Sotelo sparks Campbell's rout; Waialua rallies late

Dhenz Agcaoili | SL

HALAWA - Two-way threat Jaynalyn Sotelo returned two interceptions for touchdowns and was on the receiving end of another TD and Campbell routed Waipahu 51-24 in the debut of Oahu Interscholastic Association flag football Tuesday night at John Velasco Stadium.

The Sabers (1-0) were lethal on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Maya Gonsalves passed for five touchdown on 9-of-17 passing for 271 yards. She also had a 23-yard TD run. Campbell's defense registered seven interceptions, two each by Sotelo, Jyzelle Gorion and Cayden Parado, Aiesha DeWeever had one pick.

Sotelo, a basketball player, used her court skills on the turf.

‘It's kind of like basketball," Sotelo said, "I'm just reading the quarterback. I'm staring at her, using my peripheral vision."

Sabers' coach Will Naboa anticipated Sotelo's big-play capabilities.

"She's definitely our two-way threat," Naboa said. "More importantly than that, she's our vocal leader on the team. She's one of the team captains and the fact that she's a junior, she leads the girls the right way on and off the field."

Campbell opened with a 20-0 lead after the first quarter and took. 26-12 lead into the five-minute half. The Sabers broke the game wide open with a 19-point third quarter.

Waipahu QB Angeline Aradanas had 259 passing yards and three IDs on 16-of-32 passing, but she threw seven interceptions, including two that Sotelo returned for scores.

After three weeks of scrimmages and preseason games, the Sabers were chomping at the bit for a game that counted in the standings.

"I know a lot of these girls' were super excited," Naboa said. "A lot of them said, they couldn't sleep. Ir's been a long time coming.

Waialua 12 Radford 6

In the nightcap of a doubleheader at Radford, Laney Basilio-Chun fired a 37-yard TD pass to Jaydn Miller with one minute, 18 seconds left in regulation, to lead the Bulldogs (1-0).

It was the speedy Miller's second TD of the game. She scored on a 56-yard run in the second quarter.

Radford tied the game in the third quarter on Natalie Faye Ortega's 33-yard run. A pass play failed on the 1-point conversion try from the 3. (2-point conversions are done from the 10.)

With under two minutes left, the Rams turned over the ball on down at Waialua's 38. After a gain to the Rams' 37, Basilio-Chun found Miller wide open near the 10-yard line, where the senior raced into the end zone unscathed to break the tie.

"It's pretty awesome," Miller said. "I'm just happy I was able to get the win for my team."

Basilio-Chun had confidence that Miller would be able to make the play,

"I knew she's a good runner and I knew she could get that so I laid it out, I put my trust in that ball and she got it and I'm glad she did."

Waialua coach Gary Wirtz, who coaches the boys in the fall, appreciated the intensity that the teams played with.

"That was awesome," he said. 'That's what you kind of expect, what you want. For us to come out on top feels even better."

The OIA resumes action Friday night with doubleheaders around the island.

Campbell will visit Kapolei and Waialua will host Pearl City,

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].