It’s always fun when Kailua and Castle meet for bragging rights. Both teams are fighting for a chance to finish in the top two in the OIA Red and get a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Top performances in series (Kailua leads 24-20 in modern era)
Kailua passing vs. Castle: Kelroy Kohatsu with 200 yards in 2003
Kailua rushing vs. Castle: Jarrin Young with 229 yards in 2011
Kailua receiving vs. Castle: John Kapa with 107 yards in 1998
Castle passing vs. Kailua: Jaymason Lee with 328 yards in 2009
Castle rushing vs. Kailua: Israel Pakele with 149 yards last year
Castle receiving vs. Kailua: Shaydon Kehano with 189 yards in 2009
KAILUA SURFRIDERS (3-2, 2-2 OIA Red)
Head coach: Joseph Wong
Surfriders roster
VS.
CASTLE KNIGHTS (3-3, 3-2)
Head coach: John Hao
Knights roster
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Kailua 26, Castle 7, FINAL
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10:28 a.m.: Gonsalves-Bell punches it in from 3 yards to end the game at 26-7.
10:26 p.m.: Kailua running out the clock with the legs of Chauncy Gonsalves-Bell.
10:17 p.m.: Castle was on the march behind the wildcat legs of Naki, but the Knights then sling it deep and Bruddah Spencer-Choy Foo comes down with it for Kailua. Second pick thrown by Knights quarterbacks tonight. Kailua up two possessions with the ball and 5:15 on the clock.
10:13 p.m.: Kailua was on the verge of putting the game away, advancing to the Castle 9. But a series of penalties and mistakes knocks the Surfriders back to the 44, and Kailua must punt with 6:33 remaining.
Kailua 20, Castle 7, 10:33 4Q
10:02 p.m.: Castle may have found something that could help it claw back into this game. Using a rotating cast of characters in wildcat formations, the Knights score on Kawai Naki’s 11-yard keeper with 10:33 to play in the game. XP is good by Cheyden Costa and it’s a two-score game.
9:57 p.m.: Castle finally picks up a first down on Smith’s 21-yard keeper run on 4th and 1 near midfield. Let’s see if the Knights can parlay this into a score.
9:52 p.m.: Mejia tries to make something happen on fourth and goal from the 11, but his pass to the end zone is tipped and taken down by Castle’s Justin Lopes, who returns it out to the 17, plus a personal foul on Kailua to the 32.
9:39 p.m.: Kailua is pushing Castle back, back, back on offense.
9:36 p.m.: Castle sticks with the QB change to Smith. The rain has started to come down. HARD.
Kailua 20, Castle 0, 10:29 3Q
9:34 p.m.: Systematic march on a short field for Kailua. Aaron Mejia fakes a handoff then keeps it for a 10-yard TD, complete with impressive dive across the goal line. XP is good.
9:30 p.m.: Nope. Backup Castle quarterback Makana Smith fumbles it away on a keeper and Kurahashi-Choy Foo recovers at the Castle 32.
9:27 p.m.: Kailua kicks off to Castle to start the second half. Let’s see if the Knights can record their first first down tonight.
9:08 p.m.: At the half, RB Samson Rasay has 63 yards on 12 carries for the Surfriders, while QB Aaron Mejia is 7-for-12 for 42 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Castle QB Jaylen Uyemura-Lee has struggled to the tune of 3-for-10 with 19 yards and a pick.
9:07 p.m.: Kailua is content to let the clock run down near midfield for halftime.
9:00 p.m.: Another three and out for Castle, which has still yet to record a first down. Kailua has 1:42 from its 17 to try to score again.
8:57 p.m.: That’s seven receptions for Kailua by seven different receivers. Two have gone for TDs.
Kailua 13, Castle 0, 2:45 2Q
8:55 p.m.: Hanawahine-Wong rolls out and finds Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo for the 3-yard touchdown near the right-side pylon. Extra point is good by Alika Teramoto and the Surfriders are up 13 on their Windward-side rival.
8:52 p.m.: Kailua gets the first down on a Mejia 3-yard busted play keeper. Coach Joseph Wong brings in his red zone QB, Hanawahine-Wong.
8:50 p.m.: Kailua calls timeout facing fourth and short at the 6-yard line.
8:44 p.m.: Kolo Hanawahine-Wong picks off Uyemura-Lee’s first pass after Kailua’s TD. Hanawahine-Wong returns it to about the Castle 11, but a block in the back call negates that and Kailua must start at the Castle 30. Still, they’ll take it.
Kailua 6, Castle 0, 7:36 2Q
8:40 p.m.: Some very effective running by Kailua backup running back Chauncy Gonsalves-Bell sets up an 8-yard touchdown throw from Aaron Mejia to Gaege Kupahu, who runs a great route over the middle. XP attempt is a busted run and it’s Surfriders by six with their first score in three games.
8:35 p.m.: Still no first downs for the Knights. Rasay returns the punt to the Knights’ 30 and Kailua again with a prime chance to put something on the board.
8:31 p.m.: Castle will begin its second-quarter drive deep within its own territory. Looks like about the 8.
8:28 p.m.: First quarter ends with Castle linebacker Justin Lopes wrapping up Rasay for a 3-yard loss. Big play. It’s third and 10 for Kailua.
8:26 p.m.: Three and out for the Knights, who punt it HIGH and not very far. It takes a Kailua hop back to the 50. Sixteen-yard punt there.
8:23 p.m.: Disaster for Kailua, which gets up to the 1, then has a bad snap go over the QB’s head and back to the 30. Castle recovers it, snuffing out the Surfriders’ best chance so far.
8:20 p.m.: Kailua is knocking at the 5 after a 15-yard pitch play to Rasay.
8:15 p.m.: Kailua winning the field position battle thus far. Surfriders start this drive at the Castle 40.
8:14 p.m.: Jaylen Uyemura-Lee at the controls for the Knights. On his second play from scrimmage, he gets lit up by multiple Surfriders on an 11-yard sack and Castle must punt out of its end zone.
8:10 p.m.: Aaron Mejia tosses a slant pass to Tanner Wright, who comes up just short on the first down. Castle takes over on downs at its 21.
8:06 p.m.: Castle muffs the punt return and Kailua recovers at the Knights’ 29. Great chance for Kailua to notch its first points in three games.
8:04 p.m.: Kailua going with heavy doses of Samson Rasay on the ground to start off. However, Surfriders are being hamstrung by penalties and must punt from their own 33.
7:54 p.m.: Castle is kicking off left to right to Kailua.
7:21 p.m.: JV game goes the way of Castle, 32-20 after it was tied up 20-20 for much of the second half.
7:13 p.m.: Looks like the varsity kickoff for Castle’s homecoming game will be more or less on time, maybe 10 or so minutes behind.
Coaching @CHS has be disappointing!!! Using the same players over and over again with the same outcome\results. Should use personnel groups and have plays for all available players. Play #88, throw some balls that way.
I thought they had 60 players, but I still see the same numbers playing, sometimes both ways. They lucky Kapolei forfeited a game to them.
Disasters on special teams have hurt Castle this season. Special Teams are a special part of the game that needs special preparation and special effort. How many 3 & out’s? No first downs until the 4th Quarter?!! Better and more varied play calling based on scouting reports/videos, better accuracy-pass decisions by the QB (isn’t the coach a former all-star QB), better pass blocking could help (big and slow is not always better than small and quick). And after over 3 quarters of play Wildcat / QB keeper plays? That’s it???!!! Regardless of Castle’s struggles in recent years, Castle has ALWAYS played their Windward rival a lot tougher than this. Didn’t Castle beat Kailua last year when they were ranked in the Top 10?