The first all-OIA final in the 22-year history of the state football tournament was still a possibility on the final play Saturday night.
OIA runner-up Mililani fell just short of ending Saint Louis’ run of consecutive state titles when quarterback Emana Tarape’s last pass was batted away by senior Kawaihinano Kalaukoa to preserve the Crusaders’ 27-25 victory in the Open Division semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships at Skippa Diaz Stadium.
Lason Napuunoa kicked the go-ahead, 38-yard field goal into the wind with 5:26 remaining for the fourth lead change in the game.
Kalaukoa intercepted Tarape on fourth down to end the Trojans’ next drive and then sealed the win on the final play to push Saint Louis into a state title game for the 14th time in school history.
“We knew they had to put the ball up deep,” said Kalaukoa, who also forced two fumbles. “Lucky enough the ball came to me and I made a play on it.”
The Crusaders (6-3) will play Kahuku (9-0) for the 10th time in the final with the Red Raiders holding a 5-4 advantage.
It’s the matchup Kahuku coaching Sterling Carvalho said he wanted after the Red Raiders’ 21-0 shutout of Campbell in Saturday’s first semifinal.
“To be honest, deep down inside I want it to be Saint Louis,” Carvalho said before the Trojans and Crusaders kicked off. “I want to beat the defending state champions.”
Mililani (5-3) nearly made the final a rematch of last week’s OIA championship game won 17-14 by Kahuku.
The Trojans came back from a 24-14 deficit late in the third quarter and took the lead with 6:57 remaining to go.
>> RELATED: Kahuku shuts out Campbell
After a Saint Louis missed field goal, Mililani’s Kapono Ho’okano-Sallas took a handoff from Tarape and then threw a 31-yard pass to John Herold-Namu to put the ball past midfield. A 37-yard pass from Tarape to Gavin Hunter put the ball on the 12 and Nehemiah Timoteo ran it in on the next play to make it a one-point game.
After a timeout, Mililani lined up to go for 2 and Herold-Namu took a pitch and threw it back to Tarape leaking out of the backfield. Tarape had it for just long enough to be called a catch before dropping it. The play was reviewed and the call was held up, giving Mililani a 25-24 lead with 6:57 to go.
“We talked about it. We came here to win,” Mililani coach Rod York said. “I’m proud of my boys. They laid it all on the line. We were just one play short.”
Saint Louis drove back down the field but was stopped on third down. Napuunoa, who had missed minutes earlier from 42 yards, reared back and made it from 38 to give Saint Louis the lead.
“I had to make up for that (missed 42-yard field goal),” Napuunoa said. “Every game I always think it’s going to come down to me. Mentally I had to be ready to make that kick.”
Mililani outgained Saint Louis 333 to 299 in total yards. Both teams had 18 first downs but Saint Louis was whistled for nine penalties for 144 yards.
The Trojans effectively used their rushing attack to control the clock in the opening half.
Mililani possessed the ball for more than nine minutes in the first quarter, but fell behind when Saint Louis’ Blaze Holani blocked a punt that Iona Purcell recovered in the end zone for a Saint Louis touchdown.
The Trojans were forced to punt on their next drive, but a roughing-the-kicker penalty on Saint Louis kept the drive going.
Mililani was given another first down on fourth-and-1 when Saint Louis jumped offside, and made it count when Tarape hit Ho’okano-Sallas for a 31-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 10:26 to go in the first half.
Mililani got the ball back when defensive back Jordan Fetu forced a fumble that was recovered by Kamaehu Roman at the Trojans’ 27-yard line.
Mililani stuck with the run, rushing the ball on six of the next seven plays before Tarape threw another strike to Raymond Roller for a 43-yard touchdown to put the Trojans ahead 14-7 with 4:25 on the clock.
Saint Louis went for it on fourth-and-20 at the Mililani 33 and quarterback AJ Bianco was picked off in the end zone by Hunter, but a defensive pass interference negated the play.
Mililani jumped offside on fourth-and-5 to give up the first down as penalties continued to hurt both teams.
Saint Louis’ Trech Kekahuna looked to have tied the game on a short touchdown run, but the Crusaders were called for holding.
Hunter came up with a key pass defense on third down and Saint Louis settled for a 29-yard field goal by Napuunoa to go into the half down 14-10.
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At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Mililani (5-3) 0 14 3 8 — 25
Saint Louis (6-3) 7 3 14 3 — 27
STL—Iona Purcell blocked punt recovery (Lason Napuunoa kick)
MIL—Kapono Ho’okano-Sallas 31 pass from Emana Tarape (Makel Paiva kick)
MIL—Raymond Roller 43 pass from Tarape (Paiva kick)
STL—FG Napuunoa 24
STL—Alexander Bianco 9 run (Napuunoa kick)
STL—Keola Apduhan 9 run (Napuunoa kick)
MIL—FG Paiva 21
MIL—Nehemiah Timoteo 12 run (Tarape pass from John Herold-Namu)
STL—FG Napuunoa 38
RUSHING—Mililani: N. Timoteo 18-106, Tavian Hallums 9-22, Kanoa Ferreira 1-4, TEAM 1-(minus 1), Tarape 3-(minus 19). Saint Louis: Bianco 16-62, Apduhan 9-50, Jaysen Peters-deLaura 1-8, Keonimanamemanao Catrett 3-3, Boston Opetaia 1-3, Trech Kekahuna 2-1, TEAM 1-(minus 13).
PASSING—Mililani: Tarape 14-28-1-190, Ho’okano-Sallas 1-1-0-31. Saint Louis: Bianco 14-22-0-179, Kauna’oa Kamakawiwo’ole 1-1-0-6.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Ho’okano-Sallas 4-68, Jensyn McGee 4-25, Gavin Hunter 3-47, Herold-Namu 2-36, Roller 1-43, Micah Rapez-Esclit 1-2. Saint Louis: Kekahuna 6-43, Mason Muaau 5-72, Peters-deLaura 1-40, Titan Lacaden 1-11, Chyler DeSilva 1-10, 22 Yosei Takahashi 1-9
