Medeira, Sabers stick it to Rams

Campbell beats Radford, creating a three-way tie for first

Robert Medeira forced a fumble by Radford quarterback Ryan Burciaga on the final play of the game to preserve an 18-13 win for Campbell last night at the Sabers' soggy field.

Medeira's play, and the ensuing recovery by Christopher Fuga, ended Radford's dramatic, last-minute drive deep into Campbell territory.

The win lifted Campbell to 6-1 in Oahu Interscholastic Association White play (7-1 overall) and created a three-way tie for first place with Radford and Moanalua as the regular season ends. Four teams qualify for the playoffs in the White Conference, but seeding will determine who has home-field advantage in the first round.

Isiah Smith led Campbell's prolific ground attack with 119 yards on 13 attempts.

Radford's hopes surged when its defensive line stopped the Sabers on fourth and 1 at the Rams' 21-yard line with 2:01 left to play. Burciaga, hampered by wet conditions and a jumpy O-line all night, got hot. Two pass interference calls on defensive back Kevin Aguigui helped Radford march to the Campbell 9-yard line.

However, Radford's fortunes drained away with the steady stream of rain. Kyle Blair dropped a potential touchdown pass in the back of the end zone. Another interference call against Aguigui gave the Rams life at the 7-yard line, but Burciaga misfired on two passes before Medeira blitzed and knocked the ball away.

Time ran out during the mad, muddy scramble for the football.

"We tried to get them to blitz from the outside earlier. We were trying to direct them," Campbell coach Tumoana Kenessey said. "But it was so loud. At the end, we got what we wanted. Hat's off to Radford. They're a great team with great coaching."

Radford opened the game with an 11-play, 65-yard drive to the end zone. Burciaga fired a 20-yard pass to Shane Masaniai to give the Rams a 7-0 lead with 7:17 to play in the first quarter.

After that, however, Campbell's wing offense took command. Smith burst off left tackle for a 50-yard touchdown run. The extra-point attempt missed, and Radford had a 7-6 lead with 4:37 left in the first quarter.

On Campbell's second series, Jesse Lee followed with a 20-yard scoring burst with 2:57 left in the opening quarter. The Sabers' reverse run on the PAT failed, but they led 12-7 with 2:57 to go in the first quarter.

Hana Basham capped a 55-yard drive by Campbell late in the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run. Campbell led 18-7 with 3:02 to play in the second quarter. The Sabers amassed 158 rushing yards on 17 carries and did not complete a pass attempt in the first half. They didn't commit any turnovers before intermission.

The Rams offense began coming back to life in the third quarter. After a fumble by Campbell quarterback Justin Basconcillo, Burciaga fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Joe Brundidge to bring the Rams within 18-13 with 7:05 to go in the third.

Moments later, Radford recovered another Sabers fumble, this time at the 34. However, the Rams went backward and eventually punted.