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Always contenders and rarely champions. That describes both the No. 6 Kamehameha and No. 4 Campbell football teams, and it was the host Sabers from Ewa Beach who came out on top with a wild 26-22 victory over the Warriors on Friday night.
After Campbell (4-0, 1-0 OIA Open) struck first, Kamehameha (2-2, 1-2 ILH Open) took control in the second quarter with 15 unanswered points. But in the second half, the Sabers chipped away and earned their first-ever victory over the Warriors.
“It was definitely a new thing playing against the ILH,” said Campbell running back Sky Lactaoen, who rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown. “But it’s the same as in you still have to do your jobs and trust. As far as the second half goes, we had more confidence, and we cleaned up our penalties and mistakes that we made in the first half. Kamehameha’s a good team and we both played great football.”
Trailing 15-7 midway through the third quarter, Campbell started its comeback, thanks to a high punt snap by the Warriors. It resulted in a 5-yard loss and the Sabers took over on the visitors’ 25. Four plays later, Lactaoen scored from 4 yards out to make it 15-13.
With 2:16 to go in the third, Jadon Arola’s 23-yard field goal put Campbell on top for good, 16-15. In the fourth quarter, Kamehameha’s Preston Rezentes missed two field goals from 35 yards out and the Warriors still trailed. Arola then hit from 37 yards out for a 19-15 count with 6:42 to go.
With 2:59 left, Campbell struck again as backup QB Kaniala Kalaola hit Titus Mokiao-Atimalala with a 38-yard TD pass for a 27-15 lead.
The Warriors were fortunate to get closer. Kupono Blake recovered a fumble when Campbell muffed a snap in victory formation. He pitched to Tiger Peterson, who rumbled into the end zone from 24 yards out with less than a minute left.
“Absolutely,” said Kamehameha coach Abu Maafala when asked if he thought the game was entertaining for fans, before adding,” I’ve got to do a better job of getting our guys to keep their belly hot and their head cool and play football. Things were chippy and sloppy in the first half. After things calmed down, they (the Sabers) just outplayed us a little bit. This one, we didn’t have the same fight as we had in our first three games.”
In the opening 24 minutes, Tyrese Tafai, normally an outside linebacker, broke the ice in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run on offense for a 7-0 Campbell lead. Defensive back Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa’s interception in the Sabers’ end zone preceded that score.
But the Warriors struck right back, thanks to the running of Reino Bush, who capped a 59-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run, making it a 7-6 ballgame with 7:54 to go in the first half. Kamehameha gained some big momentum on Akalea Kapono’s interception that led to Rezentes’ 32-yard field goal for the Warriors’ first lead of the contest, 9-7.
Another Campbell mistake gave Kamehameha some more points. This time, Warrior Kalani Kamakawiwoole’s hit caused a fumble and Kupono recovered, leading to quarterback Christmas Togiai’s 1-yard QB sneak for a TD to make it 15-7 with 4:41 left before the break.
Campbell drove 79 yards, but a fourth-down pass from the Kamehameha 9 fell incomplete on the last play of the second quarter.
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GAME SUMMARY
No. 4 Campbell 26, No. 6 Kamehameha 22
At Campbell
>> KS (2-2, 1-2) 0 15 0 7 — 22
>> Campbell (4-0, 1-0) 0 7 9 10 — 26
Campbell — Tyrese Tafai 1 run (Jadon Arola kick)
Kamehameha — Reino Bush 4 run (kick failed)
Kamehameha — FG Preston Rezentes 32
Kamehameha — Christmas Togiai 1 run (kick failed)
Campbell — Sky Lactaoen 4 run (run failed)
Campbell — FG Arola 23
Campbell — FG Arola 37
Campbell — Titus Mokiao-Atimalala 38 pass from Kaniala Kalaola (Arola kick)
Kamehameha — Tiger Peterson 24 fumble recovery return (Rezentes kick)
RUSHING — Kamehameha: Bush 10-95, Alec Serrao 9-76, Togiai 10-30, Braden Akima 2-5, Nate Jackson Jr. 1-0, Team 1-(minus-5). Campbell: Lactaoen 13-126, Peter Manuma 7-26, Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala 3-15, Kalaola 4-4, Jacob Covington 1-3, Tafai 1-1, Krenston Kaipo 1-0, Team 2-(minus-1).
PASSING — Kamehameha: Togiai 15-27-1-99, Rezentes 0-1-1-0. Campbell: Kaipo 11-18-1-160, Kalaola 2-7-0-56.
RECEIVING — Kamehameha: Akima 6-23, Skyler Ramos 4-57, Serrao 2-15, Laakea Ane 1-4, Titus Maunakea 1-0, Bush 1-0. Campbell: Ti. Mokiao-Atimalala 7-130, Christian Quiambao 3-48, Ta. Mokiao-Atimalala 3-38.
*JV —Kamehameha 38, Campbell 0
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