No. 5 Campbell dominates No. 14 Waipahu

The Sabers celebrate after Zechariah Alualu-Tuiolemotu returned a blocked punt to give Campbell a 37-7 lead after the third quarter. Michael Lasquero | SL

This was a one-sided affair from the get-go.

Fifth-ranked Campbell jumped out to an early 23-0 lead and never looked back in a 51-14 home win over No. 14 Waipahu in the Cane Knife Classic Saturday night.

The Sabers scored in all three phases of the game and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele passed for 462 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns to help Campbell improve to 2-0 before it opens up OIA Open Division play at Mililani on Aug. 27.

Jonah Togafau-Tavui got the start at quarterback for the home team as Campbell churned out an 11-play drive on its opening series that was capped by Rowen Bucao's 10-yard scamper around right end. Cristian Wyckstandt's PAT made it 7-0 with 6:03 to play in the opening period.

A fumble on the ensuing kickoff return by the Marauders (1-1) would only be a sign of things to come for the visitors. They went three-and-out on their opening possession as a stingy Campbell defense gave them fits for majority of the contest.

The Sabers rewarded their defense on the ensuing drive on Sagapolutele's 23-yard scoring strike to Kanoa Ferreira. A 23-yard field goal by Wyckstandt and a 19-yard pick-six by Mason Faoa provided the rest of the first quarter scoring for Campbell.

The first quarter stat sheet firmly favored the Sabers as they outgained the Marauders 184 to minus-3 in the first stanza.

Penalties ultimately derailed Campbell's chances at points in the second quarter as drive with a 87-yard pass completion to Dallas Fonseca-Juan ended in a turnover on downs inside the red zone. The whistles also aided the Marauders as two 15-yard penalties helped set up a 1-yard TD run by Joshua Manu with 34 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Sabers came back firing in the second half after Bransan "Nui" Moore's interception near midfield halted Waipahu's first possession of the third quarter. The turnover ultimately led to an 8-yard TD reception by Mason Muaau.

Three consecutive sacks between T'nias Tavale and Ieremia "Jr" Lemaota on the next series put Waipahu deep into its own end zone. The lack of real estate on the fourth down punt allowed Campbell to block the kick, culminating in Zechariah Alualu-Tuiolemotu's 4-yard TD return to put Campbell up 37-7 midway through the third quarter.

The Sabers got the running clock to go into effect at the 9:41 mark of the fourth quarter after Togafau-Tavui made a nice adjustment to his route and flipped his body in time to catch a 40-yard TD on his back.

Campbell appeared to get another defensive score on Waipahu's next possession, but a defensive holding penalty wiped out the pick-six, the second one taken of the board for the Sabers. The Marauders capitalized on the very next play on Manu's 51-yard TD pass to Liatama Uiliata to stop the running clock.

Sagapolutele drove the Sabers down quickly before running in a TD of his own to put the mercy-rule back in effect at the 3:01 mark of the fourth quarter.