Posted on: Friday, August 29, 2003

Short-handed Castle to play

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Castle High School football team will play its scheduled O'ahu Interscholastic Association opener against Mililani tonight with "23 or 24" players available for action, Knights coach Nelson Maeda said last night.

The game, set to begin at about 7:30 p.m. at Castle, had been in jeopardy until after yesterday's practice, when Maeda determined he would have enough players available. Castle, the defending OIA champion, has 55 players on its roster but 19 returnees were ruled ineligible by the league for tonight's game due to their ejection from last year's state title game loss to Saint Louis.

At least another 11 players are ineligible due to academic probation, and injuries had brought down the number of available players to 21 after Wednesday's practice. Maeda said that night the prospects for playing the game "doesn't look good."

But Maeda said after yesterday's practice that a few injured players were cleared to play by the team's trainer, and the game will go on as scheduled.

"We're going to go out and play," Maeda said. "The players who are ineligible are frustrated, and the rest of the guys look at them and feel they are representing those 30-plus players. They don't want to forfeit, they don't want to go down without fighting."

Maeda said he will monitor the Knights' numbers as the game progresses, taking special precaution if injuries further deplete the roster.

"With only 23 or 24 players, we're dipping pretty low into the depth chart, and we'll have some guys playing two ways," Maeda said. "We'll wait and see what happens, but we'll make sure (conditions are) safe."

Mililani coach James Millwood, who will bring 55 players to Castle, said his team won't underestimate the Knights' limited squad.

"Our guys know it'll be a game," Millwood said. "It doesn't matter if the other team has 100 players or 25; they know there's only 11 on the field at a time."

Millwood added he's happy Castle won't be forfeiting.

"We wanted to play all along," Millwood said. "We had only one preseason game, and we didn't want to have a bye week after that."

Mililani advanced to the OIA quarterfinals last season.

Castle will have three veteran linebackers available in Blaze Soares (first-team All-State in 2002), Antone Watanabe and Guy Humalon, in addition to quarterback Louis Mansanas Jr., who was a part-time starter last season.

But the Knights will be without All-State slotbacks Ikaika Ho and Jared Suzui, plus key lineman Mana Sasaki.

"Our linebackers are strong, and having Louis is a big plus," Maeda said. "We are missing some key people, but the others will just have to step up. We're looking forward to the challenge."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456