Sixth-seeded Campbell jumped to a 14-point lead, then used a grind-out drive in the final quarter to stun Kaiser 27-21 in the first round of the Oahu Interscholastic Association football playoffs Saturday night at Kaiser Stadium.

The Sabers, dealing with inexperience and injuries, were 1-7 entering the game and they showed that they’ve healed up and learned well.

Terell Johnson rushed for a season-high 100 yards on 21 carries, and quarterback Kawika Ulufale scored on a 1-yard sneak to give the visiting Sabers the lead for good with 3:08 to play.

It was a 7-minute, 26-second drive that made a former lineman like Amosa Amosa proud. Campbell (2-7) overcame a Kaiser squad that nearly pulled out a win despite losing a key cog, Nic Tom, to an injury during the first half.

"We always talked about how we’re a 1-7 team and made it to the playoffs. Hat’s off to (Cougars coach) Cameron (Higgins) and the gang. They gave us all we could handle," Amosa said. "I’m so proud of how our boys played. T.J. has been hurt all year long and it’s good to see the old T.J. again. We challenged our O-line, ‘Let’s go and get this done.’ I’m so happy for them."

Johnson’s injury-plagued season finally has a bright spot.

"We fought through all four quarters. We just had to buckle down. We practice hard every day and tonight really showed it," he said.

The Cougars went three-and-out on the next series and punted. They got the ball back with less than a minute to play at the Campbell 49, but got no closer than the 30. Parker Higgins’ reception and lateral attempt was recovered by the Sabers as time ran out.

The Sabers were explosive through the air early on. Ulufale hit his first two passes, including a smooth 41-yard TD pass to Noah Esprecion (nine receptions, 135 yards).

Kaiser (4-5) got a 5-yard TD option pass from McDaniel to Kamuela Scheer less than two minutes later, giving the Cougars a brief 7-6 lead.

Nicholas Kernighan picked off a Tom pass and raced down the right sideline for a 49-yard touchdown return. That gave the Sabers a 14-7 lead with less than 5 minutes left in the first quarter.

Ulufale later launched a fourth-down pass to the end zone, where the ball was tipped by Kaiser’s Andrew Kaufusi and corralled by Zayne Barr-Rauschenburg for a 21-yard TD and a 21-7 edge.

For Kaiser (4-5), it was heartbreak, then hope and then heartbreak again. Tom, the Cougars’ QB/CB/KR, suffered a dislocated hip in the first half and was transported by ambulance to a hospital. He’d already been limping around with a leg injury.

The Cougars rallied with a huge effort by LB/RB Parker Higgins, who scored on a 12-yard toss sweep to bring the Cougars within 21-14.

Moments later, defensive end Chance Kalaugher sacked Ulufale and recovered Ulufale’s fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. In a span of 8 seconds, Kaiser scored two touchdowns and tied the game at 21 with 3:22 left in the half.

All night, the Sabers’ defense locked in on Kaiser’s prolific running back, Jensen McDaniel. The senior rushed for 90 hard-earned yards on 21 carries. The Cougars tried to throw the talented playmaker the ball, but he was closely guarded and had six catches for just 13 yards.

The injury to Tom had a huge impact on the Cougars.

"Nic can’t get through a playoff game without getting hurt," Higgins said, recalling Tom’s back injury in last year’s playoffs. "That really limited our offensive game plan, but we did what we had to do on the fly. I never had a doubt we’d win."

Nanakuli 22, Kalani 6

The Golden Hawks (7-2, 7-1 OIA Division II) bounced back from last week’s loss to Radford with a home win over the Falcons (4-5 4-4), eliminating them from a chance at the playoffs.

Nanakuli’s Nainoa Banks threw two touchdown passes and Shandon Laa ran for a 47-yard touchdown against Kalani.

Due to the Falcons’ loss, Waialua (5-4, 4-4) clinched the division’s fourth seed and will play next Saturday at the Aiea High field against the regular-season champion and top-seeded Rams (9-0, 8-0). It’s a rematch of a contest played Friday, when Radford shut out the Bulldogs 35-0.

"It’s been a while since we made the playoffs," Waialua coach Lincoln Barit said Saturday night. "We made some mistakes in that game (Friday). Hopefully, the boys will be up to it. We told the boys about the playoffs — that all you need to do is win one game and you make the states."

Second-seeded Nanakuli hosts a first-round playoff game against Kaimuki (6-3, 6-2) on Friday.

Pearl City 6, Kalaheo 0

Zameer Kahn kicked field goals from 19 and 29 yards as the Chargers beat the Mustangs.