Two years after winning the inaugural Division II state football championship, 'Aiea is one victory away from getting a shot at the really big prize.

Na Ali'i scored 21 unanswered points last night to outlast Castle, 52-31, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinal at Kaiser Stadium. 'Aiea (7-2) will play Western Division rival Wai'anae (7-2) in next week's semifinals after winning its fifth straight game.

The semifinal winners will secure berths in the Division I state tournament.

"It feels great," said Na Ali'i quarterback Kali Kuia, who completed 22 of 35 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns. "You gotta give it up for Castle, because they played a great game. But you also have to give it up for all our coaches and players, too. Everybody stuck together and did a great job."

The 1,500 or so fans in attendance may also deserve a pat on the back, after watching an exhausting, back-and-forth three-hour-plus marathon.

The East champion Knights jumped to a 10-0 lead after Blaine Kobashigawa returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and Nicholas Rapoza nailed a 50-yard field goal.

But that was only the beginning of what turned out to be a track meet of a football game.

After Castle went up 18-7 late in the first quarter, 'Aiea answered with two touchdowns for a 21-18 lead. The Knights then responded with a 41-yard TD pass from Bryson Ukauka to Corey Paredes to give them a 25-21 halftime lead.

Castle led despite several players sitting out the first quarter for discipline and regular starting quarterback Bryce Kalauoka'aea getting injured late in the half. He did not return.

The Knights extended the lead to 31-24 with 3:53 remaining in the third quarter on Ukauka's 88-yard touchdown screen pass to Paredes, but Na Ali'i immediately answered with Lofa Li'ili'i's 97-yard kickoff return.

Kuia hit Josh Blakemore on a 56-yard TD strike to put 'Aiea up 37-31 with 1:55 left in the third quarter, and the two connected again on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10:51 left in the game to help Na Ali'i take a 45-31 lead.

"Our goal was to wear them down, and I think we did that in the second half," 'Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "They have a lot of players who have to play both ways, and we have some depth that helps us."

'AIEA (7-2) 7 14 16 15—52

CASTLE (6-3) 18 7 6 0—31

Cast—Blaine Kobashigawa 90 kickoff return (Matagi Toilolo kick)

Cast—FG Nicholas Rapoza 50

'Aiea—Josh Blakemore 29 pass from Kali Kuia (Mark Atta kick)

Cast—Alika Kalopodes 10 pass from Bryson Ukauka (Jordan Nakayama run)

'Aiea—Lofa Li'ili'i 9 run (pass failed)

'Aiea—Blakemore 9 pass from Kuia (Aleni Loa pass from Kuia)

Cast—Corey Paredes 41 pass from Ukauka (Rapoza kick)

'Aiea—FG Atta 29

Cast—Paredes 88 pass from Ukauka (kick failed)

'Aiea—Li'ili'i 97 kickoff return (Atta kick)

'Aiea—Blakemore 56 pass from Kuia (run failed)

'Aiea—Blakemore 35 pass from Kuia (Loa pass from Kuia)

'Aiea—Li'ili'i 1 run (Atta failed)

RUSHING—'Aiea: Li'ili'i 8-47, Landon Dela Cruz 6-43, Crenston Ioapo 3-(minus-9), Kuia 4-26, Loa 6-15, Santa Claus Taiese 2-0. Castle: John Ufuti 5-11, Ukauka 3-(minus-12), Andrew Fakatoka 1-0, Kobashigawa 4-41, Bryce Kalauoka'aea 1-(minus-8), Lihikai Domingo 1-4.

PASSING—'Aiea: Kuia 22-37-1—335. Castle: Ukauka 11-25-1—233, Kalauoka'aea 4-10-0—43.

RECEIVING—'Aiea: Blakemore 5-136, Li'ili'i 6-65, Lahaina Olsen-Kuroda 7-83, Josh Asuncion 2-27, Dela Cruz 1-9, Loa 1-15. Castle: Kalopodes 4-60, Domingo 3-38, Paredes 2-129, Kobashigawa 2-20, Jordan Nakayama 4-29.

JV score: Castle 34, Pearl City 28

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.