MILILANI — When it comes to crunch time, the best teams make big-time plays, and there was plenty of them to go around Saturday night in central Oahu.

In the end, it was the third-ranked Trojans making the ultimate big play with defensive lineman Seth Ebesugawa notching a strip sack recovered by McKenna Alcover at their own 27 yard line with 22 seconds left in the game to preserve the victory for Mililani in outlasting No. 6 Kamehameha, 31-24, in an Oahu Interscholastic Association-Interscholastic League of Honolulu interleague Division I-Open battle at John Kauinana Stadium.

The Warriors fought back from a 24-3 second half deficit and were marching on a 13-play, 57-yard drive toward a potential game-tying score before Ebesugawa's sack ended all of that on play No. 14.

"We just made one more play than they did and we were fortunate to come out with the win," Mililani coach Rod York said. "But credit Kamehameha. They fought and we knew it was going to be a battle."

After receiving the opening kickoff, it took the Trojans just four plays to drive 59 yards for a touchdown, capped off by senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel hitting Raysen Motoyama for a 5-yard pass. Their next possession resulted in the addition of three points from Liam McGehee's 29-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead into the start of the second quarter.

Less than a minute later, Gabriel threaded the needle on an 8-yard pass to Mystic Sampaga to make it a 17-0 game that seemingly was headed toward a lopsided score.

Kamehameha got on the scoreboard midway through the period on a 41-yard field goal from Preston Rezentes. The ensuing kickoff was taken by Mililani's Reichel Vegas but Chanston Kaleikoa ripped the ball away and Kailaau Piena got the recovery at the Trojans 8 yard line. However, a false start penalty and back-to-back sacks sent the Warriors backwards and Rezentes' 32-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

On the Trojans' first offensive play of the second half, Gabriel rolled left and slung a 42-yard dart to Ryan Chang to extend the lead to 24-3.

In a 21-7 win over Kapolei a week ago, Kamehameha senior Christmas Togiai split time behind center with two other QBs, but he was the lone thrower against the Trojans and responded with a 14-yard score to running back Reino Bush to cut into the deficit.

At the top of the fourth quarter, Togiai tried to cap a near six-minute drive by taking it himself but lost the ball just short of the goal line. Warriors receiver Skyler Ramos quickly pounced on the ball for the score.

Ramos also served as the PAT kick holder but the snap was low, keeping it at an 8-point game. Just over two minutes later, Ramos took a pass over the middle from Togiai and housed it from 40 yards out. On the 2-point conversion attempt, linebacker Hoku Arias took the snap in the backfield and hit a jump pass over the top to a wide open Ezra Evaimalo to make it 24-all with 8:46 remaining.

"We just shot ourselves in the foot with all the penalties. We made some big mistakes. We gave them more opportunities than we needed to but credit Kamehameha. They fought and we knew it was going to be a battle," York said. "The boys were able to play for each other by biting down when the time was getting close. Proud of our guys."

Six plays later, Mililani responded with another long hook-up on Gabriel's 43-yard strike to Maka Hill to re-gain the lead for what would eventually be the final score. Gabriel finished 18-of-34 passing for 303 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

"Going into the game we knew what we had to attack. We did attack at some times, but I feel like we went off the gas pedal. We got to be able to keep driving through," said Gabriel, who's also the reigning ScoringLive Top Performer of the Week.

Kamehameha's final drive started on its own 28 with 4:42 left when heavy rainfall began to come down. On the play that preceded Mililani's game-sealing sack, Togiai found a wide open Brock Ai in the end zone but the pass bounced off his facemask and fell incomplete.

"I think part of the reason Kamehameha was scoring was because we left them on the field," said Gabriel, whose team also racked up 193 yards on 18 penalties (Kamehameha had 14 for 134 yards). "We were three and out more times than I ever played in.

"I'm disappointed in our play out there but at the same time we got the 'W' which is the main thing. But truly we need to go back to the drawing board and work out the kinks because that was unacceptable," he continued.

Warriors fell to 1-1 both overall and in the ILH standings. They'll have a two-week break before traveling to Ewa Beach Sept. 7 to take on Campbell.

Trojans stay 1-0 in the OIA standings but improve to 3-0 overall. Next week, they're back at home to host two-time defending Division I-Open state champion Saint Louis.