Moanalua’s Breeana Higa (3) hoists the championship trophy as Nā Menehune celebrates winning their first girls flag football state championship in school history in the Hawaii Dental Service/HHSAA Division I Girls Flag Football State Championship game at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium. CJ Caraang | SL

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[email protected] - CJ Caraang | SL

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MILILANI - The pressure was on for Moanalua's flag football team.

The school's boys' volleyball and boys' track and field teams had claimed state crowns earlier in the evening. But Na Menehune trailed for three quarters before pulling a come-from-behind 13-6 win against Mililani Saturday night to capture the Hawaii Dental Service/HHSAA Division I Championship at John Kauinana Stadium.

Freshman Breidi-Ann Higa fired a 25-yard TD pass to Jodie Keo with 38 seconds left, snapping a 6-all contest. Higa then connected with Shaydennurijah Key Byrd for the critical 1-point conversion pass.

"We were cheering for them when we were warming up," said Keo, referring to the volleyball team. "Then we heard that the boys' track won. Now we three-timed. Our softball and baseball didn't make it. We're proud of them. Everybody in our school made it to states, but not all of them won. We did it for them."

The players weren't the only ones feeling the heat.

"It feels a lot better winning it. There would be a lot more pressure next year if we lost it this year," Moanalua coach Ladd Mokiao said with a laugh.

Last weekend, Mililani won state softball and baseball on successive nights, but the Trojans were upstaged by Na Menehune, who pulled the triple crown in one night.

It was an arduous process for Na Menehune (16-1), whose only loss came in overtime against Waianae for the OIA championship.

"I didn't want to lose another game," Higa said

Higa's 148 passing yards were her lowest output of the season. It wasn't so much her doing. The elements (first-half rain) took the pass-oriented Na Menehune out of their element. The slippery ball made it hard for Higa, Mokiao said. 

"I tried to put Zaira (Sugui, last season's QB) to see if we could get a running attack, but that didn't work, so I was just stalling, waiting for the rain to stop. On the defensive side, we were stopping them, but they found a weakness in our defense, that motion to run, that motion to dump (short pass) with Zenn (Mililani QB Zennalen Nelson) in the backfield, you can't stop her, so we made some adjustments in the second half."

The Trojans cashed in on Lilyanah-Tiare Tavale's interception off Higa on Moanalua's first offensive series. Nelson guided the Trojans downfield hitting Zayah Solmirin for a 4-yard TD on fourth-and-goal at 4:25 in the first quarter. The conversion failed and the score stood 6-0 after three quarters.

While Moanalua waited for the rain to subside and for its offense to gel, the defense did its job, keeping the Trojans from adding to their sole TD.

Early in the fourth, Na Menehune marched 45 yards in five plays with Higa hitting Qingstinn Rose Yoshihara with a 25-yard TD with 8:37 left in the game. The PAT failed but the game was knotted at 6.

Later in the game, Styralyn Hoakalei Reyes registered two sacks in a series that eventually ended on an interception by Alofa Simanu. Moanalua's offense started at Mililani's 23, but saw its drive die at the 6, turning the ball over on downs. But the Trojans went three-and out in part to a pass breakup by Simanu on third down, forcing Mililani to punt.

Na Menehune had great field position at the Trojans' 38 with 1:51 left.  After incomplete passes on first and second downs, a 13-yard completion to Yoshihara made it fourth-and-5. Higa then found a wide-open Keo for a 25-yard TD pass with 38 seconds left in the game. Key Bird's PAT catch from Higa made it 13-6.

The Trojans could only manage six yards for one first down with the remaining time left in the game.

Na Menehune's defense is what kept them in striking distance. Sugui, one of the top passers last season, played defense primarily this season. She led all players with 12 pulled flags, including a sack. 

"Honestly, me playing defense was…I had a hard time playing at the beginning.  I knew that this was for the benefit of the team and I kept working at it, listening to what the coaches had to say. Communication was key in this game. We learned from our past games, we can't wait for the offense. We were playing D and me playing defense was very imporrtant to get to the quarterback or get to the edges."

Mokiao said Sugui's skills were needed on the other side of the ball.

"She's very aggressive. At middle linebacker, she's free to go right to left. She's a backer who can back up the blazers. That's why I put her on defense."

Sugui harbored no hard feelings, giving way to the freshman Higa at QB

"Breidi is tough," Sugui said. "She's the best quarterback; she pulled through on offense."