KANE'OHE — The Kamehameha Schools football team's debut under new head coach David Stant proved to be a tougher struggle than expected, but the visiting Warriors prevailed over Castle anyway, 21-12, before a capacity crowd of about 2,200.

Kamehameha finished the game with a 20-play, 90-yard touchdown drive culminating in Michael Hoke's 4-yard touchdown pass to Popo Walker with 21 seconds remaining. The score came one play after Pono Perez ran three yards for a first down on fourth-and-1 from the 7.

"Very, very hard," Stant said of the game, his first as a high school head coach after over a decade coaching in a semi-professional league in Japan. "It's a different game, and I'm still trying to digest everything."

The debut was tougher than expected, given the fact that Castle was coming off a 43-6 drubbing in its nonleague opener last week at Mililani. The Knights also lost a practice day earlier in the week while trying to resolve an incident involving locker room theft.

But Castle showed little ill effects, matching the Warriors blow-for-blow for much of the game.

"It's a step in the right direction and we battled hard," Knights coach Nelson Maeda said. "But we still need to finish all four quarters."

Kamehameha struck first with a seven-play, 61-yard drive on its opening possession, scoring on Truman Chun's 8-yard touchdown run with 7:36 left in the first quarter. Ryan Ho's extra point made it 7-0.

After losing a fumble on a long drive on the ensuing series, Castle regrouped and marched 65 yards in 10 plays, closing it to 7-6 on Thomas Ilae's 1-yard quarterback sneak with 9:32 remaining in the half. The Knights' extra point was taken off the board after a penalty, and the second attempt sailed wide right.

Perez zig-zagged his way for a 49-yard TD scamper to help the Warriors take a 14-6 lead with 4:02 left in the second quarter, but Castle answered by going 68 yards in nine plays, the last one a 12-yard TD catch by Breydan Torres from Blake Rapozo with 32 seconds left. Torres made the catch after the ball was tipped in heavy traffic on a corner route.

Ilae was stopped just short on the two-point conversion, preserving Kamehameha's 14-12 lead at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Knights pinned the Warriors on their own 15-yard line on a 62-yard punt. But Kamehameha ate up much of the remaining minutes with the long march to the end zone.

Castle suffered several key injuries earlier in the game. On the second play from scrimmage, play-making slotback Bronson Kekahuna sprained his right ankle and did not return.

Just a few minutes later, linebacker Mitchell Lum broke his right arm. And early in the third quarter, slotback Chauncey Kruse suffered a possible broken leg after making a 20-yard reception.

KAMEHAMEHA (1-0) 7 7 0 7—21

CASTLE (0-2) 0 12 0 0—12

KS — Truman Chun 8 run (Ryan Ho kick).

Cast — Thomas Ilae 1 run (kick failed).

KS — Pono Perez 49 run (Ho kick).

Cast — Breydan Torres 12 pass from Blake Rapozo (run failed).

KS — Popo Walker 4 pass from Michael Hoke (Ho kick).

RUSHING — Kamehameha: Perez 9-70, Chun 10-49, Edmund Kamano 3-(minus-5), Hoke 10-(minus-4), TC Campbell 1-(minus-1). Castle: Kawehi Sablan 10-48, Bronson Kekahuna 1-0; Ilae 6-26, Kainoa Aki 5-5, Rapozo 3-(minus-22), Chauncey Kruse 1-3, Torres 1-13, Devin Spotkaeff 7-20.

PASSING — Kamehameha: Hoke 6-12-0—24, Kamano 2-5-1—17, Campbell 1-1-0—22. Castle: Ilae 0-2-0—0, Rapozo 3-7-0—76.

RECEIVING — Kamehameha: Walker 2-11, Liko Oliveira 1-6, Blayne Asing 1-1, Kupono Haitsuka 1-10, Kanalu DeMello 1-7, Kepo'o Noa 1-22, Maika Mataele 1-7, Jantz Bullock 1-(minus-1). Castle: Ilae 1-44, Torres 1-12, Kruse 1-20.

JV score — Castle 13, Kamehameha 7.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.