Kailua bottles up Castle, 13-7
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Kailua contained multi-talented quarterback Joel Botelho to 123 yards in total offense to squeeze past Castle, 13-7, and capture a share of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association football championship last night.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
An Aloha Stadium crowd of 8,130 watched the fourth-ranked Surfriders (9-2) win their first league title since 1965 and avenge a 36-29 regular season loss to the No. 3 Knights (8-3).
Kailua High running back Brenton Harbottle finds a seam in the Castle defense during the second quarter last night at Aloha Stadium.
Kailua shares the OIA title with Kahuku because a tier of the playoffs was canceled to make up for a weekend of regular season games lost by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Where I come from, they have championships all the time," said Kailua linebacker Felipo Mokofisi, a transfer from Kahuku. "Transferring to Kailua, I didn't even know we had a championship (before)."
The Surfriders will go to Hilo to play Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Waiakea in a first-round game of the state football tournament Friday at Wong Stadium.
The Knights will travel to Kaua'i to play Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation champion Waimea in another first-round game.
In first-round games at Aloha Stadium Friday, top-ranked Kahuku will play Maui Interscholastic League champion Lahainaluna and Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion St. Louis will play 'Aiea.
The Knights suffered a big blow when an apparent 81-yard interception return for a touchdown by Elde Agcaoili was nullified by an unnecessary roughness penalty at the Kailua 37. That would have tied the score at 13 and a successful extra-point kick would have given Castle the lead with about eight minutes left in the game.
"That could've changed the game," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said. "But our offense couldn't sustain any momentum."
Defense not only contained the high-octane Knights' offense. It contributed what turned out to be the deciding score, when defensive back Kepa Kailio returned an interception 32 yards to give Kailua a 7-0 lead with 1:50 left in the first quarter.
The Surfriders tamed Botelho by closing the passing lanes for his receivers, Mokofisi explained. Botelho was intercepted three times for the second consecutive playoff game. Defensive back Chaz Tabias had two, including one in the end zone to stall a Castle drive.
The Surfriders also sacked Botelho four times, twice by Mokofisi, and the others by linebackers Koa Sniffen and Eddie Campbell. In all, Botelho, the Red's third-leading rusher, was held to negative two yards rushing.
"Joel is an outstanding quarterback, but our defense stepped it up," Kailua coach Darren Johnson said.
"I can't say enough about our defense. I think they've been watching the Rainbows (Warriors)."
Kailua's other score game with 2:06 left in the second quarter when Taleki Mailau hit David Kaihenui at the left side of the end zone on a 10-yard pass on third-and-nine.
The Knights generated their only scoring drive on their first series of the second half. Eight plays after starting at midfield, Botelho hit Ikaika Ho on a 13-yard TD pass to make it 13-7.
Castle's defense also played well, holding running back Brenton Harbottle to 87 yards on 21 carries.
"To hold Kailua to 13 points, our defense played exceptional," Maeda said.
KAILUA 7 6 0 0 — 13
CASTLE 0 0 7 0 — 7
Kail—Kepa Kailio 32 interception return (John Heu kick)
Kail—David Kaihenui 10 pass from Taleki Mailau (kick blocked)
Cast—Ikaika Ho 13 pass from Joel Botelho (Nolan Miranda kick)
RUSHING—Kailua: Mailau 11-34, Brenton Harbottle 21-87, Nathan Leaver 14-65, Ranson Kepa 1-1. Castle: Botelho 12-(minus 2), Fale Taupaki 5-11, Loren Lum 5-31.
PASSING—Kailua: Mailau 4-13-0—50. Castle: Botelho 13-35-3—125, Treston Kaneao 0-1-0—0.
RECEIVING—Kailua: Ryan Lum 2-25, Kaihenui 2-25. Castle: Brandon Shimomura 1-2, Dayton AhNee 3-49, Ho 2-26, Miranda 4-40, Lum 1-10, Kaneao 2-(minus 2).
