The Sabers' defense celebrate after making a stop against the visiting Seariders. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Fri, Sep 23, 2016 @ Campbell [ 7:30 pm ]

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Waianae

12

Campbell

14

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Waianae (9-5-0)	0	0	12	0	12
Campbell (7-5-0)	7	7	0	0	14

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Kawika Ulufale 180 yd 1 TD

Jaren Ulu 60 yd

Tasi Faumui 31 yd

Rico Rosario 98 yd 2 TD

Markus Ramos 73 yd 1 TD

Jerusalem Tootoo 29 yd

EWA BEACH – Costly turnovers led to an incredible turn of events for the unranked Campbell Sabers.

The Sabers cashed in on two of three Waianae fumbles in a stunning 14-12 win Friday night at Campbell.

Campbell can clinch second seed in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Blue with a homecoming win Friday against Radford. Waianae finished the regular season at 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the Blue. If Campbell (4-3, 4-2) beat Radford, it will improve to 5-2 and have the head-to-head tiebreaker on the No. 4 Seariders. Since the top two teams from each division draws a first-round bye in the 12-team OIA tournament, they also clinch state tournament berths The quarterfinal winners will go to the Open Division, while the losers will qualify for Division 1.

"It's a great feeling," said Campbell defensive lineman Micah Tynanes-Perez, who had a sack. "We worked so hard for this win. It means the world right now. I'm so proud of my boys. It's an unbelievable feeling."

The Sabers defense contained the vaunted Seariders' ground game to 146 yards (206 yards total offense).

"Our defense has been playing lights out lately," Campbell coach Amosa Amosa said. "It gave us an opportunity. Our offense finally showed up tonight. All week we talked about Campbell Saber football: execution, great effort. And, man, the boys played really well tonight."

Quarterback Kawika Ulufale passed for one touchdown and ran for another, each score coming after Waianae fumbles.

The Seariders made it a game on a pair of second-half rushing TDs of 19 and 22 yards in the third quarter by running back Rico Rosario. But there was a bad snap on the first PAT and Javen Towne was stuffed on a run up the middle for a potential game-tying 2-point conversion.

The Sabers' defense limited Towne to just eight yards on two carries in the first half, while Rosario had 33 yards on nine rushes. Rosario finished with 98 yards with the bulk coming from his TD runs.

The Seariders also were hampered by 12 penalties for 118 yards, five from personal fouls.

"They came out with a good game plan," Waianae coach Walter Young said "(The Sabers) came to play. We gotta go back and chock this up and get ready for the next one."

Both teams kept the ball on the ground in the second half. Though the Sabers use a run-and-shoot offense, they ran the ball more, especially with Ulufale.

"At the end, we had (Ulufale) running the ball because we were one block away (from breaking one)," Amosa said. "We were just missing that one person. I figured, I'd put it in (Ulufale's) hand because he's tough and he's smart.'

Waianae took the opening kickoff, but fumbled at its 32. On first down, Ulufale found Markus Ramos on a cross from the right to give the Sabers a 7-0 lead after Ariel Villnueva's PAT with 39 seconds left in the first quarter.

Another fumble gave Campbell the ball at the Waianae 39. Nine plays later, Ulufale scored on a sneak from the 1 with 1:38 left in the half to make it 14-0.

After the Seariders pulled to within 14-12 late in the third, they suffered their third fumble at their own 49. The turnover allowed the Sabers to milk five minutes off the clock.

The Seariders took over from their 20 with 2:06 left, but lost the ball on downs on fourth-and-10 at their own 41 on incomplete pass by Jaren Ulu with 48 ticks left.

Campbell's defense was the key, despite not having starters Luke Ocreto-Penitusi and Ethan Muagututia. Each had knee injuries.

"Two of our top linemen didn't play tonight," Amosa said. "But we had Dominic Puaatuua, Kishaun Ki in the middle and, of course, Micah Tyanes-(Perez). Those guys are strong, stout and they're good shape…Coach Vince (Nihipali, defensive coordinator) did a great job with our defense."