GAME NIGHT 9/29: Castle/Aiea

Castle 30, Aiea 27, FINAL

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9:33: COSTA MAKES IT. CASTLE WINS 30-27 WITH 23 UNANSWERED POINTS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER. UNBELIEVABLE.

9:30: Castle calls its last timeout on the Aiea 4 with four seconds left. Costa will line up for the game-winning field goal. Aiea coach Wendell Say is doing his best to freeze Costa, calling a timeout right before he gets set up.

9:27: Castle continues to ground and pound and has a fresh set of downs at the Aiea 17 with 43 seconds left.

9:24: WHOA. Aiea goes for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 45, and Vongsy gets STUFFED for a loss of two yards. Knights take over with 2:02 left and supreme field position.

9:15: TOUCHDOWN CASTLE. The Knights go exclusively direct snap after the timeout and gain chunk yardage on each play, until Punivai pounds it in for his third touchdown of the day on a 1-yard rush. Costa’s PAT is good and we’re tied at 27 with 4:11 to go. That’s 20 unanswered points for the Knights in the fourth quarter alone. Unreal.

9:11: The Knights are driving. With a fresh set of downs at the Aiea 11, Na Alii calls timeout in an attempt to recollect themselves with 6:08 to go.

9:04: All the momentum is shifting towards Castle right now. The Knights just forced an Aiea punt after a three-and-out. They now have a chance to either tie or take the lead with 8:01 to go, starting from their own 42.

8:59: Things just got a whole lot more interesting. After recovering the onside kick, the Knights drive right down the field and cap it off with a 6-yard touchdown from Pakele, cutting the Aiea lead to 27-20. The snap is botched on the extra point, but we have a one-possession game with 8:49 to go nonetheless.

8:51: The Knights catch Na Alii off guard with an onside kick and take over at the Aiea 46.

8:49: Punivai lines up at running back and punches it in from two yards out. Cheyden Costa‘s PAT is good and the Aiea lead is cut to 27-14 with 11:14 left in the fourth quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

8:43: Samuel Judd now in at QB for Castle as the third quarter clock expires. Things are still getting chippy with both teams getting into scuffles. Aiea leads 27-7, but Castle is deep in Na Alii territory.

8:36: Castillo has caught fire, completing a string of passes to multiple receivers. Kalahiki-Basque hauls in his third touchdown of the day from nine yards out. Hulett’s kick goes off the post and Aiea’s lead is 27-7 with 1:19 to go in the third.

8:23: Castle’s defense holds up and forces an Aiea punt. The Knights take over from their own 34 with 8:02 left to go in the third.

8:18: Capanang gets his second takeaway of the day when he snatches the ball away from Castle’s Bruce Pakele. Na Alii will start from their own 13 with 10:05 left in the third.

8:15: Castle will start from its own 40 to start the second half after the kickoff.

THIRD QUARTER

7:57: Punivai is picked off by Capanang as the first half clock expires. Aiea leads 21-7, but Castle will receive the second half kickoff.

7:50: TOUCHDOWN NA ALII. After two big passing plays from Castillo to Capanang, Vongsy makes up for his previous fumble and punches it in from three yards out. Na Alii gets flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and attempts to go for two. Castillo connects with Fabian Bautista from 18 yards out and the conversion is good. Aiea stretches its lead to 21-7 with 33 seconds to go in the first half.

7:40: Aiea forces another three-and-out. They’ll have 1:14 to score before halftime with the ball on its own 45.

7:36: It’s Aiea’s turn to punt. Castle begins its next possession from midfield with 3:12 left in the half.

7:31: Punivai appeared to his his second score of the day on a 36-yard rush but it’s negated by a holding call. Castle then has to punt, and Na Alii will look to add to its 13-7 lead with 4:29 to go in the half, starting from its own 18.

7:18: WOW. On the next play, LJ Vongsy takes the handoff and coughs it up right at the goal line. Nakoa Gaspar-Takahashi scoops it up and takes it to the Castle 9. Knights’ ball with 9:37 left in the half. Talk about a missed opportunity for Aiea.

7:16: The Knights can’t capitalize and punt after a three-and-out. Aiea takes over at the Castle 3 after an electrifying punt return by Babu Capanang.

7:11: Na Alii forces another Castle three-and-out, but the Knights recover a fumble on a muffed punt at the Aiea 40 with 11:04 left in the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

7:08: Aiea leads 13-7 after an eventful first quarter. Things have been getting a little chippy between the two teams, with personal foul calls on each side. Castle gets the ball to start the second quarter.

7:04: TOUCHDOWN AIEA. Na Alii answers right back. Castillo and Kalahiki-Basque connect again, this time for a six-yard score. Na Alii goes for two but it gets snuffed out by the Castle defense. Na Alii leads 13-7 with 28 seconds left in the first quarter.

6:53: TOUCHDOWN CASTLE: Senituli Punivai keeps it on third-and-8 for a 23-yard rushing score. Makana Kiakona‘s PAT is good and we’re all tied up at 7 with 3:16 to go in the first.

6:47: FUMBLE. Aiea’s Keoni Young-Tavai coughs it up on a handoff and Nicholas Saragosa is there to scoop it up at the Castle 45. Knights take over.

6:46: Castle’s offense goes three-and-out on its first drive as the Aiea D comes out ready to play. Na Alii starts their second drive from midfield, 7:09 to go in the first.

6:41: Aiea drives right down the field and is helped out by a few Castle penalties. Na Alii caps off the opening drive with a Kayson Castillo 10-yard pass to Zacharia Kalahiki-Basque for a touchdown. Thomas Hulett‘s PAT is good and Aiea leads 7-0 with 9:55 left in the first quarter.

6:33: Aiea will start the first drive of the game from its own 29.

6:32: Castle wins the toss and will defer to the second half.

FIRST QUARTER

5:58 p.m. Castle wins the JV game 55-0.

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For Castle’s roster, click here
For Aiea’s roster, click here
SERIES HISTORY: Castle leads 11-10