Backup QB Hurd rallies Campbell past Aiea

All the Aiea Na Alii wanted was a taste of victory over a Top 10 foe.

Isaac Hurd refused to grant them such a wish.

The backup quarterback stepped in for injured teammate Justin Tago and fired a 35-yard touchdown pass to B.J. Halmos with 1:24 remaining as No. 5-ranked Campbell rallied for a 22-18 victory over Aiea on Friday night before a frenzied crowd of about 2,000 at the Sabers’ field.

“I dropped back, I tried to hold the corner a little bit. I saw him bite for the out and I threw it over,” said Hurd, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound sophomore.

“I made like it was a post,” Halmos said. “I took it to the outside. The line held their blocks, the ball came to me and I caught it. We have confidence in everybody, not just our quarterbacks.”

Campbell, which had already clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs, finished regular-season play 5-1 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West and 7-1 overall.

“Our defense was swarming, but we were getting tired and lost some of the momentum,” Aiea coach Wendell Say said. “Sometimes kids forget what to do. Campbell’s tough. We had a hard time. We struggled against the defense. (Hurd) could start for a lot of other schools.”

Aiea fell to 2-4 in league play (3-5 overall) with hopes of gaining a playoff berth.

It was a gratifying win for Campbell, which lost Tago to an elbow injury early in the third quarter.

“We had 100 percent faith in Isaac, our backup,” receiver Keoni Piceno said. “If you put faith in God, anything can happen.”

“We’ve been playing both of them throughout the season, so there was no doubt in my mind Isaac could do it,” Campbell coach Amosa Amosa said.

Aiea’s offense struggled most of the night against a stalwart Campbell defense; two Na Alii touchdowns came on fumble recoveries by linebacker Douglas Taumua in a 15-second span early in the third quarter.

Hurd was shaky at first, but looked dangerous on the run and from the pocket with rocket launches downfield. His first touchdown pass, a 1-yard toss to Piceno, brought Campbell within 18-15 with 3:59 left in the third quarter.

Aiea was conservative with the ball late in the game, relying on its physical defense to carry the load. Campbell got the ball back on its 29-yard line with 2:09 to play. On second and 10, the Sabers got a break with a pass-interference penalty against Aiea.

Two plays later, Hurd connected with Piceno for a 21-yard gain to the Aiea 35. On the next play, Hurd launched a spiral deep to the right corner of the end zone, where Halmos hauled it in with 1:24 remaining. That put the home team ahead 22-18.

Aiea had trouble returning the ensuing kickoff, a squib kick, and started the series at its 10-yard line. On the ensuing play, Isaiah Fonoti’s pass was intercepted by Romelo Wilson, and Campbell ran out the clock.

As expected, the game was a defensive struggle at the start. It took a sudden 42-yard strike from Tago to Piceno to break the scoreless duel with 4:34 left in the first half.

Aiea’s offense needed just 41 seconds to score to start the third quarter. Kamakana Apelu ran a fade route and pulled in a toss from Fonoti for Aiea’s first touchdown, but the PAT kick missed and Campbell led 7-6.

Three plays later, Max Ma‘afala-Maiava got to Tago, who lost the ball. Taumua dove on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, giving Aiea a 12-7 lead with 11:04 to go in the third quarter.

On Campbell’s next play from scrimmage, Douglas Tautua recovered a fumble at the 5-yard line and raced in for another score, and Aiea led 18-7 with 10:54 remaining in the third.

From there, Aiea’s defense did what it could before wearing down.

“We could’ve done better. It’s not only the offense’s fault, but the defense’s fault, too. We relaxed when we had the lead,” Tautua said, still hoping for a playoff berth. “It’s in God’s hands now.”

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