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In the end, the Kamehameha and Campbell football teams reached the title game of the state\u2019s Open Division by adhering to some basic, fundamental necessities. They include minimal turnovers, minimal penalties, and high-percentage decisions \u2014 why throw the ball on every snap when we can run?<\/p>\n
But even numbers can\u2019t predict a future when creativity gets into the mix.<\/p>\n
Campbell gave last season\u2019s 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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
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Campbell\u2019s jumbo formation, loaded to either side with extra linemen, allowed Tainoa Lave to score the winning touchdown in the final seconds. Lave\u2019s versatility \u2014 starting at defensive back and eventually mixing into the offense in the second half, also came with the element of surprise.<\/p>\n
Kamehameha, which advanced with a 31-10 win over Kapolei, had the past two weeks to study Campbell\u2019s smashmouth attack. There will be no surprise in this formation.<\/p>\n
Does Campbell coach Darren Johnson have any more tricks up his sleeve?<\/p>\n
\u201cYou 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\u2019t work,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe\u2019re playing a good team so there\u2019s a lot going into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
True enough, Campbell\u2019s \u201cbuck\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cCoach DJ\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Sometimes a superstar\u2019s legacy isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis difference this year is, last year we relied on three guys to do a lot. Jaron, Zayden (Alviar-Costa) and Tainoa. This year, it\u2019s more as a team. Everyone doing their 1-11. 11 players on the field and one, you do your job,\u201d left tackle Chanz Chargualaf said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of my four years, there were downs, finishing third. Always losing to the big teams Mililani, Kahuku, Saint Louis,\u201d Chargualaf said. \u201cThis year, we had a rough start to the season. We lost to Mililani, Kapolei and Kahuku.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sabers didn\u2019t need luck. They just kept moving forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe 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,\u201d Chargualaf said.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cKamehameha has a really determined defense. Eleven to the ball every single time,\u201d Chargualaf said. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell\u2019s starting offensive line \u2014 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) \u2014 doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Kamehameha\u2019s 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\u2019s system, establishing the run is paramount.<\/p>\n
Nainoa Melchor has been Kamehameha\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
His receivers \u2014 Jayden Braun, Noah Aki, Hazyn Botelho and Taimane Purcell \u2014 are all breakaway threats. Braun was especially dangerous against Kapolei with five catches for 109 yards and two TDs.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Lee and Purcell, a two-way playmaker, signed their letters of intent on Wednesday. Lee signed with Michigan while Purcell signed with Cal.<\/p>\n
The question remains: Can Campbell move the ball consistently against Kamehameha\u2019s stellar defense?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had our scout team running their (heavy) offense,\u201d Kamehameha senior defensive back Kamaka Lorenzo said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to replicate an athlete (like Lave), but we\u2019ve just got to know our responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019t the same as Saint Louis overtook them for the league title.<\/p>\n
That long stretch of time isn\u2019t lost on the 2025 Warriors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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\u2019s come into play in these games,\u201d Lorenzo said. \u201cIt definitely hit me that this is all or nothing now. Our last game as seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell hasn\u2019t had a home game since 2024 due to renovations, but that won\u2019t stop the usual unofficial fireworks show near campus if the Sabers win their first Open Division state football title.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe love and support from the community, last year and this year they really stepped up,\u201d Chargualaf said. \u201cThere\u2019s always a potluck after the game. They\u2019re the 1-12. The 12th man. They really help, Our goal is to win. We\u2019re not even thinking about losing.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n
The numbers can be glorious on an individual basis. In the end, the Kamehameha and Campbell football teams reached the title game of the state\u2019s Open Division by adhering to some basic, fundamental necessities. They include minimal turnovers, minimal penalties, and high-percentage decisions \u2014 why throw the ball on every snap when we can run? … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/No-1-Kamehameha-No-2-Campbell-on-collision-course-for.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12321"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12323,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12321\/revisions\/12323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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