In the end, the Kamehameha and Campbell football teams reached the title game of the state’s Open Division by adhering to some basic, fundamental necessities. They include minimal turnovers, minimal penalties, and high-percentage decisions — why throw the ball on every snap when we can run?
But even numbers can’t predict a future when creativity gets into the mix.
Campbell gave last season’s state runner-up Kahuku a battle in a 24-6 OIA playoff loss. When they met two weeks ago in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Championships, the Sabers’ defense had its best performance of the year. Special teams were solid as usual. On offense, however, a little creativity went a long way in securing a 15-12 win.
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Campbell’s jumbo formation, loaded to either side with extra linemen, allowed Tainoa Lave to score the winning touchdown in the final seconds. Lave’s versatility — starting at defensive back and eventually mixing into the offense in the second half, also came with the element of surprise.
Kamehameha, which advanced with a 31-10 win over Kapolei, had the past two weeks to study Campbell’s smashmouth attack. There will be no surprise in this formation.
Does Campbell coach Darren Johnson have any more tricks up his sleeve?
“You try to keep football simple. You try not to make things hard. You throw things at your opponent and you have a counter plan in case it doesn’t work,” Johnson said. “We’re playing a good team so there’s a lot going into it.”
True enough, Campbell’s “buck” offense with the heavy mass of power stampeding through a defense is not exactly complicated. Lave found his gap and surged through for modest yardage in that second half against Kahuku. Even the winning TD was, on paper, just two yards.
At Kahuku, as an assistant, then heading the programs at Kailua, Kaimuki and Campbell, Johnson has always shown a penchant for timely, deceptive play-calling. When “Coach DJ” makes his daily drive from his home in Hauula to his job in Iwilei, then to Ewa Beach for practice, a lot of neato ideas can pile up.
The Sabers have talent from sideline to sideline on both sides of the ball. In the 11 months since Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele graduated early and left for Cal, the Sabers kept the ball rolling.
Sometimes a superstar’s legacy isn’t the numbers. Sometimes it is the culture he leaves behind. Sometimes, that team without the superstar goes even further because he and his fellow graduates still believe in their former, younger teammates.
“This difference this year is, last year we relied on three guys to do a lot. Jaron, Zayden (Alviar-Costa) and Tainoa. This year, it’s more as a team. Everyone doing their 1-11. 11 players on the field and one, you do your job,” left tackle Chanz Chargualaf said.
Unlike some student-athletes who signed during the early period from Wednesday to Friday, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound senior is opting to wait until the regular signing day in early February. He has an offer from Hawaii.
“Most of my four years, there were downs, finishing third. Always losing to the big teams Mililani, Kahuku, Saint Louis,” Chargualaf said. “This year, we had a rough start to the season. We lost to Mililani, Kapolei and Kahuku.”
The Sabers didn’t need luck. They just kept moving forward.
“Me and my brothers, us going and finishing in third place so many times, losing last year (to Saint Louis) after we were expected to win it all, this year we came in ready to go through adversity,” Chargualaf said.
Campbell (8-3) is the third-place team from the OIA. Like all ILH teams since the pandemic, Kamehameha (5-4) endured the challenge of having nearly as many bye weeks (eight) as games. The Warriors’ tall, aggressive defensive unit has presented problems for opponents. If Campbell has success with its heavy offense, the question is whether Kamehameha will have enough girth in the trenches to stonewall the herd of blockers.
“Kamehameha has a really determined defense. Eleven to the ball every single time,” Chargualaf said. “When we play them we have to play with the same dog mentality. Their front seven is really good, one of the best in the state, but I think our offense can match it.”
Campbell’s starting offensive line — Chargualaf, left guard Jake Brown (6-0, 280), center Austin Stanton (5-10, 270), right guard Siosiua Afungia (6-4, 310) and right tackle Anthony Ashby (6-2, 270) — doesn’t have to be perfect. the Sabers have grown to be comfortable with playing mistake-free as possible, securing the ball, and playing for field-position.
Kamehameha’s offensive line is dynamic and powerful. Junior QB Mana Forges has flourished in the second half of the season behind his wall, making just about every kind of throw to every level with pinpoint accuracy. In Coach Kaeo Drummondo’s system, establishing the run is paramount.
Nainoa Melchor has been Kamehameha’s bellcow ballcarrier, and skilled as an occasional target in the passing game. Forges has benefited from the balanced approach. In their last three games against Saint Louis, Punahou and Kapolei, he has completed 47 of 60 pass attempts, a 78% completion rate, for 497 yards along with five TDs passes and no interceptions.
His receivers — Jayden Braun, Noah Aki, Hazyn Botelho and Taimane Purcell — are all breakaway threats. Braun was especially dangerous against Kapolei with five catches for 109 yards and two TDs.
Much like the D-I state final last week with Kailua and Kapaa, the Open title game will feature powerful offensive lines. Kamehameha is led by left tackle Malakai Lee, a 6-7, 300-pound senior. Left guard Elvis Miller (6-2, 270), center Joey Robledo (5-10, 265), right guard Ale Elisara (6-0, 245) and right tackle Gabe Pahinui (6-2, 263) round out the front five.
Lee and Purcell, a two-way playmaker, signed their letters of intent on Wednesday. Lee signed with Michigan while Purcell signed with Cal.
The question remains: Can Campbell move the ball consistently against Kamehameha’s stellar defense?
“We had our scout team running their (heavy) offense,” Kamehameha senior defensive back Kamaka Lorenzo said. “It’s hard to replicate an athlete (like Lave), but we’ve just got to know our responsibilities.”
It has been 16 years since the Warriors reached the state final. They beat Kahuku that year, 34-21 under then-coach David Stant. In 2021, Kamehameha was ahead in the ILH standings with eventual All-State RB Noah Bartley, but he suffered an ankle injury late in the season. The Warriors weren’t the same as Saint Louis overtook them for the league title.
That long stretch of time isn’t lost on the 2025 Warriors.
“We started off the season on a decent note, then we struggled with our losses, but schedule those games (against West Linn, Ore., and JSerra, Calif.) were big for us. We had to learn how to overcome adversity and that’s come into play in these games,” Lorenzo said. “It definitely hit me that this is all or nothing now. Our last game as seniors.”
Campbell hasn’t had a home game since 2024 due to renovations, but that won’t stop the usual unofficial fireworks show near campus if the Sabers win their first Open Division state football title.
“The love and support from the community, last year and this year they really stepped up,” Chargualaf said. “There’s always a potluck after the game. They’re the 1-12. The 12th man. They really help, Our goal is to win. We’re not even thinking about losing.”