For years, the nice guys kept close, but the OIA championship eluded them.This time, nice guys finish first, and with a hammering smashmouth attack. Chazz-Michael Kapahu rushed for 240 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries as No. 1 Kapolei defeated No. 2 Mililani 29-10 for the OIA Open Division championship on Saturday night at the Trojans’ home field.Kapolei (9-1) will be the top seed in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Championships, which start Friday, paired with OIA third-place finisher Kahuku. Mililani (9-2) will play ILH champion and second seed Kamehameha.OIA football coordinator Harold Tanaka announced Kapolei as the league champion, presenting the championship plaque. The Hurricanes then kneeled, took off their helmets and cheered.“We take this and we celebrate, but our journey is not over,” longtime Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez told his team, holding the plaque up. “We rest. We heal up. We play Kahuku on Friday.”The Hurricanes roared. A few barked.“I’m proud of you guys,” Hernandez said. “I love you guys. You are amazing young men. I’m proud of you for bringing this home to our community. I love you to death.”The ’Canes were not ashamed to praise him.“We love you, Coach!”“Love you, Papa H!”Mililani drove 83 yards in 14 plays to pay dirt in the first quarter. Toa Sam lined up at QB in a jumbo package on fourth-and-inches, then raced to the pylon untouched to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead with 6:15 left in the first half.The Hurricanes went back to their ground-and-pound with Kapahu and Kalani Meyers-Tuinei. Near midfield, Zeph Salis reversed field on a lateral, racing for 18 yards.The ’Canes scored on a 17-yard heave from Jonez Nunuha to Noah Papu-Muaava, who made a diving grab in the end zone. The catch by Pupu-Muaava, who starts at defensive end and plays tight end part-time, tied it at 7 with 35 seconds before the half.Damen Nakagawa took a quick sideline pass and turned it into a 52-yard gain to the Kapolei 24-yard line. That set up a 29-yard field goal by Matthew Bolibol to give Mililani a 10-7 lead at intermission.Kapolei opened the second half with an explosion. On the second snap of its drive, Kapahu followed H-back Ava Cook up the middle, where Cook sealed off a linebacker and Kapahu sprinted untouched 74 yards to the house.It was a form of trickery by the ’Canes, who ran opposite Cook’s trap block in the first half.Mililani was offside on the PAT, and from 1.5 yards out, holder Salis ran up the middle for two more points. Kapolei led 15-10 with 11:01 to go in the third quarter.The trenches became Kapolei territory. On the Hurricanes’ next possession, Kapahu ran around left end down the sideline for a 56-yard gain, nearly scoring but for a saving tackle by Mililani’s Nui Gilman.Kapahu was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for spiking the ball.No matter. Kapahu lined up with his team in jumbo formation and blasted up the middle untouched for a 30-yard TD. Kapolei led 22-10
