Saturday, October 20, 2001

[ PREP FOOTBALL ]

Oahu Interscholastic Association / Neighbor Islands

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kailua's Nathan Leaver looks for running
room against Castle's defense.

Castle claims
Windward supremacy

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By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

Castle rallied from a 17-3 first-half deficit to claim Windward Oahu bragging rights with a 36-29 win over Kailua last night in Kaneohe.

The Knights improved to 6-1 and clinched at least a second-place finish in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's Red Conference with the win before a standing-room-only crowd at Castle's field. Kailua fell to 6-2.

"It means so much to us," said Castle coach Nelson Maeda. "Homecoming against the arch-rivals, it's a big, big win for us."

Castle quarterback Joel Botelho recovered from a slow start to complete 11 of 21 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The senior also rushed for two scores, including the 42-yard clinching score with a minute left in the game.

"We started out flat and it was all my fault," Botelho said. "I came out too hyper or whatever. But luckily the team came to play."

Kailua pounded the Knights on the ground for much of the game. Running back Brenton Harbottle, who rushed for 201 yards last week, carried the ball 32 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

Harbottle rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown in the first half to help power the Surfriders to the early lead.

Castle posted the lone score of the first quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Nolan Miranda.

But Kailua dominated the first 10 minutes of the second quarter with a punishing ground attack led by Harbottle and Nathan Leaver.

The Surfrider defense swallowed up Botelho on Castle's ensuing drive as Felipo Mokofisi sacked him twice. Cody Texeira-Vickery then blocked a Botelho punt, sending the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

After Castle's free kick, Kailua drove 55 yards on five plays, capped by a 20-yard touchdown by McDonald Abejon on a perfectly executed screen pass from Taleki Mailau. Mailau ran in the two-point conversion to give Kailua a 17-3 lead.

"Things looked pretty bleak at that point because they were moving the chains up and down the field," Maeda said. "We needed to regroup and regain our composure. We lost our composure a little there."

Castle stormed back on its next drive. Botelho, who started by missing on his first four passes, completed four in a row, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dayton Ah Nee for the Knights' first score.

Harbottle fumbled the ball back to Castle on Kailua's next play from scrimmage. Botelho capitalized with a 17-yard scoring pass to Loren Lum. Lum caught the ball on the Kailua 5 and was led into the end zone on a block by Miranda, whose extra point tied the game at 17 at halftime.

Mailau and Botelho scored on 1-yard runs and the teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 23.

Castle took the lead on Ah Nee's 36-yard fumble return. Kailua then embarked on a 12-play drive covering 80 yards, capped by a 1-yard run by Harbottle to pull the Surfriders to 30-29.

The Surfriders elected to go for the two-point conversion, but Mailau's pass was intercepted by Castle cornerback Bronson Melemai in the end zone. Melemai was called for pass interference a few plays earlier to help keep the Kailua drive alive.

"I was lost the whole time until I saw Taleki roll out," Melemai said. "It was dog luck ... I thought they were going to run all the way."

Castle iced the game on Botelho's 42-yard sweep around the left side on fourth-and-two with 1:02 left in the game.

Kailua faces Kaimuki next week, while Castle travels to Leilehua.

Kahuku 54, Campbell 14: The defending state champions clinched a tie for the Red Conference championship with a homecoming rout of the Sabers.

Inoke Funaki tossed five touchdown passes to four different receivers. Loga Fonoimoana caught two of the scoring throws.

OIA WHITE

Roosevelt 43, Moanalua 7: The Rough Riders put on an offensive and defensive show for the homecoming crowd in dominating the Menehunes.

OIA White passing leader Chris Mols sat out the first offensive series because of an unexcused absence from practice.

Mols entered the game on the Rough Riders' second series and promptly threw a 34-yard touchdown to Jerry Perreira.

Mols finished with three touchdown passes and completed passes to nine different receivers, despite missing almost the entire second half with a calf injury and having to face a Moanalua defense that rushed three and kept eight in coverage.

The RoughRiders' top-ranked defense limited the Menehunes to a single score, intercepted three passes and held the OIA White's leading receiver, James Strombach, to less than half his yards-per-game average.

Next week Roosevelt will challenge Aiea for the division championship at Aloha Stadium, and Moanalua will travel to Kalani.

Waipahu 47, Pearl City 7: Branden Chung had three touchdown receptions (24, 29 and 63 yards) to help the Marauders clinch a playoff berth.

Paulo Aga started the rout with a 26-yard scamper, and Travis Atualevao capped off the scoring with his only two carries -- touchdown runs of 62 and 12 yards.

Aiea 34, Kaiser 21: Lole Laolagi broke former Kaiser quarterback BJ Bernard's single-season touchdown passing record, throwing four last night to run his total to 28 as Na Alii remained unbeaten in the White Conference.

Kaiser drove into the Aiea red zone twice in the first half but failed to score. In the fourth quarter Kaiser looked like they might rally on a Marc Esteban scoring reception but a Faasalele Neemia 9 yard touchdown run ended Kaiser's chances. Esteban leads the OIA in receptions with 49. Both teams used a no-huddle, shotgun offense throughout the night.

Aiea is tied for first with Roosevelt. They meet in a regular season finale at Aloha Stadium next week. Kaiser travels to Pearl City.

MIL

King Kekaulike 17, St. Anthony's 6: Na Alii did their homecoming crowd proud, holding the visiting Trojans to 37 first-half yards.

With KingKekaulike up 7-6, Kona Quinabo sealed the game by scoring on a 2-yard off-tackle rumble. The run capped a 50-yard drive.

At the end of the first half St. Anthony's had a chance to stay within reach. It drove to the King Kekaulike 2 but failed to punch it in on four tries.

Na Alii defensive backs Dain Shimabuku, Raymond Foster and Ikaika Kawai provided key coverage in the goal-line stand.

King Kekaulike has a bye next week and St. Anthony's faces Lahainaluna.

SCHEDULE Junior varsity games start at 5 p.m., varsity games follow, except where noted. Yesterday OIA red Castle 36, Kailua 29 Kahuku 54, Campbell 14 Waianae 27, Mililani 7 OIA white Aiea 34, Kaiser 21 Kalaheo 21, Nanakuli 20 Roosevelt 43, Moanalua 7 Pearl City 47, Waipahu 7 ILH Iolani 47, Damien 0 BIIF Waiakea 15, Hilo 14 Konawaena 14, Kealakehe 7 KIF Waimea 42, Kapaa 0 MIL King Kekaulike 17, St. Anthony 6 Today OIA red Leilehua vs. Farrington (homecoming), at Moanalua Kaimuki vs. McKinley (homecoming), at Roosevelt OIA white Kalani at Waialua ILH At Aloha Stadium Pac-Five vs. St. Louis, 4:45 p.m. Kamehameha vs. Punahou, 7:30 p.m. BIIF Honokaa at Hawaii Prep, 2 p.m. Kohala at Keaau, 7 p.m. MIL Baldwin vs. Lahainaluna, at War Memorial Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

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