FOOTBALL TOP 10
A little rancor in the ILH, an instant classic in the OIA, and Campbell is giving off an aura normally reserved for dynasties.
The Sabers collected 13 of 14 first-place votes from the panel of coaches and media to retain the No. 1 spot in the Star-Advertiser Football Top 10. Campbell has ruled the rankings since Sept. 16, a span of eight weeks in a row. This is the first time in three weeks, however, that voters did not make coach Darren Johnson’s team a unanimous selection.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s superhero night, rallying Campbell from a 26-point deficit for a 49-43 win over Kapolei, clearly elevated the 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior to an even higher echelon. The Cal commit is having, arguably, the finest season by a QB in the Open Division era.
Campbell will meet defending state champion Kahuku on Friday for the OIA Open crown. On Saturday, Mililani and Kapolei will battle for the OIA’s third and final state-tournament berth in the Open Division.
In the ILH, some confusion has prevailed regarding the Kamehameha-Saint Louis tiebreaker game scheduled on Friday. The winner of the game will claim the second-round title, and first-round winner Saint Louis is under the impression that if Kamehameha wins, there would be a rematch for the ILH title to be played on the weekend of Nov. 15. The school confirmed this on Monday, co-athletic director Dan Hale said.
He also noted that the HHSAA had already pushed back the first round of Open Division play from Nov. 15 to Nov. 22. The latter date had a bye for Open Division.
However, HHSAA executive director Chris Chun said the opening round of the state championships Open Division has not been rescheduled and that it would have to be played on Nov. 15 because an agreement has already been made to televise Open games that day.
“TV, we’ve already set it. We confirmed it,” Chun said on Monday night. “(On Nov. 22), there’s venues available, but not big enough for this.”
Chun added that he has tried to contact the ILH and has not heard back.
Saint Louis coach Tupu Alualu also said he has attempted to speak with the league and has not gotten a response.
Monday, Nov. 4, 2024
Rank School (1st) (record) Pts LW
1. Campbell (9-0, 5-0 reg. season, 1-0 playoffs) (13) 139 1
> def. No. 5 Kapolei, 49-43
> next: vs. Kahuku, Friday, 7:30 p.m. (Skippa Diaz)
2. Kahuku (7-4, 3-2 reg. season, 1-0 playoffs) (1) 126 3
> won at No. 2 Mililani, 35-6
> next: vs. Campbell, Friday, 7:30 p.m. (Skippa Diaz)
3. Mililani (8-2, 4-1 reg. season, 0-1 playoffs) 101 2
> lost to No. 3 Kahuku, 35-6
> next: vs. Kapolei, Saturday, 6 p.m. (John Velasco)
4. Saint Louis (6-3, 3-1 reg. season, 1-0 tiebreaker) 100 4
> def. No. 7 Punahou, 35-3
> next: vs. Kamehameha, Friday, 6 p.m. (John Velasco)
5. Kapolei (5-4, 2-3 reg. season, 0-1 playoffs) 90 5
> lost to No. 1 Campbell, 49-43
> next: vs. Mililani, Saturday, 6 p.m. (John Velasco)
6. Kamehameha (5-3, 2-2 reg. season) 67 6
> bye
> next: vs. Saint Louis, Friday, 6 p.m. (John Velasco)
7. Konawaena (9-2, 8-0 reg. season, 1-0 playoff) 39 9
> def. Keaau, 36-0
> next: bye
8. Punahou (3-6, 1-3 reg. season, 0-1 tiebreaker) 38 7
> lost to No. 4 Saint Louis, 35-3
9. Damien (9-1, 7-0 ILH D-I) 34 8
> bye
> next: bye
10. Farrington (4-5, 1-4 OIA Open) 19 10
Also receiving votes: Leilehua 7, Kapaa 4, Kailua 3, KS-Maui 2, Pac-Five 1.
