Kapolei, HI
It was opening night in the OIA, as no.4 ranked Campbell sabers went on the road to face off against No. 2 Kapolei on Friday night, for the Sabers homecoming night. The sabers still under construction to their football field, were looking to make a statement after a rough opening night loss against the Waipahu marauders in august. Coming off a state championship title, the sabers have a big target this year with every team wanting to take down the defending champs. The Hurricanes come into the match undefeated and are led by senior rb, Chazz-Michael Kapahu. as for the sabers with a 3-1 start, they would be led by Junior QB, Jalen Kimble.
Kapolei opened the game with a passing touchdown to hurricane freshman WR, Kameeiamoku Manners, giving the Hurricanes an early lead. Campbell quickly answered when Charlesten Salazar returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown, tying the game.
The Sabers then took the lead just seconds later. Senior DB, Isaiah Chong, intercepted a Kapolei pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, giving Campbell a 14–6 advantage. sabers kicker, Mitch Lifto, later added a 26-yard field goal to put Campbell ahead 17–6 at halftime.
Campbell offense struggled to consistently move the ball, finishing with just 176 total yards. However, the Sabers made up for it with a defense that held Kapolei to only 105 total yards and just 65 rushing yards.
Kapolei continued to fight in the second half and finally cut the deficit to three when rb Chazz-Michael Kapahu, scored on a rushing touchdown with 7:56 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Hurricanes then recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving themselves another chance to tie or take the lead. Kapolei drove down the field and had an opportunity to tie the game with a 38-yard field goal, but the attempt missed with 3:55 remaining. Campbell took advantage of the opportunity and ran out the clock. A key third-down reception from Senior WR, Evan Mendoza, moved the chains followed by another first down from Senior Rb, Charleston Salazar, on the ground to help seal the win.
Defensively, Campbell was led by Senior LB, Jeovanny Maghamil-Avilla, who recorded six total tackles and an interception, while Senior DB, Xayden Zade Ea, added six tackles and a tackle for loss. Senioir DB, Mamalu Lilo, also recorded a tackle for loss and an interception as Campbell finished with three interceptions and three tackles for loss.
Kapolei Senior LB, Kaimana Sione, had a strong defensive performance with eight total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Kapahu added another rushing touchdown but was held below 50 rushing yards for the second straight game.
With the 17–14 win, Campbell improved to 4–1 and earned its second straight win over a top-five opponent. Kapolei fell to 3–1 after starting the season undefeated.
The Sabers showed once again that their defense can keep them in games, and against one of the state’s top teams, Campbell made just enough plays to come away with the win.
final Score: Campbell 17 - Kapolei 14
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pictures Taken By: Pakela Wheeler - @pakela._
