GAME NIGHT 8/10: Moanalua/Castle

Moanalua 40, Castle 36

at Castle H.S. field
Moanalua (1-0, 1-0) 14 7 13 6 — 40
Castle (0-2, 0-1) 7 14 0 15 — 36
Moan—Drayden Von Oelhoffen 30 pass from Nick Au (Luke Palalay kick)
Moan—Von Oelhoffen 6 pass from Au (Palalay kick)
Cast—Senituli Punivai 86 interception return (Cheyden Costa kick)
Cast—Punivai 9 run (Costa kick)
Cast—Punivai 78 interception return (Costa kick)
Moan—Jesse Kaohi 54 interception return (Palalay kick)
Moan—Paleafei 15 pass from Au (Palalay kick)
Moan—Lawsen Lee 16 pass from Au (kick blocked)
Cast—Chaz Ciacci 4 interception return (Punivai run)
Cast—Braxton Wilcox fumble recovery in end zone (Costa kick)
Moan—Micah Kim 67 pass from Ezra Grace (kick failed)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Lee 1-0, Jacob Copeland 1-(minus 2), Grace 6-(minus 5), Au 5-(minus 11), team 2-(minus 22). Castle: Punivai 1-9, Bruce Pakele 5-7, team 1-(minus 5), Keanu Tilton 3-(minus 8), Austyn Acosta 8-(minus 44).
PASSING—Moanalua: Au 38-55-4-375, Grace 2-3–0-73. Castle: Acosta 7-14–2-65, Samuel Judd 4-11–1-49.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: CJ Paleafei 9-66, Javon Monico 9-127, Grace 7-109, Von Oelhoffen 7-44, Makana Spencer 5-17, Lee 3-18, Kim 0-67. Castle: Paul Omengebar 5-87, Elijah Catrett 2-12, Kanekulani Kahala-Giron 1-9, Punivai 1-7, Pakele 1-4, Tilton 1-(minus 5).
Junior varsity — Castle 18, Moanalua 9

Aukai Grace seals the win for Na Menehune with a pick.

Grace remains at QB and it’s another QB run. Two passes for no yards and it’s fourth down. Moanalua has to go for it. I doubt they’ve practiced much at all with Grace at QB. Castle calls timeout. Fourth-and-8. INSANE. The hook-and-ladder WORKS. Spencer catches the short patch and pitches it back to Kim who IS GONE. Play goes for 73 yards and Moanalua is in front 40-36.

Grace in at QB with Au out. Grace runs it three times and goes nowhere. Moanalua at a loss without its QB and will punt. Castle is going to have a shot at this. BAD SNAP and it’s over the punter’s head. Ball in the end zone and the punter needs to fall onto it for just a safety…but NO. It comes loose. Braxton Wilcox with the fumble recovery in the end zone for Castle. Castle doesn’t go for 2 and kicks the XP to make it 36-34, 3:39.

Short pass over the middle is picked off by Chaz Ciacci and he returns it into the end zone. He dropped the ball but I think it was after he crossed. 4-yard INT return for a TD is the fourth pick-six in this game. Au is down in the end zone on the play. Trainers out to see him. 34-27 Moanalua with the XP pending…Au able to get to his feet and walks off on his own. Good to see. XP and no, Punivai keeps it out of the hold. Not sure if it was called but he gets in for 2. 34-29 with about six minutes to go.

Judd back in at QB and he delivers a nice ball over the middle for 13 yards. Judd drives Castle inside the Moanalua 10 but the ball goes in and out of a receiver’s hands in the end zone. Turnover on downs.

Nakoa Gaspar-Takahashi with a great pass breakup on fourth down and Castle gets the ball back on its 30.

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Buffalo Kruize III with the seventh sack in the game by Moanalua to force a Castle punt.

Au 13-for-17 passing in the third quarter as he hits Lawsen Lee for a 16-yard TD. Au now 37-52, 364 yards, 4 TD. 34-21, 3:20, Q3.

Acosta at QB for Castle. Moanalua’s Trequan Henderson has an interception wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Moanalua.

Moanalua to receive. Au starts the half with a 31-yard pass to Grace and Moanalua quickly moves it to the Castle 7. Two incomplete passes and it’s third-and-goal. Castle’s Jaydon Kaio with the sack and it’s fourth-and-goal. Jump ball to the corner and CJ Paleafei bobbles it but catches it just as he falls out of bounds. It’s called a TD. 28-21, Moanlua 9:20, Q3

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HALFTIME BOX
at Castle H.S. field
Moanalua (0-0, 0-0) 14 7
Castle (0-1, 0-0) 7 14
Moan—Drayden Von Oelhoffen 30 pass from Nick Au (Luke Palalay kick)
Moan—Von Oelhoffen 6 pass from Au (Palalay kick)
Cast—Senituli Punivai 86 interception return (Cheyden Costa kick)
Cast—Punivai 9 run (Costa kick)
Cast—Punivai 78 interception return (Costa kick)
Moan—Jesse Kaohi 54 interception return (Palalay kick)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Jacob Copeland 1-(minus 2), Au 2-(minus 3). Castle: Punivai 1-9, Bruce Pakele 1-2, Keanu Tilton 3-(minus 8), Austyn Acosta 7-(minus 34).
PASSING—Moanalua: Au 24-35-3-228. Castle: Acosta 6-10–2-61, Samuel Judd 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Von Oelhoffen 6-44, Ezra Grace 5-67, CJ Paleafei 5-54, Javon Monico 4-52, Makana Spencer 4-11. Castle: Paul Omengebar 3-54, Elijah Catrett 1-8, Pakele 1-4, Tilton 1-(minus 5).
Junior varsity — Castle 18, Moanalua 9

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Alualu with his third sack for Moanalua.

Moanalua was given a fifth down inside the Castle 20 but it’s still a turnover on downs.

Acosta back in at QB for Castle. Micah Kim with his third sack for Moanalua. Jesse Kaohi steps in front and gets and interception and HE IS GONE. Another pick-six in this game. 54-yard INT return for TD. 21-21, 3:13, Q2.

Castle’s Chaz Ciacci with a sack to force a Moanalua punt.

Moanalua comes right back but a 40-yard reception by Grace is called back by a penalty. Na Menehune with one called running play in first 28 plays. Fourth-down pass is late to get there and PUNIVAI GETS ANOTHER ONE. HE IS GONE. 78-yard INT return TD. Three picks, two returned for TDs in the first half alone. Castle 21, Moanalua 14, 7:59, Q2.

Senior Samuel Judd in at QB for the Knights. Knights settle for a field-goal try NO! It’s a fake. Punivai wins the race to the outside. Touchdown. 9-yard run. 14-14.

Punivai does it again. Interception and he nearly scores it but is tackled inside the 5.

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Punivai ends the quarter with a tackle for loss. Good looking player. END 1: Moanalua 14, Castle 7

Au has a ball tip off the reciever’s hands and Senituni Punivai is there to pick it off and HE IS GONE. 86-yard INT return TD. 14-7 Moanalua.

Micah Kim having a HUGE first quarter as he picks off a pass and gives Moanalua great field position.

Au 5-for-6 on the next drive has Moanalua inside Castle’s 25 with less than two minutes to go in first quarter. Three more completions including a 6-yard TD to Von Oelhoffen makes it 14-0 Moanalua. 1:17, Q1.

Castle forces a turnover on downs and Acosta with two nice throws to Paul Omengebar for 39 yards. Micah Kim with two sacks, one on fourth down, to force a turnover on downs and get the ball back to Moanalua.

Alualu with his second sack for Moanalua and Castle has lost 16 yards on its first two drives.

Nick Au gets the start at QB for Moanalua and goes 20 yards short to Ezra Grace and then fakes the same throw on the next play and hits Drayden Von Oelhoffen for a 30-yard TD as the defender slips.

Austyn Acosta with the start at QB for the Knights and he’s sacked by DT Tupu Alualu on the first play. Malaefono Ale with a TFL and Moanalua forces a three-and-out.

Knights will receive.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Moanalua: Ezra Grace, Tupu Alualu, Micah Kim, Noah Enrico
Castle: David Keanu, Travis Emosi

Castle wins the JV game, 18-9. No scoreboard tonight at the field.

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Moanalua has won the last five meetings are going 1-8-1 against the Knights in the first 10 games played between the two.
For Moanalua’s roster, click here.
For Castle’s roster, click here.