Prior to Friday night, Samson Kapule-Si’ilata had scored all of his touchdowns with a game controller in hand.
The Kahuku defensive lineman got to experience the real thing as part of a dominant Red Raiders performance in a 42-7 win over Campbell in the OIA Division I semifinals at Aloha Stadium.
The second-ranked Red Raiders (9-1) drove No. 7 Campbell (7-4) backward for much of the night while earning a shot at a third straight OIA title on Nov. 4 against Mililani and securing a berth in the state tournament’s Open Division bracket.
Kahuku held Campbell to minus-2 yards rushing and 84 yards in total offense, recorded 10 sacks and intercepted four passes in a performance similar to the Red Raiders’ 45-6 win over Campbell in their regular-season finale on Sept. 29.
The Red Raiders scored three defensive touchdowns in the first meeting and set the tone in the rematch with five sacks in Campbell’s first 10 plays.
“That’s our identity on defense,” Kahuku coach Makoa Freitas said. “We like to get pressure and it was good we were able to from the beginning.”
Sophomore safety Alex Fonoimoana-Vaomu had two interceptions, senior linebacker Fatu Atuaia was in on three sacks and a pick. Pressure from Atuaia also led to an interception for Kapule-Si’ilata, who returned it 33-yards for a touchdown.
“I just read the quarterback’s eyes and he was looking directly at me,” Kapule-Si’ilata said. “It was a blitz, so he released it early and it so happened it came in my hands and I just ran for my life.”
As for his previous touchdowns?
“Madden, probably,” he said. “I’ve never scored a touchdown ever in real life. So it feels pretty good, but it feels better to get a team win like this.”
Running back Enoch Nawahine headlined the Kahuku offense with 118 yards on just 11 carries and two touchdown runs, both covering 44 yards. Toalei Lefau capped Kahuku’s first possession with a 1-yard run and Sione Mahe closed the scoring with a 55-yard burst on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Sol-Jay Maiava passed for 112 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown pass to Duke Heffernan that gave Kahuku a 21-7 lead going into halftime.
“Playing them the first time, we knew what they were capable of, we knew their tendencies,” Nawahine said. “Coming out this game and playing them again, we just had to battle. The O-line and the receivers had to step up, which they did. Sol-Jay led the offense, he did a great job.”
A miscue on special teams led to Campbell’s lone score. A mishandled punt snap gave Campbell possession at the Red Raiders’ 14. On third-and-5, Krenston Kaipo found Poki’i Adkins-Kupukaa for a 9-yard touchdown to cut the Kahuku lead to 14-7.
But Maiava went 5-for-6 for 53 yards in an eight-play scoring drive just before halftime and the Red Raiders continued to pull away after the break.
Campbell’s state tournament hopes now hinge on the third-place game on Nov. 4.
“Turnovers hurt us again and I think we died out on defense because we were on the field too much,” Campbell coach Darren Johnson said. “We’ve got two weeks to fix up everything and do it again.”
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NO. 2 KAHUKU 42, NO. 7 CAMPBELL 7
at Aloha Stadium
>> Campbell (7-4) 0 7 0 0 — 7
>> Kahuku (9-1) 14 7 14 7 — 42
Kah—Toalei Lefau 1 run (Duke Heffernan kick)
Kah—Enoch Nawahine 44 run (Heffernan kick)
Camp—Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa 9 pass from Krenston Kaipo (Ariel Villanueva kick)
Kah—Duke Heffernan 1 pass from Sol-Jay Maiava (Heffernan kick)
Kah—Nawahine 44 run (Heffernan kick)
Kah—Samson Kapule-Si’ilata 33 interception return (Heffernan kick)
Kah—Sione Mahe 55 run (Heffernan kick)
RUSHING—Campbell: Peter Manuma 10-51, Joshua Salvido 4-9, team 1-(minus-14), Kaipo 11-(minus-48). Kahuku: Nawahine 11-118, Mahe 4-66, Maiava 7-56, Joseph Purcell 2-17, Lefau 2-17, Wes Alo-Maiava 1-1, team 2-(minus 21).
PASSING—Campbell: Kaipo 8-20-3–83, Manuma 1-4-1-3. Kahuku: Maiava 11-25-1-112.
RECEIVING—Campbell: Jalen Henderson 3-17, Dylan Ursua 2-12, Vernon Etrada-Daite 1-21, Tyrese Tafai 1-16, Jacob Smith 1-11, Adkins-Kupukaa 1-9. Kahuku: Heffernan 3-25, Thorton Alapa 2-24, Sitaleki Tongi 2-23, Nawahine 2-17, Kaonohi Kaniho 1-12, Peter John Mataira 1-11.
