MILILANI — In non-stop, heart-thumping action from opening kickoff to final whistle, host Mililani outlasted Kapolei, 36-31, last night.

A crowd of about 2,000 — less than expected probably because of the threat of rain (not a drop during the game) and that the game was televised live by OC16 — watched the No. 6 Trojans inch closer to defending their O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division title. Mililani improved to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in league with two games left, at Leilehua and at 'Aiea.

The No. 8 Hurricanes dropped to 5-2 and 4-1. They have one more game at Wai'anae.

"It was intense," said Trojans running back Kekoa Perbera, who pounded the muddy field for 181 yards on 29 carries, including a 52-yard run that set up one touchdown and a 4-yard TD run. "Nobody let down until the clock was zero, zero at the end."

A 19-yard field goal by Michael Smith with 2:18 left padded the Trojans' lead to 36-25. But relentless Kapolei got a long kickoff return by Jon Santiago to the Mililani 37 and scored six plays later on quarterback Brad Padayao's sneak from one yard to make it 36-31. A pass on the 2-point conversion failed.

The Hurricanes used all three of their timeouts when the Trojans took over with 1:19 left and punted 19 seconds later. A 37-yard punt return by Santiago to the Mililani 45 was nullified by an illegal block, setting the Hurricanes back to their 15.

After two incomplete passes, Padayao hit Caleb Spencer on an 8-yarder to make it fourth-and-2 at the 23 with time running out. Padayao dropped back, then took off when he couldn't find a receiver. In a play that symbolized the fight of both teams, Padayao was finally dragged down after a 23-yard gain as time ran out. A holding penalty against Kapolei on the play was declined to end game.

"I told them I loved everyone of them because of their effort," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said of his players. "They laid it out on the field. I said, 'Look at the reaction (of the Mililani crowd). They were happy to beat us. They're the three-time OIA West champion.' I'll tell you right now, we gave 'em a run."

It was one-upsmanship from the start, as each team responded to a score with one of its own. Big plays highlighted the first half as teams exchanged scores with the Trojans taking a 20-19 lead into the break.

Kapolei took the opening kickoff to its 25 and after Padayao was sacked by linebacker Josh Andrews on the first play of the game, the quarterback completed a 74-yard pass play to Santiago to the Trojans' 6. From there, Padayao dropped back to pass, then sprinted left for the game's first score.

The Trojans responded with an 11-play, 67-yard drive that ended with running back Jordan Torres scoring on a 1-yard run with 5:01 left in the first quarter.

Kapolei wasted little time to respond, scoring on its second play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff on a 76-yard pass from Padayao to Tommy Ross. It began as a short pass to the left side and Ross outran the Trojans' secondary to the end zone. The PAT missed and Kapolei led 13-7 with 4:33 left in the first quarter.

Just before the end of the quarter, Perbera returned a punt 41 yards to the Kapolei 10. Three plays later, Rustin Funakoshi hit David Rivers on a 6-yard TD pass and Smith's PAT gave Mililani a 14-13 lead.

A squib kickoff gave Kapolei possession at its 40, where it used eight plays to move 60 yards with Padayao scoring from five yards on basically the same play he scored his first TD, except he went right. The 2-point conversion pass was incomplete, but Kapolei led 19-14.

The lead was shortlived. Mililani started at its 21, but a 52-yard run by Perbera gave the Trojans first-and-goal at the Kapolei 10. On fourth-and-goal from the 5, Funakoshi threw a high pass that only the 6-foot-4 Rivers could haul down for the TD that gave the Trojans a 20-19 lead at the half.

"Kekoa's our go-to guy," Mililani coach James Millwood said. "We wanted him to have a lot of carries."

The Trojans increased their lead on their second series of the third quarter when Funakoshi scored on a 1-yard run with 6:04 on the clock to make it 27-19.

Keeping with the rhythm, the Hurricanes returned with a 49-yard TD run by Padayao to make it 27-25. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after Padayao somersaulted into the end zone forced Kapolei to attempt a 2-point conversion from the 18, where a pass failed.

Jordan Apduhan's 33-yard kickoff return to the Mililani 43 set up Perbera's 4-yard TD run with 11:18 left in the game to make it 33-25.

The Hurricanes were forced to punt on their next series despite a 36-yard run by Radford Raquedan. The Trojans added insurance with Smith's field goal.

"They made the first downs when they had to," Hernandez said of Mililani. "Our defense got run over, but they played with emotion. They played with heart and I love that."

KAPOLEI (5-2, 4-1) 13 6 6 6 — 31

MILILANI (5-1, 4-0) 7 13 7 9 — 36

Kap—Brad Padayao 6 run (Brandon Lorenzana kick)

Mili—Jordan Torres 1 run (Michael Smith kick)

Kap—Tommy Ross 76 pass from Padayao (kick failed)

Mili—David Rivers 6 pass from Rustin Funakoshi (Smith kick)

Kap—Padayao 5 run (pass failed)

Mili—Rivers 5 pass from Funakoshi (kick failed)

Mili—Funakoshi 1 run (Smith kick)

Kap—Padayao 49 run (pass failed)

Mili—Perbera 4 run (kick failed)

Mili—FG Smith 19

Kap—Padayao 1 run (pass failed)

RUSHING—Kapolei: Padayao 9-97, Radford Raquedan 10-73, Aaron Santiago 2-3, Tony Talo 1-4. Mililani: Kekoa Perbera 29-181, Jordan Torres 6-48, Kekoa Osurman 4-9, Jordan Apduhan 6-17, Team 1-(minus 1), Funakoshi 2-0.

PASSING—Kapolei: Padayao 12-25-0—260. Mililani: Rustin Funakoshi 9-17-1—76.

RECEIVING—Kapolei: J.Santiago 4-114, Tommy Ross 2-84, Raquedan 1-(minus 3), Josh Hose 1-24, Caleb Spencer 3-30, A. Santiago 1-10. Mililani: Rivers 5-54, Torres 2-13, Michael Smith 1-5, Apduhan 1-2.

KAHUKU 43, FARRINGTON 0

Kamuela Alisa rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns, lifting the third-ranked Red Raiders to an OIA East victory.

Kahuku hit the Governors with big plays as Tuvili Tuisavaru ran 50 yards for a touchdown and Jacob Kahawaii threw a 46-yard TD pass to Devin Unga.

FARRINGTON (3-4, 3-2) 0 0 0 0— 0

KAHUKU (4-1, 3-1) 7 18 12 6—43

KAH—Kamuela Alisa 14 run (Gary Nagy kick)

KAH—Alisa 5 run (kick failed)

KAH—Malosi Te'o 16 run (pass failed)

KAH—Kaulin Krebs 1 run (pass failed)

KAH—Devin Unga 46 pass from Jaob Kahawaii (kick failed)

KAH—Tuvili Tuisavura 50 run (kick failed)

KAH—Pele Soliai 18 pass from Ioane Teriipaia (kick failed)

RUSHING—Farrington: Elijah Filifili 6-(minus 20), Hercules Sula 8-9, Kenneth Faumui 11-36, Maeli Siliga 1-(minus 9). Kahuku: Alisa 9-78, Te'o 6-27, Jason Mauai 4-32, Tuisavura 2-54, Krebs 6-(minus 10), Simi Alo 3-32.

PASSING—Farrington: Filifili 2-7-5—6, Siliga 3-5-2—34. Kahuku: Kahawaii 3-7-0—71, Krebs 3-6-0—55, Teriipaia 1-2-0—18.

RECEIVING—Farrington: Faumui 1-1, Tyrone Olopuy 2-16, Ben Davis 1-8, Tanner Fetui 1-5. Kahuku: Redmond Tutor 2-25, Unga 3-82, Anthony Siilata 1-19, Soliai 1-18.

JV score—Kahuku 14, Farrington 0.

Reported by Brandy Burke

MOANALUA 27, KALAHEO 7

Stanford Leti rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Menehunes to an OIA White win.

KALAHEO (1-4,1-3) 0 0 7 0— 7

MOANALUA (5-1, 4-1) 7 20 0 0— 27

MOAN—Stanford Leti 37 run (Landon Watanabe kick)

MOAN—Leti 35 run (Watanabe kick)

MOAN—Quinton Tang 5 run (kick failed)

MOAN—Leti 1 run (Watanabe kick)

KALAH—Toli Ilaoa 1 run (Ilaoa kick) RUSHING—Kalaheo: Toli Ilaoa 12-7, Koakela Siliga 5-37, Matt Soueira 21-92, Alex Brown 6-17, Jeremy Marumoto 1-2. Moanalua: Ben Crippen 2-0, Jarin Salvador-Atabay 2-9, Stanford Leti 15-125, Robby Eusebio 2-2, Quinton Tang 4-13, John Estores 6-21, Jordan Monico 5-29.

PASSING—Kalaheo: Ilaoa 1-5-2-17. Moanalua: Leti 1-2-0-18.

RECEIVING—Kalaheo: Soueira 1-17. Moanalua: Estores 1-18.

Reported by Ted Mura

CAMPBELL 41, WAIPAHU 15

Isiah Smith scored two touchdowns, and Bronson Lloces and Dominique Dennis each ran 62 yards for touchdowns to carry the Sabers to an OIA White victory.

WAIPAHU (1-5, 1-4) 0 7 0 8—15

CAMPBELL (5-1, 4-1) 12 8 14 7—41

CAM—Isiah Smith 16 run (run failed)

CAM—Bronson Lloces 62 run (run failed)

WAI—Felise Sean 2 run (Josh Brown kick)

CAM—Brezil Kelii 8 run (Smith run)

CAM—Jesse Lee 34 run (Matthew Nuufolau kick)

CAM—Smith 2 run (Nuufolau kick)

CAM—Dominque Dennis 62 run (Nuufolau kick)

WAI—Josh Brown 50 pass from Gilchrist Fernandez (Fernandez run) RUSHING—Waipahu: Jon Puletasi 7-9, Sean Felise 6-28, Kelii Aki 1-(minus 5), Dayton Duff-Domingo 1- (minus 1), Fernandez 10-29, Justin Quisano 1-(minus 3), Joe Batangan 3-4. Campbell: Smith 7-29, Lee 6-51, Kelii 10-49, Dennis 5-75, Obadiah Mataio 2-0, Lloces 6-90, Keneke Kapulo 2-(minus 4), Kevin Newcomb 1-(minus 4).

PASSING—Waipahu: Fernandez 8-21-3—147. Campbell: Mataio 1-2-1—37, Newcomb 0-1-0—0.

RECEIVING—Waipahu: Duff-Domingo 3-8, Steven Berndt 1-15, Felise 1-18, Aki 2-56, Brown 1-50. Campbell: Kealiiohohakea Basham 1-37.

JV score—Campbell 40, Waipahu 7.

Reported by James Huyck

WAIALUA 14, KALANI 0

The Bulldogs scored twice — Edwin Rubio on a 5-yard run and Caleb Fore on a 1-yard run — in the final six minutes to win the OIA White game at Kaiser.

WAIALUA (2-3, 2-2) 0 0 0 14—14

KALANI (0-6, 0-5) 0 0 0 0— 0

WAI—Edwin Rubio 5 run (Lanakila Vierra kick)

WAI—Caleb Fore 1 run (Vierra kick)

RUSHING—Waialua: Alvin Foster 17-61, Donavan Matas 6-25, Fore 4-13, Joshua Whittaker 2-(minus 2), Rubio 1-5, Adam Foster 1-2. Kalani: James Miyashiro 12-8, Karson Kim 4-26, Dustin Kimura 1-3, Richard Akau 8-(minus 2).

PASSING—Waialua: Fore 10-22-1—124, Whittaker 2-5-0—20. Kalani: Akau 6-19-1—46.

RECEIVING—Waialua: Alvin Foster 4-30, Rubio 1-12, Kekai Souza 1-9, Matas 5-93. Kalani: Jeff Boyne 3-13, Andrew Jones 1-10, Kim 1-12, Atimalala Tolu 1-11.

Reported by Mark Brilhante

LEILEHUA 28, NANAKULI 0

The Mules shut out the host Golden Hawks in an OIA West game. Details were not available.

WAIMEA 14, KAPA'A 6

Kenny Estes rushed for 143 yards on nine carries, and scored on runs of 80 and 32 yards to lead the Menehunes to a Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation victory.

KAPA'A (0-6, 0-3) 0 6 0 0— 6

WAIMEA (2-3, 2-1) 7 7 0 0—14

WAI—Kenny Estes 80 run (Estes kick)

WAI—Estes 32 run (Estes kick)

KAP—Evan Lotu 9 pass from Waylan Kupihea (kick failed)

RUSHING—Kapa'a: Greg Ragsac 1-0, Travis Nakamura 20-121, Coty Salausa 5-5, Dustin Cremer 1-1, Derek Saiki 1-4, Kupihea 4-(minus 11), Kalama Silva 1-4. Waimea: Blayne Vea 5-18, Oni Schmidt 14-54, Alan-Michael Gaspar 5-13, Estes 9-143, Daniel Lizama 8-33.

PASSING—Kapa'a: Salausi 4-5-0—35, Kupihea 3-10-1—27, Lotu 0-2-0—0. Waimea: Gaspar 1-4-0—23.

RECEIVING—Kapa'a: Nick Mortell 1-10, Kalen Tagawa 2-23, Lotu 2-18, Kupihea 1-6, Cremer 1-5. Waimea: Bailon Batalion 2-23.

JV score—Kapa'a 26, Waimea 14.

Reported by Harold Naumu

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.