By Wes Nakama
MILILANI — In a race to the pylon, Campbell’s Tainoa Lave dashed and dived into the right front corner of paydirt with two seconds remaining Friday evening to lift Campbell to a stunning 15-12 victory over Kahuku in a thrilling First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Championship semifinal game at John Kauinana Stadium.
The Sabers (8-3) will be making the school’s first appearance in the Open Division state title game on Dec. 5 against Kamehameha (5-4); their only other state championship taste was the Division II win against ‘Iolani in 2004. Kahuku, the defending state runner-up, ends its season at 8-4.
The Red Raiders had taken a 12-7 lead with 5:22 remaining after Toa Sam’s 20-yard touchdown scamper, but the two-point conversion run failed and the ensuing kickoff rolled out of bounds.
Campbell thus started its final drive at its own 35, and converted on fourth-and-4 with a 10-yard pass from Brayden Medeiros to Shaison Kupuka’a. Later, on third-and-2, Medeiros tossed a rainbow lob that was tipped by a Kahuku defender and caught by a diving Zayne Pasion at the Red Raiders’ 10. On first down, Brystin Sansano ran 8 yards to the 2, and the Sabers called timeout with 30 seconds left.
On second down, Lave was stopped for no gain and without timeouts, the Sabers spiked the ball to stop the clock. But Kahuku coach Nihoa Pule threw the red challenge flag, asking for a video review since his defensive lineman had dived past the center and reached for the football immediately after it was snapped.
“My nose (guard) said he caught the ball when they tried to spike it,” Pule said, which means it could have been ruled as an interception. “But (after the review) the referee said, ‘No.’ “
On fourth-and-goal and 10 seconds showing on the clock, Lave lined up in wildcat formation and took the direct snap, rolled to his right with a slight pump fake to throw and then sprinted toward the right pylon and dived head-first while stretching the ball into the end zone just ahead of Red Raider defenders.
“It was a fade route, but I didn’t think it was open so I just trusted my legs,” said Lave, a senior who played both ways at running back and linebacker. “I felt like I had it, so once I got closer I just had to throw my body in there.”
Two Saturdays ago, in almost the exact same situation, Kahuku stopped Kapolei on a third-and-goal running play up the middle as time expired to win the OIA championship. Pule said he and his defensive staff were aware that this time Campbell would probably run wide, versus between the tackles.
“The thing is, we knew they were going to do it, but Tainoa just made a hell of a play,” Pule said. “The kid is a tremendous athlete.”
After the Red Raiders received the ensuing kickoff, they ran back and forth and made several laterals, but ultimately lost the football on a fumble that would also have been ruled an illegal forward pass.
The exciting finish capped a game that was mostly a defensive struggle.
After a scoreless first quarter, Kahuku struck first 11 seconds into the second with a 19-yard TD pass from Troy Mariteragi to Kea Lerner, but the extra point attempt failed.
The score stood at 6-0 until four minutes remained in the third quarter, when Lave ran it in from one yard out and Mitch Lifto tacked on the PAT to make it 7-6.
Sam then scored on his scamper to put the Red Raiders a 12-7 lead that held until just two seconds remained.
“It was an option (play), but we knew if (Lave) had a footrace, he would win,” Sabers coach Darren Johnson said. “It’s about all 67 of them (the players), and they know that. They all put in the work at practice.”