Mililani squeaks by Liberty behind Cabrera-Hopkins, big defensive 2nd half

MILILANI – Weathered the storm.

With Tropical Storm Lala approaching, the second-ranked Mililani Trojans (1-0) braved spotty conditions and opened up a highly anticipated 2026 campaign with a thrilling victory over Liberty (NV) on Friday night in the islands, 31-24.

QB Hunter Fujikawa impressed in his debut with the Trojans, completing 20-of-34 passes for 273 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while making plays late to help rally his team from a double-digit halftime deficit.

The four-star recruit in the Class of 2028 showed a solid connection with senior receiver Bless Cabrera-Hopkins, who tallied career highs of eight catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns in his own 2026 season debut.

RB Toa Sam provided the most important touchdown of the night for the Trojans with 2:10 left to play, capping off a hardhat evening of 15 carries for 23 yards with the game-winning score.

Liberty (0-1) struck first behind the powerful running style of senior RB Ezra Sanelivi, a three-star recruit committed to BYU, as the 5’11 bruising back rumbled 56 yards for the game’s opening score. His celebration afterwards cost his team 15 yards, leading to a missed point-after try and a 6-0 lead for the visitors from the continent after 92 seconds of action.

Mililani struck right back on their own first drive of the season as Fujikawa connected with Cabrera-Hopkins on a 22-yard scoring strike to push the Trojans in front with 5:33 remaining in the opening quarter, 7-6.

The Trojans followed it up by forcing a three-and-out defensively and tacked on a second straight score as Fujikawa and the rest of the offense needed just four plays to march 58 yards and extend the lead, 14-6, as the junior QB dropped a perfect throw over the shoulder and into the hands of junior WR Shayzen Cabato-Machado for a 12-yard touchdown with under two minutes left in the first quarter.

Liberty responded in a big way in the second frame, posting 18 points with the help of an absurd and undisciplined Mililani group committing 10 first-half penalties that cost 99 yards to go into halftime leading the Trojans, 24-14.

Mililani adjusted at the midway break, mostly shut down the Liberty rushing attack that was incredibly effective in the first half while holding the Patriots without a point in the second half.

A busted coverage saw Cabrera-Hopkins find himself all alone near the end zone nearly midway through the third quarter and Fujikawa wasted little time getting him the ball for 35-yard touchdown, bringing Mililani back within a field goal with nearly 20 minutes of game time left to play.

A Liberty fumble at their own 22 gave the ball back to the Trojans with four minutes left in the third quarter, but the Patriots defense held long enough to force Mililani to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Matthew Bolibol to tie the game at 24 heading into the final 12 minutes of regulation.

The ensuing drive looked promising for Liberty after giving up a 10-point lead in the previous frame, driving 76 yards down the field and into the red zone. After the Mililani defense held strong to force a fourth-and-short, the Patriots opted to try and convert instead of kicking a go-ahead field goal from inside 25 yards out and fumbled the snap, turning the ball over for the second straight drive and remaining knotted at 24 with the Trojans.

Both teams traded punts over their next two possessions, giving the ball back to Mililani with 5:04 left to play and another shot to go back ahead for the first time since the opening minutes of the second quarter.

Fujikawa and company delivered, seeing the right-handed gunslinger deliver a perfect strike to Bless Cabrera-Hopkins on the sideline just before the pylon to set up Toa Sam’s go-ahead one-yard touchdown run with 2:10 remaining.

Mililani QB Hunter Fujikawa celebrates with RB Toa Sam after the Trojans took a late lead over Liberty (NV). | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Liberty got a boost with a 40-yard kickoff return from Selby Griego Jr., setting up a potential game-tying or go-ahead drive from the 50-yard line with exactly two minutes to play.

Then, Mililani got a boost from a big fella up front.

Senior defensive lineman Lincoln Uiagalelei perfectly read a developing screen play and picked off Liberty QB Madden Elias Dela Cruz to seal the victory for Mililani, allowing the Trojans to kneel out the rest of the clock.

Dela Cruz completed the night 4-for-10 passing for 79 yards and the interception while Selby Griego Jr. did a little bit of everything for Liberty with a touchdown, 46 passing yards, 46 receiving yards and 100 yards in punt and kick returns on the night.

Oregon commit Trison Satele led the defensive effort for Mililani, racking up nine total tackles (five solo, four assisted) on the night along with 2.0 TFLs and a quarterback hit. Brother and fellow Oregon commit Toa Satele chipped in six tackles while also registering one of the Trojans’ five pass breakups.

Taua Fonoti also quietly procured a big night, posting nine tackles (four solo, five assisted), a pass break up, a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for the Trojans.

Liberty will return to action in a few weeks against Skyridge (UT) on September 4 for the team’s home opener.

Mililani gets a date with ILH-power Saint Louis next Saturday, August 22, continuing a challenging non-league schedule before OIA Open Division play begins against Leilehua in mid-September.