Waianae's Skyler Kaleohi returns a punt 67 yards to set up the Seariders' first score of the game. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Waianae LB Kanai Mauga tackles Campbell WR Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Fri, Aug 25, 2017 @ Waianae [ 7:30 pm ]

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Campbell

14

Waianae

27

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Campbell (7-5-0)	7	0	0	7	14
Waianae (7-5-0)	7	7	6	7	27

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Justin Tacgere 32 yd

Krenston Kaipo 234 yd 1 TD

Rico Rosario 93 yd 2 TD

Tyrese Tafai 45 yd

Sam Freeney 25 yd

Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa 71 yd

WAIANAE — There were many happy returns for the No. 7 Waianae Seariders.

Skyler Kaleohi's 67-yard punt return set up the Seariders' first touchdown and Kanai Mauga returned a fumble 46 yards for a TD as Waianae downed No. 8 Campbell, 27-14, Friday night at Raymond Torii Field.

Most of all, Waianae returned to the win column for the first time since Nov. 5, when it beat Farrington, 14-8, in first round of last year's Open Division state tournament.  Also, the Seariders finally returned to the end zone after 10 consecutive scoreless quarters in picking up their first win of the season.

Meanwhile, Mauga was a force on both sides of the ball for the Seariders, who improved to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Blue in handing the Sabers (2-2, 2-1) their first league loss.

The Seariders' outside linebacker had a team-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 for lost yardage (one was a sack). His second-quarter fumble return for a TD broke a 7-all game. He stopped Campbell's two-way counterpart Tyrese Tafai on a crucial fourth-and-goal at the 2 for a 2-yard loss to preserve Waianae's lead at the half. He later scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 as a running back for Waianae's final score of the game.

"Kanai, he comes out here and plays for his team," Waianae coach Walter Young said. "He plays for his team, with his team, for his guys next to him. He's a great leader. He comes out here, makes plays for us."

The goal-line stand was a biggie for Waianae.

"That was big," Young said. "That changed the complexion of the game.

Waianae LB Kanai Mauga tackles Campbell WR Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa. Sylvia Lee | SL    Purchase image

On the play, Tafai - Campbell's most effective rusher with four carries for 45 yards - broke outside to the left, only to be met by Mauga.

"We knew they were going to shoot for the outside, so we brought our outside linebackers up to the D-ends and kept contain."

Although the Seariders won by two touchdowns, it was anything but easy.  The Sabers' defense held Waianae to 2 yards of total offense in the first half and one first down.

The return of QB Justin Tacgere meant Rico Rosario back to his usual positiion as running back. Waianae's first score of the game on a 3-yard run by Rosario, who also had a 40-yard scoring run in the third period. Waianae's first score was set up by Kaleohi's 67-yard punt return to the Campbell 15. Kaleohi spun out of tackles going east-west before breaking free.

"We had missed tackles and we got out of our lanes because of the missed tackles," Campbell coach Darren Johnson said.

The Sabers, though, got on the board with their defense when Chanse Hoopai-Tofili returned a fumble 7 yards for a TD as time expired in the first quarter. Ariel Villanueva's PAT tied the game at 7.

But Waianae returned the favor in the second period when Kawika Samante-Nakoa recorded a forced fumble/sack on Campbell QB Kresnton Kaipo with Mauga scooping the loose ball and returning it 46 yards as the Seariders regained the lead at 14-7.

Campbell threatened on its next series, but Sam Freeney popped the ball out of RB Tasi Faumui's grasp after a 16-yard gain into the hands of Dayne Evangelista, turning over the ball to Waianae with 4:56 left in the half.

Waianae failed to capitalize offensively and punted back to Campbell. The Sabers, though, were stopped by Mauga on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

Waianae's offense finally found its rhythm used six plays to move 62 yards with Rosario scoring from 40 yards to increase his team's lead to 20-6.

But when Campbell returned for their first offensive series in the second half, it did so without Tafai at RB. The result was the Sabers having to punt. Tafai, who four rushes and three receptions in the game, needed breather because of his value as a linebacker on defense. He was second on the team with six tackles; Dane Esprecion led the Sabers with 11.

"We had to give him some rest," Johnson said. "We started chasing and we had to throw the ball."

Like Tafai, when Waianae needed a tough yard, it went to Mauga, who scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 to cap the Seariders' scoring.

The Sabers responded quickly on Kaipo's 15-yard TD pass to Vernon Etrata-Daite with 9:48 left in the game to pull to 27-14.

Waianae milked some five minutes off the clock on its ensuing series, punting the ball to Campbell with 3:46 left. The Sabers made one fourth-down conversion, but failed on its final one fourth-and-29 at the Waianae 32 on an incomplete pass from Kaipo that was deflected by Tony Cabral.

The Seariders did a good job of keeping Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa a non-factor. He had a game-high seven receptions for 71 yards, but no jaunts to the end zone after 348 yards receiving and three TDs the past two games.

"Pokii's going to make plays, he's going to get the football," Johnson said. "I don't follow stats, but we needed him to get touches."

Waianae also punted and kicked off the ball away from Adkins-Kupukaa.