Kahuku topples Castle, 20-12

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kahuku's Manu Ngatikaura breaks a tackle in the first quarter against Castle. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Kahuku, ranked No. 4 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll, improved to 5-2 overall and 5-1 in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Red Conference-East. Castle dropped to 3-4, 3-3.

But Castle, which stunned No. 9 McKinley 26-22 last week, was knocking on the door of another big upset in the fourth quarter. The Knights closed the score to 20-12 with 9:13 remaining in the game on Jacob Ramos' 15-yard touchdown pass to Ikaika Ho. The two-point conversion pass failed.

Kahuku lost the ball on downs on its next possession, and Castle took over on its own 40-yard line. But on the next play, the Red Raiders' Sam Spurrier made a diving interception.

The Knights got the ball back two plays later on an interception by John Reis, who made the pick at midfield and returned it to the Kahuku 8. Castle got to the 5 on first down, but had an incomplete pass and 18-yard sack on the next two downs. On fourth-and-goal from the 23, the Red Raiders' Tu Tui intercepted a pass from Ramos and returned it to the Knights' 45.

Kahuku lost the ball on downs with 2:19 left, but Castle was pushed back to its own 24 and Ramos was sacked on fourth down by Sione Olevao and Quin Ah You.

"We had so many opportunities, but we couldn't take advantage of them," Knights coach Nelson Maeda said. "We would like to have those two interceptions back, but it's just one of those things."

Castle had one last chance after Kahuku lost the ball on downs at the Knights' 11 with 18 seconds remaining, but backup quarterback Jon Horner was chased out of the pocket and tackled after a short gain as time ran out.

"Castle is a great team," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "Their defensive line is really, really quick, and they took a lot of stuff away from us. We had to keep it simple and not take chances, but I give them credit because with their defense we didn't want to risk anything."

Kahuku's running game helped it take a 14-0 lead in the first half by rushing for 150 yards, including 88 on nine carries by Manu Ngatikaura. The Red Raiders used 14 ball carriers in last week's 35-7 victory over Farrington and used 10 last night. Ngatikaura led all rushers with 120 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries.

"He reads blocks well and makes things happen," Livai said. "He reads what's there and makes good decisions."

Ngatikaura's 15-yard touchdown run helped Kahuku take a 7-0 lead with 7:05 left in the first quarter, and sophomore Bronson Ponciano helped make it 14-0 on a 1-yard quarterback sneak on the first play of the second quarter. Kahuku went up 20-0 on a 40-yard double pass from Waika Carvalho to Tali Tolutau with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter.

The Knights closed it to 20-6 with 1:39 left in the third quarter on Jared Suzui's 7-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Kahuku (5-1) 7 7 6 0—20
Castle (3-3) 0 0 6 6—12

• Kah—Manu Ngapikaura 15 run (Malo Keama kick)
• Kah—Bronson Ponciano 1 run (Keama kick)
• Kah—Tali Toluta'u 40 pass from Spencer Hafoka (kick failed)
• Cast—Jared Suzui 7 run (run failed)
• Cast—Ikaika Ho 15 pass from Jacob Ramos (pass failed)

RUSHING—Kahuku: Paea Vaimoui 9-31, Ngatikaura 21-120, Ponciano 6-28, Robert Tuifua 1-9, Seth Craven 5-17, Frank Bracewell 1-2, Waika Carvalho 5-(minus 4), Hafoka 1-20, Kyle Juliano 2-8, Viliami Nauahi 1-(minus 2) Castle: Kawaika Sebay 6-4, Louis Mansanas 9-(minus 24), Suzui 2-11, Jacob Ramos 2-(minus 10)

PASSING—Kahuku: Paciano 2-3-0—17, Carvalho 2-7-0—9, Hafoka 1-1-0—40. Castle: Mansanas 2-3-0—70, Ramos 7-18-2—151.

RECEIVING—Kahuku: Toluta'u 3-61, Hafoka 1-5, Brent Au 1-0. Castle: Suzui 4-109, Ho 4-101, Sebay 1-11.