He isn’t exactly the prodigal son.
Maika Ulufale returned to Campbell with a quiet vengeance, no less.
The former Saber, whose family moved into Radford’s district in the offseason, passed for 194 yards and three touchdowns as the visiting Rams pulled out a 20-13 win over Campbell last night.
Ulufale’s sterling performance — 16-for-23 with no picks — almost went for naught despite a 20-point lead by Radford (3-2, 2-1 Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West).
Campbell (2-4, 1-3 OIA) finally got on the scoreboard on Aries Pihi’s 5-yard run with 6:37 to play.
After a quick three and out by Radford, the Sabers needed only one snap to strike gold again. Nilo Agbayani-Omalza’s quick hit to Keoni Piceno turned into a 38-yard touchdown, and the Sabers were within 20-13 after a missed PAT kick with 3:56 remaining.
The Rams, handing the ball to battered Ram Phil Hogan (14 carries, 8 yards), milked more than 3 minutes off the clock. Campbell got the ball back at its 42-yard line with 38 seconds remaining, but Dorsey Norris was clutch for Radford.
Norris, who had a touchdown catch and a pick earlier, soared for a high pass deep over the middle for his second interception. That play with 19 seconds left sealed it for Radford, nearly duplicating a team performance from the 2008 season, when the Rams picked off five passes by Campbell in a 26-14 Rams win.
This time, they relied heavily on Ulufale, who has soaked up the teaching of coach Fred Salanoa. It was also a surreal night for Ulufale.
"Well, I know some of them (Sabers) don’t like me during the game, but we’re still friends. I’m a Ram now, so on the field, we’re not friends," said Ulufale, who was hugged by at least a dozen Campbell players during a postgame interview.
"It felt weird. Before the game, I felt real nostalgic," the senior said.
Once the game started, both defenses ruled. Campbell threatened late in the first half, driving to the Radford 5-yard line, but a corner pass from Agbayani-Omalza to Jaelan Subia-Etrata was just a bit too long. Subia-Etrata had one foot beyond the back line and the other foot on it on a fourth-down play.
Radford then drove 95 yards to paydirt. A 48-yard connection from Ulufale to Hogan set up a 10-yard scoring toss from Ulufale to slotback Zach Tinao-Rabellizsa. That gave the Rams a 7-0 lead with 1:03 left in the half.
Ulufale opened Radford’s first series of the second half with a 28-yard pass to two-way player Tevita Baravilala, and then finalized the drive with a 9-yard touchdown toss to Tinao-Rabellizsa with 6 minutes to go in the third quarter.
A pick and 60-yard return by Dorsey set up the Rams on a short 23-yard march to the end zone. Norris pulled down an alley-oop lob from Ulufale on third down from the 1, and Radford led 20-0 with 9:40 to go.
At Campbell
Radford (3-2, 2-1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | — | 20 |
Campbell (2-4, 1-3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | — | 13 |
Rad–Zach Tinao-Rabellizsa 10 pass from Maika Ulufale (Cayman Conley kick)
Rad–Tinao-Rabellizsa 9 pass from Ulufale (kick failed)
Rad–Dorsey Norris 1 pass from Ulufale (Conley kick)
Cam–Aries Pihi 5 run (Jaelan Subia-Etrata kick)
Cam–Keoni Piceno 38 pass from Nilo Agbayani-Omalza (kick failed)
JV–Campbell 35, Radford 14
RUSHING–Rad: Andrew Togiaiua 3-0, Phil Hogan 14-8, Jordan Murao 1-(-2), Ulufale 3-5. Camp: Aries Pihi 8-34, Nicholas Molia-Penitusi 4-23, Sau Momoe 2-5, Justin Tago 1-(-3), Agbayani-Omalza 2-15, Piceno 1-3.
PASSING–Rad: Ulufale 16-23-0-194. Camp: Agbayani-Omalza 11-23-3-163, Tago 1-4-1-27.
RECEIVING–Rad: Hogan 5-69, Togialua 3-35, Tinao-Rabellizsa 3-23, Kevin Acasio 2-22, Norris 2-17, Tevita Baravilala 1-28. Camp: Subia-Etrata 4-56, Piceno 3-65, B.J. Halmos 2-13, Amosa Amosa Jr. 1-33, Christian Abcede-Abregano 1-22, Pihi 1-1.
Waialua 38, Anuenue 26
Despite Ikaika Gante’s four-touchdown performance for Na Koa, the Bulldogs prevailed on their home field.
Ezra Travis and William Sacapulo-Uepa each rushed for two touchdowns for Waialua. Travis led the Bulldogs with 128 yards.
At Waialua
Anuenue (1-3, 1-4) | 6 | 0 | 6 | 14 | — | 26 |
Waialua (2-3, 2-4) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | — | 38 |
Wail–Ezra Travis 19 run (Kamalei Rosa kick)
Anue–Ikaika Gante 61 run (run failed)
Wail–William Sacapulo-Uepa 1 run (Rosa kick)
Wail–Travis 36 run (Rosa kick)
Anue–Gante 4 run (run failed)
Wail–Sacapulo-Uepa 6 run (Rosa kick)
Wail–Sacapulo-Uepa 26 run (Rosa kick)
Anue–Gante 94 kickoff return (run failed)
Wail–Rosa 20 FG
Anue–Gante 56 pass from Mahuka Cullen (Kainoa Keli Nahaku run)
RUSHING–Anue: Gante 23-149, Laakea Manoi-Hyde 9-38, Makamae Otani-Wengler 7-26, Cullen 4-8, Kamea Kahiapo 4-5. Wail: Travis 11-128, Sacapulo-Uepa 8-38, Rosa 3-16, Christian Agcaoili 1-1.
PASSING–Anue: Cullen 2-4-0-78. Wail: Sacapulo-Uepa 4-7-0-56.
RECEIVING–Anue: Gante 1-56, Manoi-Hyde 1-22. Wail: Kyle Michael 2-44, Rosa 1-10, Travis 1-2.
McKinley 35, Nanakuli 0
Alex Ironside threw a touchdown and ran in a touchdown as the Tigers defeated the Golden Hawks.
At Tricky Vasconcellos Stadium
Nanakuli (0-5, 0-5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
McKinley (2-4, 2-3) | 0 | 13 | 15 | 7 | — | 35 |
McK: Alex Ironside 1 run (Jethro Quidilla kick)
McK: Mathias Tuitole-Lafeta 4 run (kick failed)
McK: Solomon Dixon 10 run (Jordan Yoon pass from Ironside)
McK: Jace Bolosan 55 pass from Ironside (Quidilla kick)
McK: Dixon 2 run (Quidilla kick)
RUSHING–Nan: Gary Shelton 10-32, Brady Kacihue 8-8, Kenson Paris 5-17, Joseph Shelton 4-(minus 9). McK: Dixon 18-173, Fiafia Duarte 4-30, Jason Guan 3-24, Joash Togiai 5-23, Sonny Chang 5-16, Tuitole-Lafeta 3-7, Ironside 3-5, Quinton Aurio 1-4.
PASSING–Nan: J. Shelton 2-6-27-2, G. Shelton 2-6-17-2. McK: Ironslide 10-16-201-1.
RECEIVING–Nan: Paris 2-19, Team 1-17, Kacihue 1-8. McK: William Rollman 3-23, Dixon 2-50, Guan 2-37, Bolosan 1-55, Durate 1-27, Aikau 1-9.
Junior Varsity–McKinley 35, Nanakuli 0