Campbell quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele recovered from a first-half interception hat trick Saturday to lead the Sabers to the Open Division State Championships for the fifth consecutive season.
Sagapolutele completed 19 of 33 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns as No. 4 Campbell beat No. 6 Kapolei 30-27 in a back-and-forth OIA Open Division third-place game at Roosevelt.
“They showed up. They came out victorious,” Campbell coach Darren Johnson said. “Now we got to go back to work and they got to understand the task ahead of them.”
The Hurricanes took over at their 20 with 4:21 remaining, but the Sabers’ Kela Moore picked off Liatama Amisone at the Kapolei 44 with 2:47 remaining.
The Sabers picked up a first down on a 7-yard pass to Zayden Alviar-Costa on third down and went into victory formation.
Campbell (9-3) earned the OIA’s final berth in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division State Championships, which start Nov. 17. Kahuku and Mililani also will represent the league, and Punahou qualified out of the ILH.
The Sabers are winless in their previous four Open Division state appearances.
“We want to get the monkey off our back. I’m glad we’re back in it,” Johnson said.
Sagapolutele was intercepted by Kapolei’s Hezekiah Fruean and Kaikoa Iokia on Campbell’s first two drives. Makana Taylor had an interception on the Sabers’ final possession of the half.
“We had a bit of a miscommunication in the beginning — receivers were not running the right routes,” Sagapolutele said. “But it’s not on them. It’s my fault for throwing it.”
In the second half, Sagapolutele was 12-for-16 for 182 yards. Alviar-Costa finished with seven catches for 104 yards, Rowen-Ray Bucao had four for 114 and Caysean Melvin had six for 92 yards.
Kapolei received the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards on 15 plays, capped by Vaimetua Kamakele’s 1-yard plunge with 5:27 left in the first quarter. Hurley Kennedy made the PAT kick.
Amisone went 4-for-5 for 43 yards on the drive, with each completion going to a different receiver.
Kennedy’s 26-yard field goal made it 10-0 Hurricanes with 11:48 left before halftime.
On the Sabers’ first play from scrimmage of the ensuing drive, Sagapolutele hit Bucao in the right flat and he sprinted down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown with 11:27 left in the half. Cristian Wyckstandt’s PAT kick made it 10-7.
The Sabers took their first lead at 13-10 on Sagapolutele’s 16-yard pass over the middle to Alviar-Costa with 9:11 remaining before halftime. The drive was set up by Aisiah Paogofie’s punt return to the 3. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play moved the ball to the 18, and Campbell scored two plays later.
Kapolei (8-4) reclaimed the lead on Amisone’s 42-yard scramble up the middle, which made it 17-13 with 6:29 to go before halftime.
A Kapolei offensive lineman and a Campbell defensive lineman were ejected during a scuffle midway through the second quarter.
Campbell scored on the opening possession of the second half on Sagapolutele’s 14-yard pass over the middle to Bucao, which put the Sabers ahead 20-17 with 7:43 remaining in the third.
Kapolei tied it at 20-20 on Kennedy’s 34-yard field goal with 4:07 remaining in the third.
Campbell went up 27-20 on James Steffany-Fiame’s 5-yard run with 1:06 remaining in the third. On the drive, Kapolei’s PJ Freitas sacked Sagapolutele on consecutive plays, which set up a third-and-28. The Sabers picked up the first down on a 33-yard completion to Melvin, who took a short pass and got to the 25.
“That was a big play. The play of the game,” Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said.
Kapolei drove to the Campbell 23, but Isaiah Chong picked off Amisone’s pass and returned the ball 67 yards to the 11.
“That was major. That was good,” Johnson said. “He went in and he stepped up. He did a good job all night.”
The Sabers converted the turnover into points on Wyckstandt’s 23-yard field goal, which extended their lead to 30-20 with 10:18 left in the fourth.
The Hurricanes closed to 30-27 on Amisone’s 9-yard pass to Halai Kamohalii with 6:40 remaining in the game.
Amisone completed 27 of 45 passes for 277 yards and rushed 13 times for 73 yards for Kapolei.
NO. 3 CAMPBELL 30, NO. 6 KAPOLEI 27
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
Kapolei (8-4) 7 10 3 7 — 27
Campbell (9-3) 0 13 14 3 — 30
KAP—Vaimetua Kamakele 1 run (Hurley Kennedy kick)
KAP—FG Kennedy 26 CAMP—Rowen-Ray Bucao 65 pass from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cristian Wyck- standt kick)
CAMP—Zayden Alviar-Costa 16 pass from Sagapolutele (kick failed)
KAP— Liatama Amisone 42 run (Kennedy kick)
CAMP—Bucao 14 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)
KAP—FG Kennedy 34
CAMP—James Steffany-Fiame 5 run (Wy- ckstandt kick)
CAMP—FG Wyckstandt 23
KAP—Halai Kamohalii 9 pass from Ami- sone (Kennedy kick) RUSHING—Kapolei: Amisone 13-73, Re- eno Teo 5-16, Kamakele 3-11, Chase Ca- marillo 5-6. Campbell: Steffany-Fiame 12-43, Kela Moore 1-7, Caleb Dela Pe- na-Pihana 3-1, Team 2-(minus 12), Saga- polutele 4-(minus 19. PASSING—Kapolei: Amisone 27-45-3- 277. Campbell: Sagapolutele 19-33-3- 316.
RECEIVING—Kapolei: Kamohalii 5-77, Nikko Smith 5-75, Tristen Inay 7-37, Maui Remigio 3-28, Laakea Tapaoan 2-20, Ca- marillo 2-18, Noah Gould 2-18, Teo 1-4. Campbell: Bucao 4-114, Zayden Alvi- ar-Costa 7-104, Caysean Melvin 6-92, Brystin Sansano 1-6, Dela Pena-Pihana 1-0.
FROM FRIDAY
WAIPAHU 48,
NO. 8 FARRINGTON 26
At John Kauinana Stadium
Farrington (6-3) 8 12 0
Waipahu(6-4) 20 7 0 21—48
WAIP—Chazen Rodillas-Vesido 16 pass from Elijah Mendoza (run failed) FARR—Chansen Smith 16 pass from MJ Moreno (Donivan Bergantinos kick) WAIP—Jayden Chanel 59 pass from Men- doza (pass failed)
WAIP—Chanel 13 pass from Elijah Men- doza (Tai Aipia-Barrett run)
FARR—Jacob Talamoa 1 run (kick blocked) WAIP—Faafetai Failauga 1 run (Ezekiel Stewart kick)
FARR—Talamoa 16 run (pass failed) WAIP—Failauga 10 run (Stewart kick) FARR—Sitani Mikaele 3 run (run failed) WAIP—Aipia-Barrett 22 pass from Men- doza (Stewart kick)
WAIP—Elijah Nahoopii 57 interception re- turn (Stewart kick) RUSHING—Farrington: Mikaele 26-94, Talamoa 2-17, Smith 3-7, Ikaika Kuaa- na-Lacno 2-(minus 1), Moreno 3-(minus 2). Waipahu: Failauga 23-112, Aipia-Barrett 1-4, Zaeden Reyes 1-2, Mendoza 1-1, Team 1-(minus 1). PASSING—Farrington: Moreno 16-24-1- 209. Waipahu: Mendoza 17-29-2-334. RECEIVING—Farrington: Smith 6-86, Talamoa 4-76, Tristan Sullivan 2-31, Kuaa- na-Lacno 2-14, Bergantinos 2-2. Waipahu: Chanel 4-123, Aipia-Barrett 6-103, Eric Stephens 3-65, Chazen Rodil- las-Vesido 2-29, Failauga 2-14.
