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Saturday, October 7, 2000
Sabers beat Knights The Oahu Interscholastic Association's White Division is supposed to be inferior to the Red.
in a shootout
Campbell blocks a field goal
in waning seconds to preserve
a 47-46 win over CastleBy Dave Reardon
Star-BulletinBut for entertainment value, Campbell's 47-46 victory over Castle last night at Aloha Stadium was as good as football gets. A crowd of 3,094 and a statewide TV audience got to see it.
The Sabers and previously unbeaten Knights are now tied for first in the White and, along with McKinley, are virtual locks to make the OIA playoffs.
Sure, there were eight turnovers (four for each team) and lots of penalties -- and the deciding point was a missed extra point.
But the game featured eight ties and lead changes, and went down to the final second.
"It came down to heart and making the plays," Campbell coach Tumoana Kenessey said. "Both sides deserve a lot of credit."
There was a 209-yard rusher (Campbell's Jamison Rabaino) and a guy who passed for four touchdowns (Castle's Joel Botelho). Their names make the paper every week.Here are some that don't: Chris Piho, Chad Kelly, Derek Faavi, TJ Faumunia and Kaeo Leaiao.
Even amid all the back-and-forth scoring, it was clear that Campbell's offensive line was a difference-maker.
"I've been on the varsity two years, and we haven't won anything," Leaiao said. "But I've got something to say after tonight. We're really a Red team, and we're bad."
The Sabers' line averages 280 pounds per man, and Campbell augmented it by going with Andrew Napihaa and Shaun Arnold as double tight ends.
It was a look Castle wasn't expecting.
"They never saw us go double-tight before," Campbell line coach Mark Gardner said. "We didn't have to show all our stuff in our earlier games."
The big boys helped Rabaino to a season-high 209 yards on 30 carries, and two touchdowns. Campbell set the tone early as Rabaino blasted 67 yards on the Sabers' first play from scrimmage.
"I told the kids if we run the ball, eat the clock and wear them down we'd have a chance," Kenessey said. "When we scouted them, I saw some things that made me think we could run on them. I knew they scouted us well."
Leaiao, a 6-foot-2, 350-pound guard, consistently crushed anyone in his way. And he contributed 14 valuable yards after he recovered a Rabaino fumble on Campbell's final go-ahead drive.
"Without the O-line, I'm nothing," Rabaino said. "The O-line is top dog this year."
Four plays after Leaiao rumbled to the Castle 31, Campbell scored on Vince Lemau's third touchdown pass, 27 yards to Raymond Morck with 6:49 left.
The Sabers went up 47-40 after Shauncey Saito's extra point -- which proved to be the difference.
Botelho then engineered a 14-play, 74-yard drive in which he scrambled for first downs twice on fourth down. His 12-yard touchdown pass to Keha Ho at 2:07 was tipped by teammate Kekoa Michelman.
Castle's magic immediately ran out, but a strange ending was yet to come.
Normally dependable Nolan Miranda missed the extra point try that would have tied the game.
Campbell then went three-and-out, and the Knights took over at their own 46 with 48 seconds left. They got to the Campbell 32 with one second left.
Miranda tried a 53-yard field goal, which was blocked by Adam Kaehu.
Castle's Blake Ramos picked up the ball and ran into the end zone as the Sabers celebrated, thinking the game was over.
The game wasn't over. Castle was penalized for illegal procedure. Miranda tried again from 57-yards, and the kick was blocked again. Ramos recovered the block again, but was tackled at the Campbell 28. Another penalty against Castle was declined, and Campbell finally had secured the upset.
"Too exciting," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said. "They had a good game plan. They came out and used their physical superiority. They came out and took it to us.
"It's a tough one to take. We hurt ourselves with four fumbles."
Campbell (5-1, 6-1) 14 12 7 14--47 Castle (5-1, 6-1) 8 25 7 6--46 Scoring summary
Cam--Jamison Rabaino 67 run (Shauncey Saito kick)
Cam--Rabaino 22 run (Saito kick)
Cas--Treston Kaneao 20 pass from Joel Botelho (Blake Ramos run)
Cas--Botelho 1 run (Nolan Miranda kick)
Cam--Andrew Napihaa 18 pass from Vince Lemau (run failed)
Cas--Kaleo Segovia 6 run (Miranda pass from Botelho)
Cas--Loren Lum 14 pass from Botelho (Miranda kick)
Cam--Shaun Arnold 54 pass from Lemau (run failed)
Cas--Field goal, Miranda 23
Cam--Justin Pantohan 21 pass from Lemau (Saito kick)
Cas--Lum 19 pass from Botelho (Miranda kick)
Cam--Marcus Taualo 2 run (Saito kick)
Cam--Raymond Morck 27 pass from Lemau (Saito kick)
Cas--Keha Ho 12 pass from Botelho (kick failed)Individual statistics
Rushing--Cam: Rabaino 30-209, Lemau 3-3, Taualo 7-17, Saito 3-5, Emil Kaku 4-11, Armond Kalani 1-15, Kaeo Leaiao 0-14, team 1-(-14). Cas: Segovia 8-28, Botelho 14-47.
Passing--Cam: Lemau 7-16-1 for 122 yards. Cas: Botelho 22-35-0 for 317 yards.
Receiving--Cam: Raymond Morck 4-39, Napihaa 1-18, Arnold 1-54, Pantohan 1-21. Cas: Kekoa Michelman 2-15, Lum 4-38, K. Ho 5-78, Miranda 2-59, Kaneao 2-22, Segovia 1-10, Dayton AhNee 3-41, Ikaika Ho 2-54, Lawrence Tacuban 1-0.
RED DIVISION Oahu Interscholastic
Association
Team W L T PF PA Waianae (6-0) 5 0 0 103 33 Kahuku (5-2) 5 1 0 204 53 Kaimuki (5-2) 4 2 0 193 122 Kailua (4-3) 3 3 0 161 161 Farrington (4-3) 3 3 0 109 124 Mililani (3-4) 3 3 0 136 163 Aiea (2-4) 2 3 0 97 78 Leilehua (2-5) 2 4 0 25 146 Waipahu (2-5) 2 4 0 61 108 Roosevelt (0-7) 0 6 0 41 162 WHITE DIVISION
Team W L T PF PA Campbell (6-1) 5 1 0 225 127 Castle (6-1) 5 1 0 252 115 McKinley(5-1) 4 1 0 190 72 Nanakuli (3-3) 3 2 0 103 112 Kaiser (4-3) 3 3 0 181 178 Kalaheo (4-3) 3 3 0 161 158 Moanalua (4-3) 3 3 0 128 152 Kalani (3-3) 2 3 0 79 116 Pearl City (2-4) 2 3 0 91 120 Radford (1-6) 1 5 0 73 164 Waialua (0-7) 0 6 0 81 230
Yesterday's prep
football scoresOIA RED
Farrington 34, Roosevelt 21
Kaimuki 32, Mililani 21
Waipahu 21, Leilehua 6
OIA WHITE
Campbell 47, Castle 46
Moanalua 44, Waialua 3
KIF
Kapaa 34, Kauai 7