a safety at some point this season. The Tigers have gone into a funk offensively after starting conference play 2-0, even with the return of Tyrell Tuiasosopo (five receptions, 106 yards).

Waipahu (2-3, 1-2 OIA Red West) at No. 7 Waianae (4-2, 2-2) — Two teams with option offenses square off. The Seariders were in control of last week’s game at Campbell before a botched punt snap reversed their fortunes. The return of Kai Mercado-Aiona, a master of the option attack, sparked a 20-19 win over Aiea last week. Waianae has won the past two meetings but lost at home to the Marauders in 2008, 28-15.

No. 9 Lahainaluna (5-0, 3-0 MIL) at Maui (4-1, 2-1), War Memorial Stadium — The Lunas have one of the state’s top defenses with defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa and linebacker Connor Mowat anchoring the unit. They have allowed just 5.4 points per game. The Sabers are a run-first team featuring Onosai Emelio, one of the MIL’s top rushers.

No. 10 Leilehua (3-2, 1-2 OIA Red West) at Aiea (2-4, 0-4) — The Mules have surrendered an unheard-of 87 points in their past two games, including a 35-0 fourth-quarter rout by Kapolei last week. Na Alii wide receiver Shaenan Hernandez-Fonoti has six catches for 117 yards in two games since returning from a neck injury.

Farrington (3-2, 3-0 OIA Red East) at Moanalua (2-4, 2-2) — Conference play has been good to the young Governors. So has running back Sanele Lavatai, who rushed for 212 yards and five touchdowns in wins over Kailua and McKinley. Moanalua receivers Jason Sharsh (31 receptions, 590 yards, four touchdowns), Chad Aragon (42, 487, six) and Donald Lambert (33, 316, six) will test a Farrington secondary that got a pick-6 from cornerback Jacob McEnroe (6-0, 180).

Radford (5-1, 4-1 OIA White) vs. Kalaheo (2-3, 2-2), Kailua H.S. field — Cody Lui-Yuen has passed for 1,636 yards and 20 touchdowns with just four picks for the Rams. He’s surrounded by D-I level talent: running backs Tobias Powell, Rashone Osborne and Chance Cacatian have combined for 920 yards and 17 touchdowns, and receivers Jameson Pasigan (33 catches, 519 yards, 10 TDs) and Absolom Henry (29, 586, seven) have been almost unstoppable. Since beating Radford in 2008, the Mustangs have lost the last two meetings.

Roosevelt (1-5, 1-4 OIA White) at Pearl City (3-2, 3-1) — After opening the season with two lopsided losses, the Chargers are on fire offensively with 127 points in three wins.

Hilo (4-1, 3-0 BIIF) at Kamehameha-Hawaii (3-2, 2-1) — The Vikings have won three in a row since a 38-24 exhibition loss to Konawaena. The Warriors have turned their season around, too, with wins over Waiakea and Kealakehe since a loss to Konawaena.

Kealakehe (1-3, 1-2 BIIF) at Honokaa (0-4, 0-3) — The Waveriders are on a two-game losing streak, rebuilding after last year’s standout senior class graduated. The Dragons have a history of title contenders despite a smaller enrollment, but this year’s team had difficulty with numbers all summer.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

No. 1 Punahou (4-0, 2-0 ILH) vs. St. Francis (1-3, 0-2), Aloha Stadium — The Saints gave Damien trouble last week with their version of a double-wing, single-back formation. Punahou coach Kale Ane knows wing offenses well, which means the Buffanblu will be prepared for the trickeration of Saints quarterback Ranan Mamiya (127 rushing yards, one TD against Damien).

No. 2 Kamehameha (5-1, 2-1 ILH) vs. Pac-Five (0-4, 0-2), Aloha Stadium — The Wolfpack enjoyed a bye week, but now face the wrath of the Warriors, who took their first loss of the season against Punahou. Kamehameha running back Brandon Kahookele was held to 87 rushing yards by Punahou. He has rushed for at least 138 yards in three of his team’s six games, including 244 yards against ‘Iolani two weeks ago.

‘Iolani (3-3, 1-2 ILH) vs. Damien (3-2, 2-1), Aloha Stadium — After a loss to Saint Louis, the Raiders slipped out of the Star-Advertiser Top 10 for the first time in recent memory. The arsenal remains strong with Jordan Ross (621 rushing yards, 10 TDs), Chad Hanaoka (32 receptions, 353 yards, five TDs) and Keoni-Kordell Makekau (27, 365, five). The Monarchs have a chance to widen the gap in the ILH D-II race. D.J. Aumua, a running back/lineman, stepped up with 83 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the win over St. Francis last week.

Kaimuki (1-4, 0-3 OIA Red East) at Kailua (1-4, 1-2) — This is a key battle for one of the six playoff berths in the East. Fano Tuisila (21 catches, 297 yards, three TDs) is one of the division’s top receivers and Randon Tuitama (350 rushing yards, two TDs) is among the top rushers. When he gets time to throw, Noah Auld has connected with Koolauloa Gaspar (23 receptions, 231 yards, one TD) more than anyone.

Nanakuli (2-3, 2-2 OIA White) at Kalani (3-3, 3-2) — The Falcons are in fourth place in a conference with just four playoff berths. With Noah Brum firing up spirals (137 for 251 in six games), they have three players with at least 30 receptions already: Brandon Roberts (41, 505 yards, 10 TDs), Trevor Yamashita (36, 612, 6) and Blaise Manabe (30, 387, 3).

Baldwin (2-3, 2-1 MIL) at King Kekaulike (0-3, 0-3) — The Bears are coming off a 28-7 loss to Lahainaluna. They permitted nearly 500 yards in rushing.

Konawaena (4-1, 4-0 BIIF) at Hawaii Prep (4-1, 2-1) — The Wildcats have not scored fewer than 37 points in a game thanks in part to the arm of KS-Hawaii transfer Brandon Howes (16 TD passes). Ka Makani are back on track since a home loss to Hilo with wins over Kealakehe and Kealakehe. Bobby Lum (5-9, 210) continues to produce big numbers.

Waiakea (2-4, 1-2 BIIF) at Keaau (0-3, 0-3) — The league’s D-I battle is wide open with Kealakehe’s rebuilding underway, but the Warriors have lost their past two games (KS-Hawaii, HPA). Running back Devin Preston has been a bright spot.

Kapaa (2-2, 1-1 KIF) at Waimea (1-4, 0-2) — The Warriors had a bye week to help prepare for the Menehune.

Hana (0-1) at Molokai (0-0) (8-man) — Hana lost to defending league champion Seabury Hall two weeks ago, 31-0.

STANDINGS AND STATISTICS