Kapolei linebacker Micah Paris blocked an extra-point try and made a tackle to end the game to give the Hurricanes a 35-34 upset of No. 9 Campbell on Friday night at Kapolei.
The Sabers scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to make a comfortable Kapolei team nervous, the last one a 5-yard pass from Isaac Hurd to Bronson Ader on fourth and goal with 2:44 left to pull Campbell within a point. The Sabers (3-3 OIA Red) had all of the momentum and went the safe route by trying to kick the extra point rather than going for 2, which it did successfully earlier in the quarter.
With Paris on the field, no kick is safe, though.
Paris rushed through the middle of the line and got a hand on the ball to set off a huge senior night celebration.
"I just found a seam and I took it," Paris said. "We have been struggling the past two games, but we practiced hard and worked hard and gave Campbell what they wanted."
But Kapolei (2-3) was far from out of the woods. The Sabers forced Kapolei to punt after three plays and got the ball back at its own 39-yard line with 55 seconds left. Campbell crossed midfield and worked the ball within 30 yards of paydirt with six seconds left when quarterback Justin Tago-Su‘e, who threw for 240 yards but had three picks, hit Brannon Bantolina on a crossing route. Paris was there to drive him to the turf after 10 yards as the clock struck zero.
"He doesn’t only do that every game, he does that in every practice," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "He is a beast, one of the top linebackers in the state. We have to calm him down in practice because he might kill somebody."
Kapolei showed Campbell that it came to play on the opening kickoff, when the Hurricanes swarmed Sabers return man Bronson Ader at the 20-yard line and caused him to fumble. After a botched snap and a running play, quarterback Alton Julius found Aizon Kahana on a fade for a 20-yard touchdown. The kick was blocked.
Campbell waited until its third drive to respond, with Tago-Su‘e capping a nine-play drive with a 6-yard run. Tyler Subia’s kick was true, giving the Sabers a 7-6 lead. Campbell added to its advantage when Tago-Su’e hit Jayce Bantolina down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown pass, but the Sabers missed the extra point.
Aizon finished 11-for-23 for 170 yards, much better than the previous two games, when Kapolei was held under 50 yards passing and outscored 92-0 by Mililani and Leilehua.
"He was outstanding," Hernandez said. "He led the team, but every one of the kids was outstanding. People sold us down the river after our last two games, but our kids didn’t quit."
At Kapolei
CAMPBELL (3-3, 5-3) 0 13 0 21 — 34
KAPOLEI (2-3, 4-3) 6 7 22 0 — 35
KAPO—Alton Julius 7 pass from Aizon Kahana (kick blocked)
CAMP—Justin tago Su’e 6 rush (Tyler Subia kick) Camp—Jayce Bantolina 61 pass from Tago-Su’e (kick failed)
KAPO—Julius 55 pass from Kahana (Vincent Reinares kick)
KAPO—Safety, intentional grounding in end zone
KAPO—Jacob Kukahiko 10 rush (Reinares kick) Kapo—Julius 5 pass from Kahana (kick failed) KAPO—Mitchell Moses 29 pass from Kahana (Reinares kick)
CAMP—Tag-Su’e 64 rush (Ader pass from Tago-Su’e)
CAMP—Amosa Amosa Jr. 5 pass from Tago-Su’e (Subia kick)
CAMP—Ader 5 pass from Isaac Hurd (Kick blocked)
RUSHING—Campbell: Justin tago-Su’e 7-79, Tristan Pebria 11-50, Paul-Andrew Rhoden 8-35, Isaac Hurd 3-23, Brannon bantolina 1-(-3). Kapolei: Jacob Kukahiko 19-85, Mana Reis 4-20, Dylan Keomaka 8-19, Mitchell Moses 3-13, Tevin Tam Sing 1-2, Aizon kahana 6-(-5).
PASSING—Campbell: Justin Tago-Su’e 16-32-3-240, Isaac Hurd 2-2-0-6. Kapolei: Aizon Kahana 11-23-1-170.
RECEIVING—Campbell: Jayce Bantolina 5-118, Brannon Bantolina 4-53, Amosa Amosa 4-42, Kainoa Perry 3-25, Bronson Ader 2-8. Kapolei: Alton Julius 4-98, Mitchell Moses 4-73, Mana Reis 2-6, Jacob Kikahiko1-(-7).
Junior varsity—Campbell 14, Kapolei 0
