Team speed is Castle's equalizer
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
It would be wrong to call tomorrow night's Chevron State Football Championship game a David vs. Goliath matchup, and not just because that assessment is overused.
First of all, footspeed was not a key asset for David, as it surely will be for Castle High School. And Goliath never was as concerned about David as St. Louis is about the Knights.
If anything, Castle (10-4) vs. St. Louis (10-2) actually is a much better matchup than most people would presume.
"I think it'll be a tight game," Crusaders coach Delbert Tengan said. "They've had their share of big wins, and they just get better and better every week."
St. Louis usually is faster than its opponents, but that may not necessarily be the case against the Knights.
"I watched them in person for the first time last week, and I was very impressed with their team speed," Tengan said. "TV doesn't really do them justice."
Castle's speed especially helps on defense, where the Knights have allowed just 28 points in the past four games. Defensive end Soli Lefiti, a lean and mean defensive end, is a bothersome pass rusher who also can run down backs trying to turn the corner.
Linebackers Cory Daniel, Blaze Soares and Elde Agcaoili are physical for their size and their quickness provides a solid barrier for anyone breaking through the line.
And defensive backs Ernesto Lopez and Louis Mansanas Jr. have the speed and instincts to knock away or intercept passes on all kinds of routes.
"Their defense can give an offense fits," Tengan said. "They have a good pressure package, they do a lot of blitzing. They can do that because their corners are good at man-to-man coverage, and at the same time because of their pressure up front, they don't have to maintain coverage for too long. It goes hand-in-hand."
Most importantly, Castle's defense has done an outstanding job of keeping the opponent out of the end zone. Seven of the aforementioned 28 points allowed came in an overtime period against McKinley last week, when the Tigers began their drive on the Knights' 25-yard line.
That means Castle actually has allowed only three touchdowns in the past 16 regulation quarters. The stingy defense has come in handy, especially in narrow victories over Farrington (13-9) and McKinley (27-21, 3 OTs).
"Their defense allows them to struggle on offense but still be within striking distance at the end," Tengan said. "Even against Kailua, they had only 74 yards of total offense and still won 25-0."
The Knights' offense, led by quarterback Jacob Ramos, also is blessed with speed. Ramos is similar to Castle's all-star quarterback last year, Joel Botelho, in his ability to scramble and hit receivers on the run.
He has two quality game-breaking slotbacks in juniors Jared Suzui and Ikaika Ho, both of whom are also dangerous return men.
"A lot of our plays are designed to get them the ball in the open field," Knights coach Nelson Maeda said.
Castle running back Kawika Sebay keeps defenses honest with quick bursts through the line on traps and draws. And the entire offense has an opportunistic quality that cannot be measured in yardage.
"The scariest part about them is when they need to make plays, they make plays," Tengan said. "At one point last week, McKinley had something like 14 first downs and Castle only had three. You think, 'How in the world can they stay in it?' But that's why."
Maeda said St. Louis is scary, period.
"Oh my goodness, where do you even start?" he said.
The Saints, like the Knights, have significant team speed. It starts with receiver Jason Rivers, who won the 100-meter dash at last spring's state meet with a time of 11.05 seconds.
Rivers is considered one of Hawai'i's top college football prospects, but he got off to a slow start this season. In the past month, however, he has been on fire.
Rivers caught seven passes for 154 yards and one touchdown in St. Louis' 14-13 victory over Kamehameha Nov. 9, then had 12 catches for 106 yards and one touchdown in the rematch a week later.
Two weeks ago, he caught 10 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown in a 41-23 state quarterfinal victory over Farrington.
The Crusaders' other receiver, Shane Butcher, emerged as a deep threat when he caught five passes for 135 yards and one touchdown against the nation's No. 1-ranked team, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.).
Running back B.J. Batts is another speedster, and Justin Cabansag offers power running inside. Quarterback Bobby George is a pinpoint passer who can throw it 40-50 yards downfield.
Defensively, St. Louis has the same type of fast, physical players it has had in the past — epitomized by defensive lineman Wilson Afoa, linebacker Tualau Fale and safety Timo Paepule.
"They've got a very solid defensive unit, especially their front seven," Maeda said. "We just have to be disciplined with the ball and limit our turnovers."
Yes, Castle is the underdog. But that label did not prevent the Knights from somehow finding a way to win several postseason games in the past five weeks.
"I was cheering for Castle all this time," said Tengan, who has known Maeda since high school. "Now, I don't know if that was such a smart thing to do."
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