MILILANI, Hawaii — This was not how it was supposed to end for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and the Campbell Sabers.
A dream season ended in a waking nightmare for the title-hopeful Ewa Beach program on Friday night as an ill-timed injury for the star senior quarterback contributed heavily to Saint Louis’ ability to rally from 11 points down to claim a 27-24 victory in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division semifinals at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium.
Sagapolutele, the Hawaii high school career passing yardage record-holder, said he experienced difficulty breathing and throwing from a rib injury that got steadily worse over the course of the first half. In the second, he could only pace the Sabers sideline and offer words of encouragement to backup signal-caller Brayden Medeiros.
After Saint Louis booked its matchup against Kahuku in the Nov. 29 championship game, a tearful Sagapolutele tried to process how things went so wrong. Campbell was three halves away from its first top-tier football state title; it was vying for its second koa trophy overall with its only one coming in Division II in 2004.
“Probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do, especially (that) I couldn’t do anything from the sideline and just support,” Sagapolutele said.
He was at his most emotional talking about the meaning of his three-year Campbell varsity career.
“This team was great. It was my home, it was my family,” Sagapolutele said, his voice catching. “You know, they put their blood, sweat and tears for me every year. I just wish I could’ve done more for the team.”
Over the past few months, the 6-foot-4 left-hander increasingly performed like a once-in-a-generation player for Campbell as it got off to the best start in program history at 9-0, including a rare victory against Kahuku on the North Shore. Sagapolutele’s pinpoint throws on the move and ability to call upon the deep ball seemingly at will made for some restless nights for many a defensive coordinator.
As a senior, he tallied 3,404 passing yards with 46 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
He finished with 10,653 yards, 114 touchdowns and 29 interceptions with a completion rate of 64.3%, per Hawaii Prep World records. His passing TDs are second in state history, behind the 127 of Konawaena alum Keoki Alani and one ahead of former record-holder Timmy Chang’s 113.
He surpassed Dillon Gabriel for the state passing record in a classic comeback from 26 points down for a win over Kapolei in the OIA semifinals on Nov. 1. But a 33-15 loss to beefed-up Kahuku in the OIA championship showed that the Sabers were not invincible.
They appeared to have shaken that off as Sagapolutele, with help from his defense and two touchdowns from running back Brystin Sansano, guided his team to a 17-6 halftime lead. But he was in clear pain as he came off the field before Jadyn Parker nailed a state Open-record 48-yard field goal heading into the break.
“I think it was that second drive, driving down. I stepped up, I tried getting a couple yards and I got hit. It kept getting worse and worse,” Sagapolutele said. “But just gotta heal up. I’m just blessed that I had an injury-free high school career. I broke many records, but it’s not me, it’s my teammates and it’s my coaches. It’s all glory to my Lord and Savior as well.”
He went 10-for-17 for 168 yards for no TDs and no picks in his final appearance.
Medeiros had his moments but was unable to replicate Sagapolutele’s pocket presence and connection with his dynamic receivers Rusten Abang-Perez, Zayden Alviar-Costa, Tyson Ball, Tainoa Lave and others.
“We’re more worried about his future than his well-being right now,” Campbell coach Darren Johnson said of the decision to keep Sagapolutele out. “We thought we had a guy who could go in and take over and do some stuff, but we made some mistakes. And we gotta fix them up next year.”
Abang-Perez’s 75-yard kickoff return touchdown for a 24-12 lead in the third quarter amounted to Campbell’s last stand.
Crusaders running back Titan Lacaden had a huge game with 27 carries for 216 yards and three touchdowns to lead the comeback.
Lacaden, a Kapolei native, said he felt for Sagapolutele, with whom he trained and played on youth football teams from about the time they were in the third grade. Sagapolutele began his career at Saint Louis, playing for the Crusaders’ varsity II program in 2021 before transferring to Campbell for his sophomore season.
“I wish he was able to finish out his senior year playing. I always wish him the best,” Lacaden said. “That’s my brother for life, along with the rest of the Campbell guys. I grew up with most of them. Especially the coaches, they taught me a lot, just growing up on that side, the West Side.”
A special Campbell team may have missed its chance to register a title and stand with the traditional powers of the Hawaii prep football world — the Kahukus, Saint Louises and Mililanis. The Sabers have still never reached an Open or Division I state championship game.
However, Johnson downplayed the gravity of the defeat.
“Nobody wants to end this way. We want to stay on the high and keep getting high,” he said. “But, hat’s off to these kids and they work hard.
“They played their hearts out, the kids played good and they can write something about this year. They had a good season," he added.
Sagapolutele, a four-star prospect, has been verbally committed to Cal, but powerhouse programs with deep pockets like Georgia and Oregon have made a late push to sway him in recent weeks.
“I think he’s going to be outstanding (at the next level),” Johnson said. “I think all the kids are going to be outstanding. I have great young men. All of them.”
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.