Campbell, Saint Louis take opposite paths to state tournament

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The high school football playoffs begin on Friday.
Saint Louis comes in as the number two seed against Campbell who just suffered their first loss of the season.
The road to the state tournament could not look more different for these two programs.
All season long, Campbell had been the team to beat, and for the first seven weeks, they cruised past most opponents by double digits.
However, last week, their undefeated campaign came to an abrupt stop, when Kahuku left the Sabers stunned in a 33-to-15 loss in the OIA title game.
“We’re more hungry now because all season we were undefeated and we had a lot to lose, but now we don’t,” said Campbell wide receiver Zayden Alviar-Costa.
Campbell quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele added, “We had an alright first half, you know, second half we kind of shut down, but we just weren’t prepared. I just think we needed more preparation for that game.”
Driving the Sabers offense is star quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele.
Locally, he became the state’s all time passing leader.
Nationally, he’s made headlines picking up offers from Oregon, Cal and Georgia.
Sagapolutele’s going into this state semifinal with some added motivation.
He spent his freshman year at Kalaepohaku before transferring to Campbell.
“I think it’s really a statement game for me just because showing what they coulda had but what they missed out on,” said Sagapolutele.
Meanwhile, for Saint Louis, what many thought would be a transition year has become a statement season for the Crusaders.
After starting their year with two straight losses, they picked up steam on their way to an ILH title.
“Going into the season, it was rough at first, just adjusting to all of our players and all the adjustments from last season to this season,” said Saint Louis quarterback Nainoa Lopes.
The last time Saint Louis made the playoffs was four years ago, when Cal Lee was still at the helm.
Some of these current players were freshman then, and have witnessed the progression of the team that’s now led by first year head coach Tupu Alualu.
“When I found out he was gonna be the new head coach in January at the beginning of the year, I knew that this program was gonna change,” said Saint Louis defensive end Pupualii Sepulona.
Saint Louis linebacker Roy Maafala Jr. added, “I’ve been on varsity for four years, I’ve been one of the captains, you know my freshman year, we got smacked by Kahuku, but there’s no better way to end my last high school year and go out with a bang.”
The Crusaders are looking for their first state championship since 2019.
They’re excited for a change in opponent after facing Punahou and Kamehameha three times each this regular season.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.