If defense truly wins championships, the Mililani Trojans are heading in the right direction.

The fourth-ranked Trojans limited No. 10 Kapolei to 178 yards of total offense in a 20-0 shutout on Friday night at the Hurricanes’ field.

The game marked the first time an audience was allowed to watch football at Kapolei, and at other public high schools across the state, since the fall of 2019.

The visiting Trojans scored one touchdown in the first half and came up with three takeaways after intermission to stifle the home team. Mililani improved to 2-0.

“When you play good defense, hold them to zero points, it makes it a whole lot easier to win the game. We’ve got a lot of things to correct, but I like how our kids played their hearts out to the end. We won the turnover game. That was the goal,” Mililani coach Rod York said.

Linebacker Kamaehu Roman had two of Mililani’s four sacks.

“We just tried to create controlled chaos, make it confusing for their offense and create turnovers,” York said. “Tuli (Tagovailoa-Amosa) is a great quarterback. They moved the sticks on us with his feet. He definitely looked like Michael Vick back there, so we’re happy with today. Kapolei is a dangerous team.”

Kapolei’s defense kept the game close until the third quarter, when turnovers took a toll. The Hurricanes, who lost to Kahuku last week, dropped to 0-2.

“Credit to Coach York and his team. They were efficient with the football. They made plays when they had to. They did a great job,” Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. “For us, we got better from last week, which is a good thing. Kahuku and Mililani are quality teams. We feel we can fix some things and get better, and compete with the best teams in our conference.”

Mililani’s defense clamped down early, and the Trojans’ offense began its second series at the Kapolei 41-yard line after a punt. Nehemiah Timoteo blasted through the left side for pickups of 26 and 17 yards before Tykea Johnson rumbled in for a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:54 left in the first quarter.

Defensive lineman Semeri Ulufale Jr. was also a weapon as a punter. His first punt of 55 yards pinned Kapolei at its 6-yard line. His second, a 44-yarder, was downed at the Hurricanes’ 5-yard line.

The defensive battle kept both offenses quiet through the first half. Mililani quarterback Kini McMillan connected with wide receiver Gavin Hunter for a 25-yard touchdown, but the play was ruled an incomplete pass. On the next play, McMillian’s Hail Mary throw was intercepted by Kapolei defensive back Ryan Sebastian to end the half.

The Trojans took the opening possession of the second half and drove 71 yards in 14 plays. McMillan’s corner toss found wide receiver Kapono Hookana-Sallas for a 10-yard touchdown. Mililani led 13-0 with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter.

Mililani won the previous three games. Kapolei last beat Mililani in 2016, 40-12, behind 379 passing yards and three TDs by Taulia Tagovailoa.

Division I

Moanalua 28, Aiea 25

Na Menehune found a way to win Friday night, overcoming five turnovers to capture a marathon game over Na Alii that was decided by the final possession of the game.

Moanalua quarterback Taylor Malloe tossed four interceptions, including two (and nearly a third) that were returned for touchdowns. But Malloe managed to mix in some good throws, leading Na Menehune with 202 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, both of which were game-high marks.

Jayce Bareng accounted for nearly half of Malloe’s production, hauling in 10 passes for a game-best 95 yards. Ryson Lum chipped in with a 45-yard gain on his only reception of the night.

Opposing Malloe was Aiea quarterback Eziekiel Olie. Olie had his own share of turnover troubles, tossing a pair of interceptions and fumbling away what turned into an 11-yard touchdown for Moanalua’s Ethan Salvani. Despite that, Olie threw for 161 yards and a touchdown, nearly leading Na Alii to a last-ditch game-winner. Jayden Chanel proved to be a trustworthy partner for Olie, catching five passes for 84 yards. Kaimana Laie-Sauole fronted the rushing attack for Aiea, racking up 84 yards on 23 carries.

Aiea found itself on the scoreboard first, jumping on top as Bishop Fourmai stole a Malloe throw and returned the ball 33 yards to the house. The lead didn’t last long, as Bareng and Malloe teamed up to tie the game with a 7-yard touchdown connection. A minute later, Salvani blocked a punt from inside the Na Alii 5-yard line. It bounced out of the end zone and gave Moanalua a 9-7 advantage.

Malloe and Olie traded touchdown throws to start the second quarter, with Kindred Malakai Park (Moanalua) and Geronimo Ulgaran (Aiea) on the receiving ends. Salvani’s fumble return touchdown made it 22-14 for Moanalua at the half. Aizek Mahuku returned the favor on Moanalua’s first drive of the second half, returning a Malloe interception 20 yards for the score.

On the very next Moanalua drive, Aiea’s Keoki Stephens picked off Malloe again, returning it nearly the length of the field for what would have been a game-changing touchdown. Instead, Stephens was stripped at the goal line for a touchback.

After an Aiea field goal gave Na Alii their first lead since the opening score, Malloe drove Na Menehune down the field, eventually putting the finishing blow on Aiea with an 18-yard touchdown to Keenan McCaddy. Olie had a chance to win the game, leading Aiea to fringe field goal range, but a false start on Na Alii made it fourth-and-9 to stay alive. Olie’s desperate throw into the end zone fell incomplete.

Now sporting a 2-0 record, Moanalua will head out on the road for the first time, taking on Castle on Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Aiea (0-1) will head to Roosevelt for a Friday night matchup at 7 p.m.

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Jonathan Chen, Star-Advertiser

Waipahu 24, Kailua 16

The Marauders’ defense was dominant throughout and Michael Iaulualo took over in the second half against visiting Kailua.

Iaulualo rushed 28 times for 191 yards and one touchdown and Waipahu allowed 1 yard of total offense in the season opener for both teams.

“I have to start off with my O-line. Without my O-line none of this would have been possible,” said Iaulualo, who also caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. “I know I have to keep moving to keep this offense going. That’s my mentality when I rush the ball.”

Waipahu allowed minus-67 yards rushing and 68 passing.

“They just really grasped onto the schemes and everything we’ve put together,” said Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho.

Iaulualo’s 8-yard run put the Marauders ahead 24-16 with 9:10 left in the game. He carried the ball 19 times in the second half for 123 yards.

“It was good to hit that hole, tuck the ball and think ‘I have to go for it,’ ” he said.

Joshua Manu completed 24 of 45 passes for 274 yards and three first-half touchdowns. He completed his first nine passes, including the scoring pass to Iaulualo, and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Mckenzie. He added a 27-yard scoring strike to Saige Marienthal late in the first half to make it 18-2.

Manu threw four interceptions thereafter and Carvalho was forced to turn to Iaulualo.

“Just lack of discipline. We need to coach them up as much as possible,” Carvalho said. “It really showed we had two years off.”

The Surfriders stayed in the game, thanks to an opportunistic defense. Noah Grace and Japheth Lilo each had two interceptions for Kailua. Three of the picks came in the end zone. Lilo’s 67-yard pick-6 midway through the third quarter cut the Surfriders’ deficit to 18-16.

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Kyle Sakamoto, Star-Advertiser

Division II

Kalani 25, Kaimuki 3

Kalani senior quarterback Logan Lim passed for 136 yards and two touchdowns and led the team in rushing with 131 yards and one touchdown as the Falcons (1-1) notched their first win of the season by beating the Bulldogs (0-2) at Kaiser High School.

“Logan played really well,” coach Scott Melemai said. “Our whole offense played really well. He was hitting the receivers and executing.”

Bulldogs senior kicker Kurt Kawamoto nailed a 45-yard field goal early in the first quarter for Kaimuki’s only score. Kalani senior wide receiver Noah Ah Sam caught a 30-yard pass from Lim to take the lead, though senior kicker Yikirta Peterson missed the extra point.

Senior wide receiver Noa Uchida recorded the only score of the second quarter, on a 2-yard run, but the Falcons failed to convert on a 2-point attempt.

In the third quarter, senior running back Josh Oh caught a 35-yard pass from Lim for a touchdown and Peterson added the extra point. Lim ran untouched for 76 yards to the house for the Falcons’ final score of the game in the fourth quarter.

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Noelle Kakimoto, Special to the Star-Advertiser

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Open Division

No. 4 Mililani 20, No. 10 Kapolei 0

At Kapolei

Mililani (2-0, 2-0) 7 0 13 0 — 20

Kapolei (0-2, 0-2) 0 0 0 0 — 0

MIL—Tykea Johnson Jr. 3 run (Makel Paiva kick)

MIL—Kapono Hookana-Sallas 10 pass from Kini McMillan (kick failed)

MIL—Raymond Roller 25 pass from Emana Tarape (Paiva kick)

RUSHING—Mililani: Nehemiah Timoteo 8-80, Tykea Johnson Jr. 1-3, Kini McMillan 2-(-24), Tavian Hallums 3-15, Tarape 2-(-5), Kanoa Ferreira 1-19. Kapolei: Ezra Sidotti 5-9, Tryton Keli‘ikipi 5-0, Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa 9-0, Caleb Dela Pena-Pihana 2-4, Vaimetua Kamakele 1-11, Esaiah Gideon 3-16.

PASSING—Mililani: Kini McMillan 14-27-1-146, Emana Tarape 3-11-0-33. Kapolei: Tagovailoa-Amosa 8-21-1-109, Gideon 5-14-2-32.

RECEIVING—Mililani: Kapono Hookana-Sallas 2-26, Tavian Hallums 1-0, John Herold-Namu 2-28, Timoteo 1-24, Gavin Hunter 4-34, Isaiah Padello 3-16, Lando Werner-Celes 1-13, Raymond Roller 1-25, Johnson 1-9, Kanoa Ferreira 1-4. Kapolei: Riley Camarillo 2-17, Ezra Sidotti 1-26, Mason Gomez 1-8, Mordecai Koong 4-66, Ale‘a Nahulu-Mahelona 3-17, Diezel Kamoku 2-7.

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OIA Division I

Moanalua 28, Aiea 25

At Moanalua High School field

Aiea (0-1) 7 7 8 3 — 25

Moanalua (2-0) 9 13 0 6 — 28

AIEA—Bishop Foumai 33 yard interception return (Keoki Stephens kick)

MOA—Jayce Bareng 7 yard pass from Taylor Malloe (Alex Heim kick)

MOA—Ethan Salvani punt block for safety (Heim kick)

MOA—Kindred Malakai Park 18 yard pass from Malloe (Heim kick)

AIEA—Geronimo Ulgaran 7 yard pass from Eziekiel Olie (Stephens kick)

MOA—Salvani 11 yard fumble return (2-pt. no good)

AIEA—Aizek Mahuka 20 yard interception return (Jheremie Cacpal pass from Olie)

AIEA—Stephens 26 yard field goal

MOA—Keenan McCaddy 18 yard pass from Malloe (Heim kick blocked)

RUSHING—Aiea: Kaimana Laie-Sauole 23-84, Kane Lorenzana 7-27, Thiessen Wright 1-9, Ulgaran 2-3, Rico Figueroa 1-1, TEAM 1-(minus 1), Olie 6-(minus 4). Moanalua: Park 10-21, Cameron Johnson 8-4, Ryson Lum 2-2, Malloe 5-(minus 5), Bareng 1-(minus 5).

PASSING—Aiea: Olie 17-30-2-161. Moanalua: Malloe 17-34-4-202.

RECEIVING—Aiea: Jayden Chanel 5-84, Ulgaran 7-57, Figueroa 3-9, Cacpal 1-8, Lorenzana 1-3. Moanalua: Bareng 10-95, Lum 1-45, Park 1-18, McCaddy 1-18, Gabe Wells 3-15, Andy Canencia 1-11.

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Waipahu 24, Kailua 16

At Waipahu

Kailua (0-1) 0 2 14 0 ­— 16

Waipahu (1-0) 12 6 0 6 — 24

Waip—Joseph Mckenzie 5 pass from Joshua Manu (kick blocked)

Waip—Michael Iaulualo 5 pass from Manu (pass failed)

Kail—Safety, Daniel Palenapa blocked punt in end zone

Waip—Saige Marienthal 27 pass from Manu (kick blocked)

Kail—Japheth Lilo 67 interception return (Theodor Bierbrauer kick)

Kail—Nainoa Smith-Akana 1 pass from Kahiapo McKeague (Bierbrauer kick)

Waip—Iaulualo 8 run (pass failed)

RUSHING—Kail: Romeo Ortiz 8-26, McKeague 1-(minus 8), Ikaika Quidashay 6-(minus 19), Team 3-(minus 66).Waip: Iaulualo 28-191, Braeden Togafau 1-0, Manu 2-(minus 16), Team 2-(minus 39).

PASSING—Kail: Ortiz 9-14-0-26, McKeague 3-9-1-42. Waip: Manu 24-45-4-274.

RECEIVING—Kail: Jathan Bejarano 6-25, Lilo 2-41, Nainoa Smith-Akana 2-0, Damien Jacobs 1-3, Solomon Keaunui-Demello 1-(minus 1). Waip: Aston Contado 5-69, Jayjay Rayner 5-48, Mckenzie 4-64, Iaulualo 4-20, Marienthal 3-44, Jhonathan Kekua-Cobb 3-29.

OIA Division II

Kalani 25, Kaimuki 3

At Kaiser High School

Kaimuki (0-1) 3 0 0 0 — 3

Kalani (0-1) 6 6 7 6 — 25

Kaim—Kurt Kawamoto 45 field goal

Kalan—Noah Ah Sam 30 pass from Logan Lim (Yikirta Peterson kick failed)

Kalan—Noa Uchida 2 run (2 pt conversion failed)

Kalan—Josh Oh 35 pass from Lim (Peterson kick)

Kalan—Lim 76 run (Peterson kick failed)

RUSHING—Kaimuki: Sionepaongo Taufa 10-40, Joshua Leota, Jr. 9-30, Ofa Vehikite 9-22, Avin Tanioka 1-1, Dante Peltier 2-(minus 2), Austyn-Laurence Halemanu 8-(minus 5), TEAM 1-(minus 10). Kalani: Lim 10-131, Oh 17-129, Kahikina Iaea 1-8, Uchida 2-3, TEAM 2-(minus 26).

PASSING—Kaimuki: Taufa 1-11-1-6. Kalani: Lim 11-22-2-136, Iaea 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING—Kaimuki: Ezekiel Kuiee-Matias 1-6. Kalani: Oh 2-53, Ah Sam 2-35, Uchida 4-27, Mikala Nishimoto 3-21.

Other scores

Other scores

No. 2 Saint Louis 35, No. 4 Punahou 0

Saint Louis I-AA 33, Kamehameha I-AA 19

Konawaena 24, Hilo 21