No. 5 Campbell has always had the playmakers to compete in the Open Division under sixth-year head coach Darren Johnson.
Now it might have the boys up front to do something special.
Throwing behind an offensive line bookended by 6-foot-4, 300-pound Joshua Tavai at left tackle and 6-foot-7, 310-pound Isaac Maugaleoo at right tackle, quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns and the Sabers rolled up 345 total yards in the first half of a 34-0 win over Kailua in their season opener on their home field in Ewa Beach on Friday night.
Sagapolutele, who is 6-foot-4, threw his first touchdown pass to 6-foot-5 receiver Mason Muaau.
Everywhere on the field, it seemed, the Sabers were a physically imposing presence.
“We’re big and we’re trying to get better,” Johnson said. “It’s only the beginning. It’s how you end and we’ve got to end right.”
Slot receivers Jourdain Berinobis-Pyne and Rowen Bucao caught touchdown passes in the second quarter and sophomore athlete Tana Togafau-Tavui ran in a short touchdown to put Campbell ahead 34-0 at the break.
Campbell averaged nearly 17 yards a play in the first half, with six different receivers catching one pass for at least 25 yards.
“I love playing for my hometown and it feels great having the community support you,” Sagapolutele said. “Our screens and getting it to our wide receivers is a big part of our offense.”
Sagapolutele, a transfer from Saint Louis’ I-AA team last year, completed nine of his 13 throws and did not return to the field for Campbell’s final drive of the first half.
Togafau Tavui, who already holds Division I offers from Hawaii, Washington and San Diego State, took over at QB on the final drive with 2:10 remaining in the half.
He threw a 41-yard pass to Rusten Abang and ran for 29 yards on the next play to put the Sabers on the Kailua 20.
However, after two running plays, the clock ran out to end the half. Time was kept on the field because the scoreboard wasn’t working.
Neither team scored in a quick second half.
“We have so many offensive weapons we feel like we can do anything we want,” said Berinobis-Pyne, who missed nearly two months during the summer with a broken thumb. “Everyone on the team is a playmaker and (Sagapolutele) shares the ball really well. He makes the right decisions.”
Nine Campbell receivers caught at least one pass. Berinobis-Pyne’s 25-yard TD catch came on the only drive he played.
“Coach asked me if I was sure I could run the play because of my thumb,” Berinobis-Pyne said. “I said, ‘Yes, Coach, put me in and let me run this route,’ and we just executed.”
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CAMPBELL 34, KAILUA 0
At Campbell
Kailua (0-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Campbell (1-0) 14 20 0 0 — 34
Camp—Mason Muaau 10 pass from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Christian Wyckstandt kick)
Camp—Chauncee Lopez 10 run (Wyckstandt kick)
Camp—Jourdain Berinobis-Pyne 25 passfrom Sagapolutele (kick blocked)
Camp—Rowen Bucao 49 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)
Camp—Tana Togafau-Tavui 2 run (Wyckstandt kick)
RUSHING—Kailua: Ikaika Quidashay 16- 31, Maa Fonoti 9-(minus 4), Makena Kahoi-Zukeran 1-(minus 4), team 1-(minus 9). Campbell: Lopez 4-31, Togafau-Tafui 2-31, Miles Parlet 2-9, Niko Scanlan 2-8, Bucao 1-3, Chance Kuboyama-Hayashi 3-(minus 10), team 1-(minus 11).
PASSING—Kailua: Fonoti 13-23-0-136. Campbell: Sagapolutele 9-13-0-230,Kuboyama-Hayashi 5-10-0-44, Togafau-Tavai 1-1-0-41.
RECEIVING—Kailua: Aizek Kaanoi 3-61, Nainoa Smith-Akana 4-59, SolomonKeanui-Demello 3-8, Kainoa Hephner 1-5,
Jathan Bejarano 2-3. Campbell: Bucao 2–90, Kanoa Ferreira 4-66, Rusten Abang 1-41, Dallas Fonseca-Juan 1-37, Togafau-Tavui 2-32, Berinobis-Pyne 1-25, Muaau 2-16, Malik Jackson 1-6, Scanlan 1-2.
Junior varsity — Campbell 32, Kailua 6