'EWA BEACH - Nilo Agbayani-Omalza passed for two touchdowns and ran for another to rally Campbell past Kapolei, 26-21, at the Sabers' field.

It was a crucial game for both teams in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West. The Sabers (3-4 overall, 2-3 Red West), who have a bye next week, helped their cause, but would need to beat 'Aiea Oct. 8 to assure a playoff berth. The Hurricanes (1-6, 1-4), who host Mililani Friday, are a long shot.

"The winner (of Friday's game) could get in the playoffs," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "They just won so we're pretty cooked. We're not going to make the playoffs, it seems like."

Only the top five teams from each division advances to the OIA tournament.

"We're really struggling right now," Hernandez said. "But we're a young team and hopefully we can rebound."

The night belonged to the Sabers' senior Agbayani-Omalza, who was 12 of 16 for 170 yards. Only three minutes, one second earlier, Agbayani-Omalza's pass was intercepted by Trent Alcott, who returned the ball 32 yards for a TD to pull the Hurricanes ahead, 21-20 with 6:18 left in the game.

But Aries Pihi returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to midfield, where the Sabers started the series with sophomore Justin Tago at QB. But Tago took a hard hit on the fifth play of the series after completing a five-yard pass to Jaelan Subia-Etrata to the Hurricanes' 30. Agbayani-Omalza came in and fired a 30-yard TD pass to BJ Halmos with 3:17 left to put the Sabers ahead.

"It's an awesome feeling," Agbayani-Omalza said. "I'm a senior. It's homecoming. I'm glad that we came back and won this."

The right-handed Agbayani-Omalza rolled right on second-and-6 and threw it high for the 5-6 Halmos in the end zone. Halmos leaped for the ball over the Kapolei defender for the score.

"He was behind me and I had to come back and jump for the ball and fight it," Halmos said.

Agbayani-Omalza kick-started the Sabers with a one-yard TD run late in the first quarter to give the Sabers a 6-0 lead. But his counterpart, QB Seth Roman scored on a 58-yard run on Kapolei's ensuing series to tie the game at 6.

But Agbayani-Omalza brought the Sabers back on their next series with a 50-yard TD pass on wide receiver screen to Chrisitan Abcede-Abregano with 7:12 left in the half to make it 12-6. The Sabers missed their second PAT of the game.

The Sabers pooched the ensuing kickoff that gave Kapolei good field position at its own 48. The Hurricanes capped the drive with a one-yard TD run by Roman. Like the Sabers, the Hurricanes missed their second PAT to keep the game knotted at 12 at the half.

The Hurricanes took the lead to start the third quarter with a 43-yard field goal by Eric Morales to make it 15-12 with a 14-play drive that lasted 8:31.

But later in the quarter, Jyrell Umali's 75-yard punt return and Agbayani-Omalza's pass to Nicholas Molia-Penitusi for the 2-point conversion put Campbell ahead, 20-15.

The Hurricanes ran the ball 55 times and passed it four times. QB Roman led all rushers with 121 yards on 27 carries. But the Sabers' defense did a nice job of containing RB Keaka Fernandez to 79 yards on 21 carries with no TDs.

The Sabers welcomed the return of linebacker Giovanni Stevenson (hand) and defensive end Kelaiah Fonoti (ankle). Both missed last week's 20-13 loss to Radford.

"He's like our man in the middle," Campbell coach Amosa Amosa said of Stevenson, who had been the team's leading tackler nearly each week before his injury from the loss to Leilehua. "He's smart, tough, he reads (offenses) well."

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