Returnees Strengthen Sabers At Spring Football Practice

Wednesday - May 17, 2006
By Jack Danilewicz
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In recent years, the Most Valuable Player of the Campbell football program hasn’t been an individual, but rather the Sabers’ offensive scheme itself.

Indeed, as the only program in the Oahu Interscholastic Association running the Wing-T (four-back set), the Sabers have to rate as one of the more difficult teams to prepare for in an era defined largely by spread offenses.

“Every year we get a little bit better with it,” said Campbell coach Tumoana Kenessey, who is entering his seventh season at the helm for the Sabers, and his fourth running the Wing-T. “The kids have embraced it, and it suits us. It’s not something you see every day, and we believe in it. We’re not that big, and we’re not that fast, so we had to find something that would keep us competitive. We’re going to run the ball, shorten the game, and try to keep the score low.”

The Sabers have thrived in recent years, winning both the Division II OIA and state football championship in 2004.Campbell has also won four Division titles in the last six years. In the fall, the Sabers will move up to Division I and will compete in the West-Red Division.


Kenessey credited his assistant coaching staff for the Sabers’ ability to sustain success year in and year out.

“They’re the key,“he said.“They’ve been tremendously helpful.Without them, we couldn’t do it. And my wife, Jodi, helps me out the most.”

Campbell went 6-1 last year (tied for first with Radford and Moanalua) in the OIA’s White Conference and welcomes back a talented core of returnees as they begin spring practice next Monday. Under the OIA’s format, Campbell will be allowed to hold 10 practices in 14 days. The Sabers will not hold a spring game this season,but there’s no shortage of enthusiasm within the program these days. Kenessey expects 80 varsity players to dress for spring ball.

“On paper, we look like we can compete,“he said.“We return quite a few players on defense, and we’ve got some skilled people on offense. The question is how well we play together as a team and whether we can put it together at one time. We have potential, but we also have a lot of question marks because we have some key positions to fill.”

Not among the question marks is senior offensive lineman Matthew Masafilo, who packs 260 pounds into a 6-foot-4-inch frame.He is currently being recruited by Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Illinois, Washington and Auburn, among others.

Masafilo will anchor the line, which will also feature Shane Gaui (6-2, 270), Hauoli Anderson (6-3, 270), Miles Tynanes (5-10, 245) and Kai Manago (5-8, 210).

“The offensive and defensive lines are the key,” Kenessey said. “Everything starts there.We have to be able to run the ball, and we have to be able to stop the run, defensively, beginning with our front four (down linemen).”


At quarterback, junior Obadiah Matio has the inside track to be the starter after playing varsity football for the Sabers as a sophomore.

“He’s coachable, a leader by example, and he has some toughness,” Kenessey said of Matio.

Defensive figures to be the Sabers’ strength heading into the spring, with the return of six starters. Back in the fold are linemen Koroseta Leamua and Jordan Doane, line-backer Matt Nuufolau, and a stellar secondary, led by strong safety Mike Gueso and cornerbacks Ranson Ho and Tristin Sealy. Kenessey also sees linebackers Hanns Lee and Hana Basham as having a big impact in the fall.

“The key (defensively) is making sure we’re all on the same page,” Kenessey said.“We have to work as one unit.Every kid has a role to play. We need the second and third team to step up and help us out. It’s not a matter of what the returnees can do, but what the new people coming in can do. The spring should be good for us.”

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