MILILANI — If this is what the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Western Division football season will be like, then fans are in for a real treat.

Defending champion Mililani held off resurgent Wai'anae, 26-24, last night to win a thrilling regular season opener before a revved-up crowd of about 2,000 and a live statewide TV audience.

The Trojans (2-1 overall) survived only after thwarting the Seariders' two-point conversion attempt with 58 seconds remaining and then being awarded the ensuing onside kick after the officials ruled a "simultaneous recovery."

"This was a huge win for us," said Mililani running back Kekoa Perbera, who rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. "We expected Wai'anae to come in and show us what they're made of, and we just tried to work hard and fight back when we needed to."

The Seariders, also 2-1 overall, were coming off a stunning upset of Saint Louis and are ranked No. 5 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media. And despite being out-gained 161 yards to 79 in the first half last night, they took an 18-13 lead into the fourth quarter.

But the No. 9 Trojans grabbed the lead back after David Rivers' 18-yard touchdown catch on third-and-goal with 9:52 remaining, and went up 26-18 on Perbera's 13-yard scamper with 2:44 left.

Facing a fourth-and-8 situation from his own 25-yard line, Wai'anae quarterback Henry Keomalu launched a deep pass to receiver Curtis Jones, who hauled it in and outraced a defender to the end zone.

"Henry made a nice pass and Curtis made a nice play on the ball," Seariders coach Danny Matsumoto said.

Jones got the carry on the two-point attempt and tried to bounce outside, but cornerback Chris Dickerson sealed off the lane and forced Jones into a crowd of Trojans, who tackled Jones on the 2.

On the ensuing onside kick, Wai'anae got a high bounce in the legal recovery zone and the ball was lost among a pile of players. After taking a while to pull players off the pile, the officials declared the ball was "simultaneously recovered" by both teams and by rule awarded the ball to the receiving team, Mililani.

The Trojans then took a knee twice to run out the clock.

WAI'ANAE (0-1, 2-1) 0 6 12 6 — 24

MILILANI (1-0, 2-1) 0 6 7 13 — 26

Mili — Jay Hainrick 6 pass from Rustin Funakoshi (kick failed)

Wai — Preston Ayala 44 interception return (kick failed)

Mili — Kekoa Perbera 25 run (Michael Smith kick)

Wai — Curtis Jones 19 run (kick failed)

Wai — Liko Manuel 16 pass from Henry Keomalu (run failed)

Mili — David Rivers 18 pass from Funakoshi (pass failed)

Mili — Perbera 13 run (Smith kick)

Wai — Jones 75 pass from Keomalu (run failed)

RUSHING — Wai: Darius Fuller 10-33, Keomalu 7-(minus-8), Jones 5-34, Nui Stevens 1-9, Joshua Telles 1-6. Mili: Perbera 14-90, Jordan Torres 9-76, Jordan Apduhan 8-26, Funakoshi 2-(minus-4), Tyran Onizuka 1-32, Smith 1-6.

PASSING — Wai: Keomalu 9-16-1—151. Mili: Funakoshi 12-18-2—130.

RECEIVING — Wai: Manuel 2-23, Douglas Newman 2-21, Royce Kainoa 2-12, Jones 1-75, Stevens 1-17, Fuller 1-3. Mili: Rivers 3-26, Smith 2-49, Apduhan 2-15, Torres 2-14, Scott Burns 1-17, Hainrick 1-6, Perbera 1-3.

Leilehua 42, Pearl City 6: Bryant Moniz passed for 341 yards and six touchdowns to boost the Mules.

PEARL CITY (0-1, 0-3) 6 0 0 0— 0

LEILEHUA (1-0, 2-0) 15 20 7 0—42

PC—Larry Vaa 29 run (kick failed).

Lei—Martin Iosefo 19 pass from Bryant Moniz (Iosefo pass from Moniz).

Lei—Christian Mendez 76 pass from Moniz (Daniel Phelps kick).

Lei—Guy Cantrell 23 pass from Moniz (Phelps kick).

Lei—Tianeva Tyrell Edra 10 pass from Moniz (Phelps kick).

Lei—Mendez 8 pass from Moniz (kick blocked).

Lei—Aric Edra 1 pass from Moniz (Phelps kick).

RUSHING—Pearl City: Micah Dela Cruz 12-44, Joshua Obena 3-11, Andrew Blue 2-13, Alfred Paclib 2-0, Joshua Tokunaga 2-2. Leilehua: Guy Cantrell 6-29, Aric Edra 1-4, Tino Pablico 5-38, Tianeva Tyrell Edra 2-10, Bryant Moniz 1-4, Paul Hernandez 5-37, Jordan Figueroa 1-20.

PASSING—Pearl City: Blue 3-5-0-33, Paclib 1-4-(-1)-1, Tokunaga 1-2-0-5. Leilehua: Moniz 20-30-1-341, Cantrell 0-1-1-0.

RECEIVING—Pearl City: Dela Cruz 1-1, Robert Stoner 1-27, Daniel Soliven 2-4, Chevis Asato-Ganiron 1-5. Leilehua: Christian Mendez 6-128, Niko Tauanuu 1-10, T. Edra 4-69, Martin Iosefo 3-54, Cantrell 3-29, Joe Iosefa 2-50, A. Edra 1-1.

JV score—Leilehua 10, Pearl City 7.

Reported by Mike Tanuvasa

Kapolei 53, Nanakuli 0: Brad Padayao passed for 228 yards and four touchdowns to fuel the Hurricanes.

Kapolei (1-0, 2-1) 18 22 13 0—53

Nanakuli (0-1, 0-3) 0 0 0 0— 0

Kap—Aaron Santiago 30 pass from Brad Padayao (kick blocked)

Kap—Jon Santiago 11 pass from Padayao (run failed)

Kap—Tommy Ross 26 pass from Padayao (pass failed)

Kap—Tony Talo 1 run (Ama Gaea kick)

Kap—safety, quarterback sacked in end zone

Kap—Caleb Spencer 30 pass from Padayao (kick failed)

Kap—Kaleo Cajigal 6 pass Aaron Santiago (Gaea kick)

Kap—Aaron Santiago 6 run (kick failed)

Kap—Aaron Santiago 9 run (Gaea kick)

RUSHING—Kapolei: Radford Raquedan 4-24, Padayao 2-52, Talo 3-12, Nate Dixon 1-2, A. Santiago 3-20, Kamuela Foki 2-11, Cameron Martin 2-10, Josh Alison 2-24. Nanakuli: Zachary Tolentino 14-64, Aaron Kaliko 2-9, Chase McGill 3-(minus 15), Curtis Wright 10-(minus 15).

PASSING—Kapolei: Padayao 8-14-1—228, A. Santiago 4-5-0—85. Nanakuli: Wright 0-5-2—0.

RECEIVING—Kapolei: Ross 2-70, J. Santiago 4-106, Cajigal 2-46, Sean Sasser 1-30, Spencer 1-30, A. Santiago 1-30, Martin 1-1. Nanakuli: None.

JV score—Kapolei 27, Nanakuli 14.

Reported by Darren Hernandez

Radford 41, Waipahu 0: Ryan Burciaga passed for one touchdown and ran for another to lift the Rams.

RADFORD (2-0, 2-1) 14 14 6 7—41

WAIPAHU (0-2, 0-3) 0 0 0 0— 0

Rad—Alex Daniels 3 run (Jamie Whitworth kick)

Rad—Fil Samson 35 fumble return (Whitworth kick)

Rad—Kyle Blair 17 pass from Ryan Burciaga (Whitworth kick)

Rad—Burciaga 2 run (Whitworth kick)

Rad—Jersiah Tuisamatatele 15 fumble return (kick failed)

Rad—Jeremy LeClair 7 run (Whitworth kick)

RUSHING—Radford: Burciaga 5-37, Justin Lord 4-32, LeClair 3-6, Daniels 9-26, Antoine Day 2-0. Waipahu: Justin Quisano 4-(minus 6), Raymond Kahao 2-(minus 7), Josh Abiva 5-(minus 23), Kelii Aki 2-7, Gilchrist Fernandez 6-5, Kalae Palimo'o 1-0, Dayton Duff-Domingo 3-10, Ma'alona Siania-Unutoa 3-(minus 7), Keo Palimo'o 4-15, Jesse Doctorelo 1-(minus 1), Jon Puletasi 3-1.

PASSING—Radford: Burciaga 11-25-0—175, Lord 1-3-0—3. Waipahu: Kahao 0-1-0—0, Abiva 0-1-0—0, Fernandez 3-6-1—11.

RECEIVING—Radford: Nelson Benigno 2-49, Lord 1-16, Shane Masaniai 3-18, Jesse Mayeux 1-3, Blair 3-33, Scott Ruehl 1-30, Joe Brundidge 1-29. Waipahu: Aki 1-18, Josh Brown 1-(minus 9), Duff-Domingo 1-2.

JV score—Radford 13, Waipahu 12.

Reported by Mike Sana

Kaiser 30, Kalaheo 22: Nick Yuzawa passed for two touchdowns and Isaac Saffery ran for two scores to rally the Cougars.

KAISER (2-0, 3-0) 3 0 7 20—30

KALAHEO (0-1, 0-2) 8 6 8 0—22

Kala—Matthew Soueira 45 run (Soueira run)

Kais—FG Kyle Niiro 35

Kala—Soueira 22 run (kick failed)

Kais—Paa Kamauoha 65 pass from Yuzawa (Niiro good)

Kala—Soueira 7 run (Jeremy Perry 3 run)

Kais—Kamauoha 17 pass from Nick Yuzawa (Niiro kick)

Kais—Isaac Saffery 1 run (Niiro kick)

Kais—Saffery 35 run (kick failed)

RUSHING—Kaiser: Saffery 13-64, Kalani Calizar 1-6, Nick Yuzawa 5-(minus 4), Thomas Freeman 1-0, Cameron Woodall 1-5. Kalaheo: Soueira 14-141, Perry 11-97, Cody Vonappen 2-6, David Pershin 10-20.

PASSING—Kaiser: Yuzawa 15-21-2—168. Kalaheo: Vonappen 2-10-0—40.

RECEIVING—Kaiser: Skyler Chan 3-30, Saffery 4-34, #41 1-12, Vance Dela Pena 2-(minus 5), Kamauoha 3-82, Evan Garcia 1-8, Ben Sim 1-7. Kalaheo: Perry 2-40.

JV score—Kalaheo 19, Kaiser 6.

Reported by Russ Ramos

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.