Sagapolutele makes plans for busy weekend
Nov 11, 2024
Life is good for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
The Campbell quarterback, who committed to California in the summer, has seen his college recruitment continue to pick up steam as his senior year of high school football has progressed.
All the latest sports news from Hawaii's sports station
Since committing to Cal in July, Sagapolutele has received offers from Utah, Oregon and Georgia over the duration of the 2024 regular season.
As he continues to impress, the offers have rolled in, and the inquires are serious. Sagapolutele took an official visit to Oregon on Oct. 26. This weekend, Sagapolutele will take a visit to Georgia.
But before that, Sagapolutele and the Sabers will take on Saint Louis in the HHSAA Open Division semifinals. Sagapolutele started his high school career with the Crusaders, manning the QB position with Saint Louis II, the program's de facto JV team.
“It means a lot," Sagapolutele said of the matchup. "It’s where I started my high school career. That’s where I thought I was gonna play my high school ball but unfortunately it didn’t pan out, but I thank God for leading me to Campbell. He led me to a great team and I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to see how we match up against another ILH team. I think it’s gonna be a great game overall and it’s gonna be a great test to go up against such a great defense I believe.”
Sagapolutele, an Ewa Beach native, transferred to Campbell prior to his sophomore year and won the starting job.
Last Friday, the Sabers took their first loss of the 2024 season, falling 33-15 to Kahuku in the OIA Open championship game.
“Of course it’s a frustrating loss," Sagapolutele said. "I think coming off a loss, it lights that fire under us and it’s something we needed. Having something to fight for and just having a newfound purpose again, I think that's something that’s good for our team and it’ll help us push forward heading into states for sure.”
The Saint Louis-Campbell matchup is the second game of a Friday doubleheader at Mililani, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Georgia's home game against Tennessee kicks off at 2:30 p.m. HST on Saturday. Sagapolutele plans to leave Oahu almost immediately after the conclusion of his game on Friday.
“That’s the plan," he said.
Sagapolutele's Georgia visit was initially set for the weekend of a Nov. 23 home game against UMass, but that would have come during a bye week between the HHSAA semifinals and a potential championship game appearance.
After the Georgia visit, Sagapolutele plans to evaluate all his options and choose between Cal, Oregon and Georgia.
“I’m pretty glad we did it this week and not next week so I can focus on the game, focus on the visit and come next week I think I’ll have my commitment all wrapped up and know where I’m gonna be," he said. "That should be a great deal for us.
“My coaches, my team wanted me to be able to rest during my bye week, they wanted me to make sure I’m mentally prepared for the big game of course and that’s all I’m gonna be thinking about after Georgia so just focusing on the visit and focusing on what matters, that’s something I appreciate for sure.”
Sagapolutele wasn't planning to reopen his recruitment during the season, but with the year that he's having, which included passing Dillon Gabriel as Hawaii's all-time passing yardage leader, more options have and may continue to emerge.
“First of all, it’s just all credit to my lord and savior Jesus Christ. He’s put me in this position to receive such blessings and I think it’s through all the trials and tribulations I’ve been through over the years, I think he’s just preparing me to handle such blessings," Sagapolutele said. "It’s also a testament to my parents as well. My parents helped me big time on not focusing on recruiting, just focusing on what’s important, which is the season.”