Tainoa Lave returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown with 2:21 left, sealing No. 4 Campbell’s stunning 38-23 come-from-behind win over No. 2 Punahou on Friday night in Ewa Beach.

Campbell’s defense was tenacious. T’nias Tavale, Titus Ringor and Nazaiah Caravallo-Lawelawe each had two sacks as the Sabers finished with 10 as a team.

“We came together as a team. We know our weaknesses and our strengths. We know Punahou’s weaknesses and strengths. We dominated as a team,” said Tavale, who also caught a touchdown pass.

Punahou trailed 31-23 and was on a roll, marching to the Campbell 34-yard line before Lave deflected a sideline pass by Ty McCutcheon, snatched the ball out of mid-air, then raced to the end zone untouched.

Campbell improved to 5-1 overall and will play Farrington next Friday. Punahou dropped to 3-2 and will open ILH play at Kamehameha next Friday.

“This game is a steppingstone for us. We’ve got to play good every week,” Sabers coach Darren Johnson said.

Punahou had control of the game for most of the first half. Then it unraveled.

“We made turnovers. Penalties. Those are the kinds of things, discipline-wise, that we have to fix before we get to the ILH season,” Punahou coach Nate Kia said. “Everything counts from here on. This was a big game, but preseason is officially over.”

Campbell (5-1) rushed for just 6 yards on 24 attempts, but senior Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was 21-for-33 with 242 passing yards, three touchdowns and two picks.

“After we scored (late in the second quarter), I started rallying everyone up. They put their faith in me. The defense got all sparked up and we ended up playing as one for the rest of the game,” Sagapolutele said.

McCutcheon was 31-for-42, 295 yards and two TDs with one interception. Campbell made Punahou’s elite offensive line look average in the second half with sack after sack. For all of Campbell’s offensive fireworks over the years, it was defense that turned it around. Campbell seemingly cracked the code after falling behind 16-0, scoring 31 unanswered points.

McCutcheon was outstanding in Punahou’s near-upset of nationally ranked Corona Centennial recently. The Sabers became tenacious defensively after intermission, forcing three Punahou fumbles in a row during the third quarter to set up their comeback.

Campbell wasn’t quite the same without receiver Tana Togafau-Tavui, one of the state’s most explosive playmakers. He sat out with a leg injury. Right tackle Lautaimi Falaniko also sat out, resting an ankle injury.

Punahou (3-2) opened the game with a 15-play drive that stalled at the Campbell 22-yard line. The Buffanblu defense then came up with a takeaway on the next snap when safety Dante Utu rolled over to the sideline to pick off Sagapolutele’s first pass attempt. Punahou drove five plays to pay dirt, scoring on Ala‘i Williams’ 1-yard blast up the middle

Moments later, Campbell’s punt snap sailed out of the end zone for a safety, and Punahou led 9-0 with 3:22 to go in the first quarter.

Campbell’s offense struggled against Punahou’s pass rush and zone defense. Punahou got the ball at the Campbell 25-yard line after a bad snap to Sagapolutele was recovered by Utu.

The Buffanblu came up empty but later drove 53 yards in six plays. Despite two sacks by Campbell’s defense, Punahou was aided by a roughing-the-passer call and scored on a 34-yard catch and run by Noah Macapulay. Punahou led 16-0 with 5:46 remaining until halftime.

Campbell got on the scoreboard on Sagapolutele’s quick pass to Falaniko Scanlan, who sprinted up the left sideline for a 27-yard TD with 28 seconds left in the first half.

Despite Punahou’s dominance in the first half, Campbell was unrelenting. The Sabers drove to the Buffanblu 1-yard line to start the second half but were flagged for illegal procedure. On the next play, after a timeout, the snap sailed over Sagapolutele’s head for a 20-yard loss.

Campbell settled for a 39-yard field goal by Cristian Wyckstandt to pull within 16-10 with 6:43 left in the third stanza.

Punahou gifted the hosts a present in the form of a fumble moments later. Campbell recovered at the Buffanblu 18-yard line but was whistled for excessive celebration (unsportsmanlike conduct). Four plays later, Sagapolutele found Tavale on a 3-yard play-action toss in the end zone to give Campbell a 17-16 lead with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter.

Campbell’s pass rush took the game over. A sack of McCutcheon led to a fumble, recovered by lineman Ringor to give Campbell the ball at the Punahou 12-yard line. Two plays later, Sagapolutele rolled right and found Rowan-Ray Bucao in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard TD and a 24-16 lead with 3:49 to go in the third.

Another sack by Campbell led to a third fumble lost in a row by Punahou, recovered by Kyson Kupukaa at the Buffanblu 15-yard line. Three plays later, running back Xyler Jarra scored up the gut on a 4-yard run to open Campbell’s lead to 31-16 with 1:44 left in the third.

McCutcheon’s 23-yard TD pass to Zion White cut the lead to 31-23 with 10:14 to go in the game.

Punahou defensive lineman Kekai Burnett had three of his team’s four sacks.

Campbell overcame 18 penalties for 180 yards.

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At Campbell

Punahou (3-2, 0-0) 9 7 0 7 — 23

Campbell (5-1, 3-0) 0 7 24 7 — 38

Pun—Ala‘i Williams 3 run (Carson Beard kick)

Pun—Safety, Campbell Punt snapped out of end zone

Pun—Noah Macapulay 34 pass from Ty McCutcheon (Beard kick)

Camp—Falaniko Scanlan 27 pass from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cristian Wyckstandt kick)

Camp—FG Wyckstandt 39

Camp—T’nias Tavale 3 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)

Camp—Rowan-Ray Bucao 10 pass from Sagapolutele (Wyckstandt kick)

Camp—Xyler Jarra 4 run (Wyckstandt kick)

Pun—Zion White 23 pass from McCutcheon (Beard kick)

Camp—Kainoa Lave 60 interception return (Wyckstandt kick)

RUSHING—Punahou: Williams 11-29, Iosepa Lyman 3-6, Nelson Aau 1-3, Team 1-(minus 7), McCutcheon 13-(minus 44). Campbell: Scanlan 2-38, James Steffany-Fiame 7-23, Xyler Jarra 3-10, Sagapolutele 8-(minus 21), Team 4-(minus 56).

PASSING—Punahou: McCutcheon 31-42-1-308. Campbell: Sagapolutele 21-33-2-248.

RECEIVING—Punahou: White 6-81, Dash Watanabe 5-59, Macapulay 5-53, Lyman 5-43, Astin Hange 5-33, Aau 1-22, Wiliams 3-13, Kyler Matsui 1-4. Campbell: Scanlan 3-46, Lave 2-45, Bucao 2-40, Brystin Sansano 4-39, Zayden Alviar-Costa 2-34, Rusten Abang 6-33, Steffany-Fiame 1-8, Tavale 1-3.