HHSAA Division I FOOTBALL: Kamehameha Sacks Leilehua, Advances to State Title Game

By Kyle Galdeira

The Kamehameha defense racked up seven sacks en route to a 40-0 shutout of Leilehua in the semifinal round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships tonight at Aloha Stadium.

The second-seeded Warriors (11-1) racked up 506 yards of offense while the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion limited Leilehua (9-4), the Oahu Interscholastic Association runner-up, to just 89 yards. Kamehameha quarterback T.C. Campbell threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns while running back Ryan Ho rushed for 107 yards on 15 carries and a score. Fellow running back Kupono Park also added two touchdowns on the ground in the decisive victory.

The Warriors marched down the field on the game’s opening drive, traveling 65 yards on five plays in a mere 52 seconds. Park’s 15-yard run capped the drive, and provided Kamehameha with a quick 7-0 advantage.

The Leilehua defense forced two Warrior fumbles in the first quarter to thwart a pair of promising scoring drives. Despite being out-gained 116 yards to 27 in the opening period, the Mules remained within a score of tying the game.

Kamehameha leaned on its defense to keep Leilehua off the scoreboard, and with 2:49 to play in the first half, Campbell found Charley Bollig IV on a 25-yard strike to put the Warriors up 14-0. The touchdown capped a 10-play, 94-yard drive that spanned three minutes, 33 seconds and provided Kamehameha with some breathing room heading into halftime.

The Warriors dominated the first half statistically, amassing 243 total yards to Leilehua’s 21. Kamehameha also sacked Mules quarterback Andrew Manley six times in the first half alone—defensive lineman Landon Aano led the way with two quarterback takedowns in the half.

Campbell kept the Kamehameha engine running as, midway through the third period, he connected with Blaise Cuban on a 18-yard touchdown pass to put the Warriors ahead 20-0 following a missed extra point. The score capped another balanced drive as Kamehameha traversed 75 yards on seven plays in three minutes, 15 seconds.