MA'ILI — For the second year in a row, Jordan Komoda of Highlands Intermediate School in Pearl City has won the Leeward district spelling bee.

Komoda, a 13-year-old eighth-grader, correctly spelled "tutelary" (having guardianship of a person or thing), to prevail over 17 other middle-school spellers at Maili Bible School.

Lawrence Castillo, 13, of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in 'Ewa Beach, took second place and will also advance to the state bee on March 11.

Komoda amazed the audience with his ability to spell the hardest words, but had to sheepishly ask his mother, Colette, how to spell the last name of his spelling coach and English teacher, Shawna Medeiros. He also credited his father, Kyle, with helping him study for the bee.

"My dad helps me a lot," Komoda said. "We go over the words and then he gives them to me and I spell them back to him."

"I was the assistant coach," a beaming Kyle Komoda said. Their strategy was to "just sort of cram. ... He was practically falling asleep, he was so tired."

Jordan said the only time he was worried was on the very last word, because he said he knew if he missed it, he would have to go on to far more difficult words.

Lawrence Castillo won a three-way spell-off for second place by correctly spelling "pyroclastic."

"I had heard of that word before," said Castillo, who displayed calm and confidence through all 15 rounds of competition. He is the son of James and Mary Ann Castillo of 'Ewa Beach.

Castillo's coach is Laverne Suster, who is also his homeroom teacher.

Komoda was one of four spellers left when he nailed "tutelary." The next three students misspelled their words, making Komoda the winner. Castillo then won the three-person spell-off.

Both students will advance to The Advertiser's 22nd annual Hawai'i State Spelling Bee on March 11. The bee will be televised on channel OC-16.

The state winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in May in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.