The game started innocently and awkwardly enough. On the first play Thursday night, Kamehameha’s Israel Bowden deflected a screen pass intended for teammate Tre Evans-Dumaran, who raised his arms as if to say, “Huh?”
For the rest of the first quarter – which included five touchdowns in the first eight-plus minutes — the operative word was “wow.”
The fireworks never stopped, and neither did Kamehameha’s Elijah Campbell. In a game chock full of big plays, his two short touchdown runs made all the difference.
Playing in place of injured standout Kaeo Batacan and his backup, Campbell proved just as slippery, churning out 255 yards as Kamehameha beat BIIF rival Waiakea 39-27 at Wong Stadium.
“I think his effort was the difference,” Kamehameha coach Dan Lyons said. “He just had a very strong will.
“We think he’s an athlete and we think he works hard.”
The junior was buried in the depth chart at slot and was moved to running back when Batacan injured his ankle against Kamehameha. When Abishai Campbell broke his collarbone on the first series Thursday, Elijah Campbell became workhorse, carrying the ball 29 times.
“That’s deep, that’s deep,” Campbell said when told of his rushing yardage, easily a career-high at any level.
Because of lightning concerns this week, he didn’t have chance to practice his new position.
“To be honest, I had my doubts,” he said of the prospects of seeing playing time just a few weeks ago. “But I just had to keep my head in the game and stick with the team.”
Makoa Andres threw two touchdown passes and ran for 98 yards for Waiakea (0-2 BIIF Division I, 0-5), which had its hands full with Kamehameha’s balanced attack.
DallasJ Duarte threw for 234 yards in the first half, including long touchdown strikes of 47 yards to Evans-Dumaran and an 88-yard catch-and-run by Bayley Allen-Manliguis.
Special teams helped Waiakea stay in the game.
As Kamehameha (1-1 BIIF Division II, 4-1) was celebrating Allen-Manliguis’ electrifying score, Waiakea’s Cody Cuba took a kickoff return 83 yards for a touchdown.
Gehrig Octavio’s touchdown on a 53-yard punt return midway through the fourth quarter cut Waiakea’s deficit to 33-27, and Waiakea recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up shop at the Kamehameha 45 with the chance to take the lead.
But a Kamehameha sack snuffed out the drive and Campbell’s 39-yard run flipped the field position.
Kamehameha overcame four turnovers, including two interceptions thrown by Duarte, who was relieved by Kamakana Pagan for much of the second half.
“There are no excuses, but we haven’t been able to practice because of the weather,” Lyons said. “We just need to get back to practicing and working as playing as a team. The small details of the game.”
Looking to bounce back from its first loss, Kamehameha scored its third touchdown in as many drives to open the game when Campbell scored from 1 yard out to cap a nine-play, 74-yard drive.
He also did the honors from a yard out to finish a six-play 73-yard drive in the second quarter.
During a long 70-yard drive in the third quarter in which Pagan was inserted to run the read option, Campbell’s scamper set up Kamehameha with first-and-goal, and Allen-Manliguis eventually ran it in for his second touchdown.
“I got to give it to the lineman for opening the holes,” Campbell said.
He first noticed the holes for the brief time he was on the bench watching his cousin.
“I saw the cutback lane was open and took advantage.”
Campbell added a 17-yard run on the final scoring drive of the game, which was capped when Pagan found Kainalu Whitney in the end zone on fourth down.
Whitney made seven receptions.
Kamehameha sacked Andres seven times, two by Trenton Kuamoo.
Andres punctuated the scoring spree in the first quarter when he faked run to draw the defense in and found a wide-open Hunter Rapoza for touchdown. Rapoza had two catches for 106 yards.
KS-Hawaii 20 7 6 6 —39
Waiakea 14 0 7 6 — 27
First quarter
KS-Hawaii – Tre Evans-Dumaran 47 pass from DallasJ Duarte (Israel
Bowden kick), 11:16
KS-Hawaii – Bayley Allen-Manliguis 89 pass from Duarte (kick failed), 7:10
Waiakea – Cody Cuba 83 kickoff return (Gehrig Octavio kick), 6:51
KS-Hawaii – Elijah Campbell 1 run (Bowden kick), 3:46
Waiakea – Hunter Rapozo 63 pass from Makoa Andres (Octavio kick), 3:25
Second quarter
KS-Hawaii – Campbell 1 run (Bowden kick), 1:40
Third quarter
KS-Hawaii – Allen-Manliguis 3 run (kick failed), 4:20
Waiakea – Ethan McBraun-Keiki 24 pass from Andres (Octavio kick), 2:16
Fourth quarter
Waiakea – Octavio 53 punt return, (kick failed), 7:41
Kamehameha – Kainalu Whitney 8 pass from Kamakana Pagan (kick failed), 1:14