Football
Mokiao-Atimalala powers Sabers over O'Connor


Michael Lasquero | ScoringLive
September 5, 2019, 10:39pm

  

Thu, Sep 5, 2019 @ Campbell [ 6:00 pm ]

O'Connor

35

Campbell

47

Final 1 2 3 4 T
O'Connor (0-1-0) 0 6 8 2135
Campbell (6-6-0) 7 21 6 1347
Blaine Hipa 215 yd 4 TD
Dylan Simonton 374 yd 4 TD
Jonan Aina-Chaves 115 yd 1 TD
Dylan Simonton 29 yd 1 TD
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala 150 yd 3 TD
Damian Ortiz 90 yd 1 TD



EWA BEACH — The University of Utah became the second collegiate team to extend Campbell junior Titus Mokiao-Atimalala a scholarship offer earlier this week.

Expect more schools to follow suit after Thursday night.

Mokiao-Atimalala caught eight passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns and scored twice on interception returns to help the Sabers hold off visiting Sandra Day O'Connor from Phoenix, 47-35.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior scored on receptions of 62, 34 and 18 yards to help Oahu teams remain unbeaten against out-of-state opponents this year. He also forced a fumble and added a third interception defensively on the final play of the first half.

For Mokiao-Atimalala, it was just another day in the office.

"I was just doing my job, putting on for my team, doing what I got to do. I just have to stay ready," said Mokiao-Atimalala, who leads the state with 11 TD receptions.

Mokiao-Atimalala's herculean performance also helped the Sabers (2-3 overall, 1-2 OIA Open) get back in the win column after suffering back-to-back losses to Saint Louis and Kahuku.

"I feel like it should put confidence in our team knowing we can win and stuff like that," said Mokiao-Atimalala. "From here on out we just have to win out. I'm going to do whatever I got to do so that we win from here on out out."

Campbell led 7-0 after the first quarter thanks to Blaine Hipa's 5-yard TD pass to Zavier Ceruti.

The second quarter is when Mokiao-Atimalala started to go off.

After the Eagles (1-2) turned it over on downs inside Campbell territory, Hipa lobbed a pass down the left sideline that gave Mokiao-Atimalala time to beat his defender and run in untouched to the end zone for a 62-yard score.

Three plays later after the ensuing kickoff, heavy pressure saw O'Connor quarterback Dylan Simonton heave a pass over the middle that Mokiao-Atimalala plucked out of the sky before taking it to the house.

"The quarterback just threw it up. I was in the area, I was dropping in my zone. I saw them running two seam, I was over the top. I made the play and cut it back to the opposite side," Mokiao-Atimalala said of the play.

O'Connor got on the board midway in the second quarter on Simonton's 4-yard pass to Daymian Stewart, but Mokiao-Atimalala showcased his ability to be clutch just before the end of the half. On fourth down, the junior receiver ran laterally across the line of scrimmage before taking a short pass down the right sideline for a 34-yard TD to give Campbell a 28-6 lead at the break.

O'Connor QB Dylan Simonton passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Eagles in the loss. O'Connor QB Dylan Simonton passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Eagles in the loss. Michael Lasquero | SL


Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].




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