Defending Hawaii State Champion Campbell Opens Title Defense in Tough Road Test Against Waipahu

The road back to a Hawaii Open Division football championship begins Friday night for Campbell, but the defending state champions won't have long to ease into the 2026 season. The Sabers open their title defense with a road trip to Waipahu, where they'll try to prove last year's breakthrough championship was no fluke despite replacing several of the state's biggest stars.

The Sabers shocked the Aloha State in 2025, finishing 9-3 overall while advancing to the state’s top division title game, where they rallied to beat Kamehameha Kapalama, 26-23 in overtime, to capture the program's first Open Division state championship.

The Sabers will be hard-pressed to repeat in Hawaii’s elite division, but the reigning champions still occupy the No. 3 spot in High School on SI’s preseason Hawaii Elite 12 rankings. And they get an opportunity right out of the gate to make a statement on the road at the No. 11 Waipahu Marauders.

Replacing Championship Talent

The Sabers will have to overcome some heavy losses due to graduation. Gone are quarterback Brayden Medeiros, Hawaii’s Offensive Player of the Year, and defensive back Taino Lave, the state’s Defensive Player of the Year. Medeiros is now at Valley City State, an NAIA program in North Dakota, while Lave will play major college football at San Diego State.

Other major losses include all-state performers like offensive lineman Chantz Chargualaf (Utah State), wide receiver Zayne Pasion (Snow College), and Tevita Paongo (Weber State).

All-State Talent Will Lead the Way

Campbell still returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. The Sabers still have senior wide receiver Shaison Kupukaa, a first-team all-state selection who also picked up second-team honors as a two-way starter at defensive back. Fellow senior Isaiah Chong also returns after earning first-team all-state honors at defensive back.

Both have already made their college destinations known with Kupukaa choosing to stay home and play for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors while Chong will head to the mainland to play at Sacramento State, which begins its transition to the FBS this fall.

Senior linebacker Jeovanny Maghamil-Avilla is also back after nabbing second-team honors a year ago. Offensive lineman Junior offensive lineman Siosiua Afungia also returns after earning honorable mention all-state recognition and already has attracted interest from several FBS programs. He’s joined by fellow junior Jake Brown after both players received honorable mention for their efforts in 2025.

The defense, meanwhile, will get additional help from returning senior starters like defensive lineman Myikca Alston and safety Kenaniah Toia.

Waipahu Looking to Pull Early Upset

Waipahu competes in Hawaii’s Division I, one step below the Open Division, and they figure to have their hands full after finishing 6-4 a year ago and missing out on the postseason. Still, they have some top-level talent, including senior running back Tristan Pacheco. He’s the centerpiece of the Marauders’ attack, running for more than 1,100 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago.

Pacheco will once again find running room behind senior offensive lineman Andrew Ponafala-Fruean, a 330-pound behemoth who helped power one of the state’s top rushing attacks a year ago. And the defense has a playmaker of its own in senior defensive back Jayboy Ganiron to help stymy the Campbell attack.

Campbell defeated Waipahu 21-6 in last season's opener, but the Marauders proved they could compete despite the difference in classifications. The Marauders missed the playoffs but fashioned a five-game winning streak that spanned the entire midseason, while putting up at least 56 points in four of those games.

Friday's opener should provide an early measuring stick for both programs. Campbell begins its quest to defend an Open Division championship, while Waipahu has an opportunity to show it can compete with one of Hawaii's premier programs heading into Division I play.

The kickoff for Campbell at Waipahu is set for 7:30 p.m. HST Friday.

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