Disciplined Kalaheo thumps mistake-prone Castle

After a tough loss at Kahuku last week, coach Chris Mellor and the Kalaheo Mustangs knew only one way to respond.

A resounding 29-13 homecoming win over Castle last night seemed to fit the bill.

The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East) remained in contention for the division title and dealt the Knights (2-3, 2-1) their first loss in league play.

"It was important, it was important," Mellor said. "We feel as a team we let (the 33-26 loss at Kahuku) get away; we should have won that game. That was our burning fire to get us through this week. We wanted to solidify what we do and we needed to beat these guys."

Kalaheo quarterback Cody vonAppen threw for a touchdown and directed his running backs, Max Karsten and Larry Soto, for a combined 112 yards and three scores.

Both teams played solid in the first quarter, ending with a 7-7 draw. But the Mustangs outscored the Knights 15-0 in the second and third quarters.

"They're well coached, they're very disciplined," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said of Kalaheo's veer option offense. "They were the better team, by far."

Kalaheo dominated the second quarter, thanks in part to a 3-yard touchdown run by Larry Soto. The Knights made an important stop, however, on the final play of the half, stuffing Karsten at the 1-yard line as Castle kept it to a six-point, 13-7 deficit.

However, the third quarter was a train wreck for Castle, as the Knights finished with negative yardage. A total of 10 penalties for 110 yards - including three personal fouls and an ejection - throughout the game only exacerbated things for Castle. VonAppen hooked up with Kao Malama-Custer on an 8-yard score, and Nathan Johnson nailed a 26-yard field goal to take a 22-7 lead after three.

"Our penalties gave them opportunities and chances to win," Maeda said. "We were very inefficient, and couldn't produce at all."

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