Three points was all No. 2 Punahou needed.
Quinn Maretzki’s 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter resulted in the only points scored as the second-ranked Buffanblu ended the regular season with a 3-0 shutout of No. 3 Mililani on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.
Punahou (9-1, 7-1 ILH Open) recorded its fifth shutout of the season, but more impressively, ended Mililani’s steak of 213 consecutive games without getting blanked.
Farrington was the last team to hold Mililani scoreless — in 2000.
>> Click here to see photos of the game between Punahou and Mililani.
“I would never have expected to have a score like this,” Punahou coach Kale Ane said. “We’re very thrilled to have it in our favor.”
Mililani (7-3, 5-0 OIA Open) already had the top seed in the OIA Open Division playoffs beginning next week and actually outgunned the Buffanblu 212 to 139 in total yards.
Four turnovers hurt the Trojans, with Punahou’s Nathaniel Kia recovering two fumbles.
“It was just all the work we did in the offseason, in season, after practice, before practice, all that stuff coming together and this is what you get, a shutout against a really good team,” Kia said.
Buffanblu senior running back Vincent Terrell was held to 55 yards on the ground but picked up 34 of them on a third-and-35 running play early in the fourth quarter.
He was just short of the marker, but Punahou elected to go for it and Terrell dodged a would-be-tackler in the backfield to pick up 2 yards to move the chains and set up Maretzki’s field goal.
“Vince is a real impact player,” Ane said. “You don’t expect (the run) to work like that … but it gave us a chance on fourth down and that was a big turning point there. It allowed us to get points.”
After missing a 47-yarder earlier, Maretzki’s kick from 40 with 7:17 remaining was good, and that was all Punahou needed.
“Quinn is a pressure guy and works really hard,” Ane said. “We’ve had the luxury of great kickers.”
Mililani played to a scoreless tie at halftime for the second consecutive week.
Punahou’s Kilinahe Mendiola-Jansen and Eli Thompson intercepted Mililani quarterback Brendyn Agbayani in the first half, with Thompson’s pick giving Punahou the ball at the Mililani 20.
Two players later, the Trojans got the ball right back as linebacker Sonny Semeatu strip-sacked Punahou quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele. Bam Amina recovered for the Trojans, who then went three-and-out on offense for the second time.
Sagapolutele finished 17-for-23 for 129 yards, with backup Ian Eveleth completing two passes for 50 yards, including a 46-yard bomb in the third quarter on third down to Koa Eldredge, who had eight receptions for 92 yards.
Eight different Trojans caught passes, with leading receiver Kanoa Gibson held to two receptions for 45 yards.
“We have to learn from it. We have to grow from it. It’s playoff times and we’ll focus on Farrington,” Mililani coach Rod York said.
Agbayani finished 15-for-29 for 130 yards.
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No. 2. Punahou 3, No. 3 Mililani 0
At Aloha Stadium
>> Mililani (7-3, 5-0) 0 0 0 0 — 0
>> Punahou (9-1, 7-1) 0 0 0 3 — 3
Punahou — FG Quinn Maretzki 40
RUSHING — Mililani: Malosi Sam 15-66, Jasiah Alcover 10-23, Brendyn Agbayani 1-(minus 7). Punahou: Vincent Terrell 12-55, team 5-(minus 45), John-Keawe Sagapolutele 9-(minus 50).
PASSING — Mililani: Agbayani 15-29-2-130. Punahou: Sagapolutele 17-23-0-129, Ian Eveleth 2-3-0-50.
RECEIVING — Mililani: Kai Banks 4-35, Raysen Motoyama 3-18, Kanoa Gibson 2-45, Pono Hookano 2-12, Rayvin Yacapin 1-9, Jarin Kalama 1-7, Mystik Sampaga 1-3, Sam 1-1. Punahou: Koa Eldredge 8-92, Christopher Paige 5-20, Raydan Kiaaina-Caires 3-47, Moku Dancil-Evans 2-18, Terrell 1-2.
