The winner of this OIA Division I playoff game will meet Farrington next week. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Coin flip: Kaiser wins the toss and elects to receive. Campbell will kickoff with the wind at its back.
FIRST QUARTER
Boom, boom! Kaiser goes three and out, and then Campbell needs just two plays to go 53 yards. Kawika Ulufale hits Noah Esprecion for a 12-yard pass, then goes to him on a deep post for a smooth 41-yard TD play. PAT failed. CAM 6, KAIS 0, 9:41.
The Cougars get a 29-yard kick return by Nic Tom, then drive 55 yards in six plays. Jensen McDaniel picks up most of the yardage on carries and forward laterals, then Tom races 30 yards to the 5. Then a tricky play, option pitch from Tom to McDaniel, who then lobs an easy TD pass to Kamuela Scheer in the right corner of the end zone. Andrew Kaufusi‘s PAT is good. KAIS 7, CAM 6, 7:54.
Sabers go deep on third-and-3, incomplete. Near midfield, they fake the punt but the punter is stopped for a loss.
Tom is picked off by Nicholas Kernaghan, who races 49 yards down the right sideline for a TD. PAT pass from Ulufale to Terell Johnson on a nice I/slot set, play-action, is good. CAM 14, KAIS 7, 4:58.
SECOND QUARTER
Kaiser offense stagnant at this point. Ball is going to McDaniel nearly every time and the Sabers are drawn to him like a magnet. Three and out, and Campbell takes over at its 5 after a nice punt into the wind by Kaufusi. Note: Tom normally punts but he limped off the field after taking a hit on a screen pass.
Fourth-and-6 at the Kaiser 21, Ulufale launches a pass toward the end zone that is tipped by Kaufusi and lands in the hands of Zayne Barr-Rauschenburg for a TD. CAM 21, KAIS 7, 7:48.
Campbell showed a lot of diversity on that drive in terms of personnel. Kaiser gets the ball and they’re sticking to their bread-and-butter, McDaniel. On fourth-and-5, Tom keeps left to pick up a first down on a 13-yard run, then runs for 9 more yards to the Campbell 12.
Kaiser picks up a big first down on a run by Tom, but on a corner pass by Tom to Scheer (incomplete), Tom is hit again and this time he’s down.
They’ve called in an ambulance for Nic Tom. Heroic effort. He limped off the field after an earlier series and though he’s running hard and fast, just not 100 percent. This Kaiser squad is not deep, but they’re getting ironman performances from Tom and a number of players like Michael Eletise and Parker Higgins.
They’ve announced that he has a dislocated hip. Prayers for Nic on a smooth and quick recovery.
Higgins carries on a toss sweep to the 2-yard line, but on third down, his TD run is nullified by a holding call. But he scores on another toss sweep left, a 12-yard run. CAM 21, KAIS 14, 3:30.
After a touchback and a procedure call on Campbell, Kaiser DE Chance Kalaugher swarms on Ulufale (fake shovel pass) and rag-dolls him. The ball flies into the end zone, and Kalaugher recovers it for a touchdown. KAIS 21, CAM 21, 3:22.
Freaky play for Campbell. Ulufale is wrapped up for a loss on third and long when the ball goes loose. OL Keoni Kaufusi picks it up and sprints for a first down, but the ball is brought back to the 50 for a holding call. Campbell’s drive ends at the Kaiser 39 on a fourth-down incompletion.
Kaiser drives to near midfield with DB Kamalu Simeona at QB. He tries three passes. One is an incompletion near the right sideline and the other is a deep post for another incompletion. Cougars run out the clock and the Sabers are satisfied enough to go into the break tied at 21.
HALFTIME
At Kaiser Stadium
Campbell (1-7) 14 7 — 21
Kaiser (4-4) 7 14 — 21
CAM—Noah Esprecion 41 pass from Kawika Ulufale (run failed)
KAI—Kamuela Scheer 5 pass from Jensen McDaniel (Andrew Kaufusi kick)
CAM—Nicholas Kernigan 49 interception return (Terell Johnson pass from Ulufale)
CAM—Zayne Barr-Rauschenburg 21 pass from Ulufale (Braden Kauhane kick)
KAI—Parker Higgins 12 run (Makana Srivongsana kick)
KAI—Kalaugher sack, fumble recovery in end zone
RUSHING—
Campbell:
#6 Terell Johnson 6-37
#20 Keani Pacheco 1-(-2)
#7 Ulufale 3-5
#1 Esprecion 1-1
#22 Barr-Rauschenburg 1-(-1)
#72 Keoni Kaufusi 1-12
Kaiser:
#24 McDaniel 14-54
#13 Tom 7-63
#10 Parker Higgins 3-21
PASSING—
Campbell:
#7 Ulufale 13-16-0-161
Kaiser:
#13 Tom 6-8-1-22
#26 Kamalu Simeona 0-3-0-0
RECEIVING—
Campbell:
#1 Esprecion 5-94
#80 James Santa Ana 1-7
#22 Barr-Rauschenburg 4-45
#6 Johnson 1-9
#8 Fangaima Mailei 1-2
#85 Hunter Santana 1-11
Kaiser:
#24 McDaniel 5-16
#3 Scheer 1-5
#19 Andrew Kaufusi 1-6
THIRD QUARTER
Sabers get the kickoff and drive to the 16-yard line when an offensive pass interference call derails them. Fourth down pass by Ulufale to Esprecion the end zone is deflected by DB Austin Fuga.
Kaiser driving downfield. Simeona looks crisp at QB. Cougars cross midfield and on third-and-11, Simeona has Scheer open deep but overthrows him. Pretty good arm.
Fourth down and Kaufusi lines up to punt, but fakes it and completes a 26-yard pass to Jalen Pinks. However, the drive stalls and a 25-yard field-goal attempt is blocked by Kernaghan.
Ulufale throws his first interception of the game, picked off deep down the sideline by Keoni Pangan.
FOURTH QUARTER
Campbell front seven stepping up, stopping Kaiser for a three-and-out after the Cougars started on the 50. Wasted opportunity for the Cougs.
After Kaufusi’s punt lands in the end zone for a touchback, the Sabers start grinding away with a lot of Johnson left. Coach Amosa Amosa is putting this game in the hands of his RB and O-line. Johnson has four carries for 24 yards on this march. Sabers are at the Kaiser 26-yard line when Amosa calls his second time out of the half, 7:26 remaining.
Third-and-1 at the 17, Ulufale’s sneak stuffed by Eletise. Fourth-and-1, Ulufale barely escapes the pass rush and hits Esprecion for a 9-yard completion. First down at the 8. Pangan went for the pick on that but Ulufale fired that spiral in there.
Ulufale sneaks in on third-and-goal from the 4-inch line. PAT kick is wide left. Kaiser will have the wind at its back. CAM 27, KAIS 21, 3:08.
That was a 7-minute, 26-second drive. Old school, very old school and effective. Into the wind.
Simeona’s first pass is a 3-yard loss to McDaniel. Second down, incomplete and McDaniel gets the wind knocked out of him. He may have landed on the ball on that incomplete pass. Another incompletion and they’ll punt with 2:27 left.
Campbell ball at its 17 with 2:14 left. Johnson squirts through the pack for a 12-yard gain. Kalaugher is looking like a high school version of J.J. Watt occasionally. He brings Johnson down with one swipe, and a Campbell OL is not pleased, and he shoves Kalaugher. Then someone shoves someone else. Both teams whistled and it’s offsetting. Time out Kaiser with 1:19 left, ball at the Campbell 22.
Johnson loses another yard and Kaiser burns its final time out with 1:15 left. Kalaugher sacks Ulufale, rag-doll style again. Risky, that ball could’ve flown out again. Campbell punts and Kaiser gets the ball at the Campbell 49, :23.9 left.
Simeona throws to Higgins, who is almost tackled when he laterals. The ball ends up in Campbell’s hands for a long runback. But there’s a flag and it’s personal foul on Campbell, but officials say game over. Campbell advances and Kaiser’s season is over.
Campbell will play Farrington next Saturday at the Ticky.
At Kaiser Stadium
Campbell (2-7) 14 7 0 6 — 27
Kaiser (4-5) 7 14 0 0 — 21
CAM—Noah Esprecion 41 pass from Kawika Ulufale (run failed)
KAI—Kamuela Scheer 5 pass from Jensen McDaniel (Andrew Kaufusi kick)
CAM—Nicholas Kernighan 49 interception return (Terell Johnson pass from Ulufale)
CAM—Zayne Barr-Rauschenburg 21 pass from Ulufale (Braden Kauhane kick)
KAI—Parker Higgins 12 run (Makana Srivongsana kick)
KAI—Kalaugher sack, fumble recovery in end zone
CAM—Ulufale 1 run (kick failed)
RUSHING—Campbell: Terell Johnson 21-100, Keani Pacheco 1-(-2), Ulufale 8-(-4), Esprecion 1-1, Barr-Rauschenburg 1-(-1), Keoni Kaufusi 1-12, Hunter Santana 1-(-1), Fangaima Mailei 1-3. Kaiser: McDaniel 21-90, Tom 7-63, Parker Higgins 6-41, Kamalu Simeona 5-(-8).
PASSING—Campbell: Ulufale 21-28-1-239. Kaiser: Tom 6-8-1-22, McDaniel 1-1-0-5, Kaufusi 1-1-0-26, Kamalu Simeona 0-3-0-0
RECEIVING—Campbell: Esprecion 9-135, James Santa Ana 1-7, Barr-Rauschenburg 6-60, Johnson 1-9, Fangaima Mailei 2-0, Hunter Santana 1-11, Bryson Manzo 1-17. Kaiser: McDaniel 6-13, Scheer 1-5, Andrew Kaufusi 2-32, Higgins 1-19.
***
PRE-GAME
Take away the numbers and the Campbell Sabers often look like one of the most competitive teams in prep football. When they were 0-5, I remember thinking (and writing) that they might be the best 0-5 team in America.
The Sabers have all the ingredients to pull an upset win tonight, and that’s what we would call it if a 1-7 squad can topple a very good Kaiser team (4-4) on the Cougars’ home field. Conditions tonight are typical for this campus: trade winds 10-15 mph coming north to south from the mountain to sea with some ominous, dark gray clouds positioned to cover Kaiser Stadium. The photo below doesn’t really show how dark these clouds really are (thank you iPhone).
I’m expecting both wind and rain. The kind of stuff Mother Nature doesn’t reveal much on the Ewa plains. Then again, the Sabers have been on the road all season with their stadium being renovated.
What a win for Campbell, guess this win proves that the OIA blue is the stronger conference. Those kids from Ewa Beach fought hard every week although they only won one game. They were in every game except when they play Kahuku and Mililani. Like I said before the real season just started.
Agreed Lee Boy. I think Kahuku and Millani are the teams to beat in the OIA although your comment about the differences between the Red and Blue are quite clear this year. Game between Kahuku and Kapolei will be interesting. Both teams are not the same teams from the beginning/pre-season. What matters is now and the team regular season record are just numbers at this point. Look at Campbell….. Great job Kawika and rest of the Ewa boys!! Farrington is going to be tough but the Sabers put a great effort the last time these teams met and showed that they have the potential to beat Farrington. Good luck to all teams…..
Ok everybody, you heard it here first straight from Lee boy, the blue conference is stronger and the real season has just started. Haha, mistah knowledge.
motoxdad- Thanks brah, I also got Kailua over Waianae next week. Your Red Rebel D should beat Kapolei but the game will be much closer than you think. Specially if coach Hernandez employs a 5-2 and bring the Strong Safety in the box to containt your jumbo package. I will be at Aloha stadium watching ST. Louis beat Punahou. Great week to be a football fan.
St. Louis vs. Punahou will be the game of the week, I look for St. Louis to pull this one out, although the REFEREES will probably get the last word again, referees has been terrible when St. Louis is on the field, we’ll see this week
Moanalua,Kailua and Farrington was in the Red division before. Kaiser was in the D2. Yes couple years make a difference. Doesn’t make a difference in the end. The cream will rise.
This proves that a 1 win team made good use of their playoff opportunity.
The safety Kapolei brings in the box better be Cam Chancellor.
Coach Amosa is a good man. Good Luck to him and the team.