Sabers Are On A Steady Upswing Since Game Forfeit
By Jack Danilewicz
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Michael Jordan never rebounded any better than the Campbell football team this fall.
After an 0-2 start, which included a highly publicized forfeit to Waianae because of the Sabers’ role in a skirmish at the end of a game with Aiea, Campbell was a long shot to be playing in late October. But victories in three of their last four games, many of which came in dramatic fashion, make the Sabers more than just a team happy to still be playing, but one that could be poised for a memorable run.
The Sabers could finally exhale after earning the OIA Red West’s third seed, which meant a first-round bye last week. Campbell plays Farrington at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at Roosevelt.
“Our kids are happy they have overcome a lot of adversity,” Campbell coach Tumoana Kenessey said. “(An increase in) confidence comes with that, but more (a feeling of) relief. We were already 0-2, and we had to work hard to be where we’re at.”
The Sabers were the OIA’s hard-luck team last year, losing close games to Aiea (21-20), Mililani (21-17), Kapolei (33-27) and Waianae (16-14) en route to a 1-5 mark. This year, Campbell is 3-1-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Taken together, both seasons would qualify the Sabers as one of the more battle-tested teams around.
“You look at us, and all of our games have gone to the wire the past two seasons,” said Kenessey, whose team takes a 3-3-1 overall record into the postseason.“That’s prepared our kids so they know what it takes to compete in the playoffs.”
Scheme-wise, Kenessey’s team would seem ideally built for the postseason. Offensively, the Sabers are able to burn time off the clock and shorten the game with their wing-T offense. Defensively, they’re stout against the run, yielding only 57.2 yards per outing to their opponents on the ground.
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Since going to the wing-T six years ago, the Sabers’ best defense has often been its offense. Even with one of the better defensive units statistically this year, that remains largely true for Kenessey’s current team. Campbell enters Saturday’s game with Samson Anguay (477 yards), Faafetai Tuvale (247), Bronson Ellis-Rivera (244) and Pita Feleunga (130) ranked among the OIA’s rushing leaders.
“Our philosophy is always to control the clock,” the coach explained. “We don’t want to get into a high-scoring affair. We want to keep the game close and hope that at the end we’re on the winning end.” In Anguay, the Sabers boast one of the top playmakers in the state. Only a junior, he burst onto the local football scene like a meteor in Campbell’s opening loss to Aiea on Aug. 25, scoring all three touchdowns for the Sabers. He’s tallied eight scores in all and gives the Sabers a quick-score capability.
That Campbell is averaging 223 yards of total offense a game, 192.2 of which is coming on the ground, can only bode well for its post-season hopes, especially this week. Indeed, the matchup between the Saber offense and the Farrington defense figures to play a key role in deciding the outcome of Saturday’s game. Farrington earned the second seed out of the East Red, having lost only to defending state champion Kahuku (27-7) in the regular season, and it’s one of the bigger teams Campbell has faced, according to Kenessey.
“They’re big and physical and extremely well-coached. They get off the ball well, and their defense is very aggressive. Offensively, they’re very talented. They didn’t get the No. 2 seed for nothing. They’ve beaten quality teams.”
Unlike the Sabers, who are run-oriented, Farrington features a balanced attack that centers around quarterback Alefosiu Iu, running back Joshua Fernandez and wide-out Matt Stowers. Campbell will counter with a defense that is giving up an average of only 201 total yards a game.
“Our first job is to stop the run - that’s always been our belief,” Kenessey said. “If you can’t stop the run, you might as well not even worry about the pass. It’s somewhat demoralizing to be run on. We have to be physical on defense.
“They’ve stayed together and worked hard at prepping for the teams that we’ve played,” he added about his defense. “I’d attribute their play to the kids working hard, knowing their assignments, and communicating with each other. They all have to pull their weight, and they don’t like to let each other down.”
For all the play-makers on both teams, Kenessey expects the game to be decided up front. “It will be a great battle in the trenches. Whoever wins that battle wins the game. That will be the key.”
Sabers’ Football Two-Minute Drill
* Game-Breaker: All but one of Samson Anguay’s seven rushing touchdowns in OIA play this season have gone for more than 20 yards. His touchdown runs have covered 74, 62, 69, 21, 39, 92 and 5 yards, respectively. He also contributed a 50-yard punt return for a score against Aiea.
* Offensive play they’re still talking about: Pita Feleunga’s 6-yard touchdown run that gave Campbell its first lead over Leilehua with 5:06 remaining in their eventual 22-21 win over the Mules Oct. 12, which secured a playoff berth for the Sabers.
* Defensive play they’re still talking about: Linebacker Obadiah Mataio’s forced fumble on a sack of Kapolei quarterback Noah Pascua in the first quarter of Campbell’s 19-12 homecoming victory Sept.22.Defensive end Chris Fuga recovered for the Sabers, leading to a Campbell touch-down.
* Did you know?: Campbell is playing in the postseason for the sixth time in the last eight years. The Sabers won both the OIA and Division II State Title in 2004.
* The number 1: Games in which Samson Anguay was held without a touchdown this fall.
* Looking ahead: Should the Sabers get past Farrington this weekend, they would advance to an OIA semifinal matchup at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Aloha Stadium against a team to be determined later. West No. 1 seed Mililani will meet the winner of the last weekend’s first-round matchup between Castle and Leilehua on Friday. The winner of that game will be the other quarter-finalist.
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