Mililani, HI
The 2026 football season opened with a statement at John Kauinana Stadium as the Mililani Trojans welcomed Nevada powerhouse, Liberty patriots to the islands. With weather moving into Oʻahu, both teams battled through wet and difficult conditions in a matchup that quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle. liberty came out strong early, but Mililani answered with a big second half performance after trailing 24-14 at half.
The Trojans came out of halftime with a different level of energy, especially on defense. After allowing Liberty to put together 18 points in the second quarter, Mililani shut the Patriots out over the final two quarters while slowly chipping away at the deficit. The Trojans found their rhythm offensively while the defense made the necessary stops, giving Mililani the opportunity to turn a 10-point halftime deficit into a seven-point victory.
Making his first start for the Trojans, junior quarterback, Hunter Fujikawa, delivered when Mililani needed him most. Fujikawa finished 20-of-34 passing for 273 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception, providing a steady presence as the Trojans worked their way back into the game. One of his early connections came with senior wide receiver, Bless Cabrera-Hopkins, who hauled in 2 touchdowns, including a 22-yard touchdown to give Mililani its first lead of the night. Fujikawa later connected with Junior wide receiver, Shayzen Cabato-Machado, for another touchdown helping the Trojans build the offensive momentum they needed.
Liberty showed why the Patriots entered the matchup as one of Nevada's top programs, answering Mililani's fast start with a strong second quarter. The Patriots used their rushing attack and took advantage of Mililani penalties to flip the momentum before halftime, including a 42-yard field goal that pushed their lead to double digits. Mililani committed 10 first-half penalties for 99 yards, creating plenty of extra opportunities for Liberty and making the comeback even more challenging.
But the Trojans refused to let the early struggles define their night. Mililani cleaned up its mistakes, settled down on both sides of the ball and completely shut down Liberty after halftime. The defense gave the offense the chances it needed, while Fujikawa and the Trojans continued to make plays when the game was on the line. By the time the final whistle sounded, Mililani had erased the 10-point deficit and secured a 31-24 victory in front of its home crowd, especially after a game sealing interception by senior defensive lineman, Lincoln Uiagalelei.
The trojans had themselves a well tested team to open up their road to the koa wood triophy. they will host the St. Louis crusaders, who opened up their season with a loss to the kahuku red raiders.
Final Score: Mililani 31, Liberty 24
for more pictures, head over to our photo gallery
pictures taken by: Kennedy Velasco - @kennnchapo
Liberty Ezra Sanelivi Opens up with a rushing touchdown
video by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
The Blessed Express
video by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
Big man Calls Game with game winning interception
Video by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
