Sabers Eager To Charge The Field After Long Layoff
By Jack Danilewicz
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Slow starts and strong finishes have been the trend for Campbell during what has been an on-again, off-again season.
To be sure, as the Sabers prepare for Saturday’s 1 p.m. game with Radford, their focus is as much on stringing four good quarters together as it is on zeroing in on the Rams and their tendencies.
“The key for us is that we have to come out quicker in the first half,” Campbell football coach Tumoana Kenessey said.“We can’t just start (playing to potential) in the second half. We have to start out fast.”
To make his point, Kenessey can find no better example than Campbell’s game with Kamehameha Aug. 30, when the Sabers fell behind 21-0 before rallying to come away with a tie. Campbell’s late rally in that encounter couldn’t have come at a better time, according to Kenessey. Only the week before, the Sabers’ OIA opener with Aiea had ended in a melee (and a loss) that would force both schools to forfeit their next league games.
“In the second half of that game, the kids really responded well and came together as a team,” Kenessey said of the Campbell-Kamehameha game.“A tie was a win in our column after all of the adversity we’d been through that week. Hopefully, the kids can continue to build on the positives. They believe now. The key is that they know they can come back against a good team and win.
“But we don’t want to be down 21-0, either.”
With the Sabers’ bye week coming on the heels of Campbell’s forfeit of the Waianae game Sept. 14, Campbell’s game last weekend with Kapolei was its first in three weeks.
“We practiced pretty much every day, but we modified our schedule to include weight training, conditioning and academics,” Kenessey said.“They’re excited to play again. It’s been a long layoff. We’re hoping we can come out and play at a high level. That’s our challenge.”
Despite playing only two games during the last four weeks, word has long since been out on Campbell slot back Samson Anguay, who has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting players in the state. The 5-foot-7, 150-pound sophomore needed only a quarter to make his presence felt. Entering last weekend’s game with Kapolei, Anguay had scored all seven of Campbell’s touch-downs.
“We saw him at the junior varsity level, and we knew he was gifted,“Kenessey said.“We weren’t sure what to expect at the varsity level, but it’s been a very pleasant surprise to see him contribute the way he has. He brings another dimension to our offense. He trained hard (in the off-season) - he worked his ‘okole off.”
Against Kamehameha, Anguay ran for a pair of scores (covering 90 and 15 yards, respectively) and caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Newcomb. He also had a huge night against Aiea, accounting for 212 rushing yards and tallying four touch-downs, one of which came on a 50-yard punt return.
“He has quickness and good vision. He can make a cut and another cut, and he’s gone. You can’t teach that.”
While opponents will likely concentrate on containing Anguay in the coming weeks, Campbell’s own defensive play should figure big as it bids to return to the post-season. The Sabers will face a steady diet of passing teams for the rest of the season. After the Radford game, they will play at Mililani Oct. 5 (on OC16) and Leilehua Oct. 12 in successive weeks.
“Our defense is getting better - I really like our front seven. We’re still a little green in the secondary, so we’re trying to work on our pass defense, and we’re getting better. We have to try to eliminate our own mistakes.”
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