No. 3 Mililani controls No. 7 Farrington, 42-6


Mililani receiver Ryan Chang gets loose for a 57-yard TD reception in the first quarter of an OIA D1-Red Conference game against Farrington. Jim LeBeau | SL

KALIHI — Give it to the birthday man.

Mililani junior receiver Ryan Chang, who turned 17 on Thursday, caught eight passes for a career-high 163 yards and three scores to help the Trojans dominate Farrington, 42-6, Friday night at Edward ‘Skippa' Diaz Stadium at Kusunoki Field.

The Trojans, ranked third in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Football Power Rankings, extended their winning streak over the Governors to seven games and improved to 5-0 overall and 4-0 atop the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I-Red Conference standings.

Chang did most of his damage early in the game, turning in his first three receptions for three first quarter scores to give the Trojans a 21-6 advantage heading into the second stanza.

"I think I was just a lucky guy tonight," said Chang. "We just prepared better for this game. Coach (Rod) York put in a good offensive game plan, and our defense, they had a helluva of a game."

Other than a 57-yard TD reception by Chad Silva in the first period, the Mililani defense held Farrington in check throughout the entire contest. If you take away the scoring play, the Governors (3-3 overall, 3-2 OIA D1 Red) mustered just 89 yards of total offense on 42 plays.

The Trojans' defense also forced three turnovers and registered six tackles for loss, three of which came on sacks. Farrington had just 28 yards rushing on 26 carries and faced numerous third-and-long situations.

"I'm proud about the defense because everybody was rallying to the ball," said junior defensive tackle Mykah Tuiolemotu, who finished with three tackles for loss. "Our main job this whole week was smashing. Smashing (means) keeping them there, controlling our gaps, things like that"

Offensively Mililani took advantage of one-one-one opportunities to its outside receivers. By the time Farrington was able to make the proper personnel adjustments, Chang already had three receptions for three TDs.

The 5-foot-10 junior wideout caught scoring passes of 21, 15 and 57 yards before the Trojans' offense started to grind yards out on the ground and controlled the tempo of the game.

Mililani got rushing touchdowns from Darius Muasau, Kilifi Malepeai and quarterback Dillon Gabriel to close out the scoring for the Trojans before the fourth quarter.

"We just took what they gave us, simple as that," said Mililani coach Rod York. "The bottom line is the kids believed in the game plan, and they executed. Hats off to our players, (and) hats off to Farrington. They're a good team."

Gabriel completed 18 of 24 passes for 275 yards and three scores in the win, and was picked off just once in the end zone by Treshawn Kepa. His 15-yard keeper around left end with 2:10 left in the third quarter put the Trojans ahead, 42-6, and induced the running clock mercy rule.

"(They) had a good game plan," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said of the Governors. "They play fast, they have an aggressive offensive line and they block well. They got personnel and they do a great job of coaching them up."

Farrington quarterback Stephen Eter completed eight passes for 117 yards and one score, but was picked off by Mililani's Storm Sua on the Governors' first drive of the game.

The Trojans were able to recycle the interception into Chang's first TD of the game.

"I know that turnover didn't help," said Okimoto. "Against this team (like Mililani), it's hard to make those big mistakes."

The Governors received the ball to start the second half, but turned it over two plays in on a bad snap that was recovered by the Trojans' Dylan Matthew Tirso Miguel.

The change of possession ultimately led to Malepeai's 8-yard TD run, which gave Mililani a 35-6 lead two minutes into the third quarter.

Foi Sila and Samsen Tanuvasa each had a tackle for loss to lead the Governors in the loss.



Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].