Campbell's loss in the 2024 HHSAA Open Division semifinals stung particularly hard. At the time, the Sabers were led by senior quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the state's all-time high school passing yardage leader.
For the Sabers, who had never reached an HHSAA Open Division state title game, 2024 seemed like their golden opportunity to do so. A midsection injury to Sagapolutele in the semifinals changed the momentum in a 27-24 loss to eventual state champion Saint Louis.
In 2025, the Sabers were off to a 5-0 start, but the majority of its wins were against Division I teams. By the time the Sabers got through the meat of their schedule, which included three losses in four games, they were the last team to make the four-team OIA Open Division playoffs.
The Sabers lost 24-6 to Kahuku in the OIA semifinals, but clinched the last spot in the state tournament with a 14-10 win over Mililani in the OIA third place game. A rematch with Kahuku would await in the state semis.
Campbell kept itself within striking distance the entire way against Kahuku on Nov. 21, taking a 7-6 lead on Tainoa Lave's one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Lave's second touchdown of the day, a two-yarder with two seconds left, delivered the Sabers a stunning 15-12 victory over the Red Raiders to punch their ticket to the state title game against Kamehameha, which takes place on Dec. 5 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex at 7 p.m. It will be the first top tier football state title game since 2014 that doesn't involve Kahuku or Saint Louis.
"It is a golden rule to enjoy the next 48 hours, and we'll come back on Monday and get ready for the next task," Campbell head coach Darren Johnson told Aloha State Daily following a recent practice. "We got two weeks. We got to enjoy it and it was very enjoyable. But we can't forget the ultimate focus."
Campbell's state semifinal victory was a particularly special one for Johnson, a 1983 Kahuku alumnus. Not only did he defeat his alma mater, but the win also clinched his first appearance in a state title game in 18 seasons of being a head coach in Hawai‘i. Johnson, who was the head coach at Kailua from 1996 to 2003 and at the helm at Kaimuki from 2007 to 2008, took over at Campbell in 2017. Prior to Friday, Johnson was 0-7 in state semifinal games, including 0-5 at Campbell.
When Johnson decided to take the Campbell job, the Sabers were coming off a resounding 35-6 loss to ‘Iolani in the 2016 state Division I semifinals, the second tier of high school football in the state.
"We didn't want to play [Division I]. We wanted to move up. The vision was to come here and win, not come here and compete," Johnson said. "The kids understanding that we're still working on it, and nothing's been perfected, but there has been good change, and we're trying to keep it that way and trying to get better."
The first step towards Campbell achieving its goals in 2025 was realizing that nobody could replace Sagapolutele, who took control of the starting quarterback job as a true freshman at Cal this fall.
"I don't think any [high] school in America has a Jaron," Johnson said bluntly. "I don't think anybody tried to follow his footsteps or anything like that, because he left a legacy. And our guys, we're just trying to win a game. Make them make good choices, the right choices, and just move the team [down the field]."
Brayden Medeiros was a junior and Sagapolutele's backup in 2024 when the star quarterback was forced out of the semifinals. Medeiros went 5-for-11 for 39 yards and was sacked three times in relief of Sagapolutele.
"I learned a lot from that game, and I felt like I had a chip on my shoulder the whole season and high expectations after that game," Medeiros said. "It was a junk feeling walking off that field, and I told myself I'll be back here in the same position. I felt like I could prove myself going through this whole season."
In the win over Kahuku, Medeiros was an efficient 11-for-14 with 87 yards, effectively managing the game while distributing the ball to playmakers such as Lave and Brystin Sansano. One of the first people to congratulate Medeiros after the game? Sagapolutele, who was watching from afar in Northern California.
"He called me after the game and he was happy, and just learning from him last year, we've been really close," Medeiros said of Sagapolutele. "He told me, 'Just be yourself.' After the Saint Louis game, he told me to just keep working, keep fighting, and you'll get your shot. It was just very nice to learn from him and take what he did and apply it to my game this year. Him calling me after the game meant a lot.
"Just winning that game felt really good for me and for the team, especially with all the weight on our shoulders."
Johnson, 60, has coached for 37 years. A resident of the North Shore, Johnson is also a guard at O‘ahu Community Correctional Center, his day job for the past 23 years. Johnson's days involve copious amounts of driving, which allows him the time to think and reflect. He says there are no similarities between his two gigs.
"None of them even understand what it's like to be in jail," Johnson said of his players. "All we do is try to coach them, try to teach them to stay the course and so forth, and make good choices. It's all about choices. We don't want to see them in jail."
Come Dec. 5, the Sabers are anticipating another large contingent from ‘Ewa Beach to be there as they take the field in Mānoa for the first time.
"It means a lot," Medeiros said. "We get a lot of love, a lot of support, and we know we still got one more. They're going to support us and have our backs no matter what happens, no matter the result, and we just can't wait to play in front of them. We can't wait and we're ready for that."
Added Johnson: "At the time [in 2024], we thought we were going to win, and we always try to prepare to win, but we fell short. This year is just amazing, because we're moving forward and trying to get things right. Being here is a good thing, but it's a goal that we gotta finish."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
