OIA RED EAST FOOTBALL: Castle holds off McKinley, 21-7

KANE'OHE -- Ikaika Urasaki caught 12 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, returned an interception 59 yards for another TD and finished with 150 all-purpose yards Friday night to help Castle hold off McKinley, 21-7, in O'ahu Interscholastic Association football action.

The Knights, coming off two straight heartbreaking defeats, improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the OIA Red Conference Eastern Division on Homecoming/Senior Night. The Tigers fell to 3-2, 2-1.

Urasaki, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound junior, caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Pono Makekau on the final play of the first quarter and then kicked the extra point to make it 7-0. He later made a 24-yard TD reception with 1:36 remaining in the half and tacked on the PAT to put Castle ahead, 14-0, at the break.

McKinley later cut that lead in half 15 seconds before the end of the third quarter after Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta's 7-yard scoring burst, but the Knights effectively sealed the victory with Urasaki's 59-yard interception return back to the house with 3:28 left.

Castle quarterback Pono Makekau completed 22 of 29 passes for 199 yards, but left the game late in the third quarter and did not return.


MCKINLEY (3-2, 2-1) 0 0 7 0 -- 7
CASTLE (2-3, 1-2) 7 7 0 7 -- 21

Castle -- Ikaika Urasaki 16 pass from Pono Makekau (Urasaki kick)
Castle -- Urasaki 24 pass from Makekau (Urasaki kick)
McK -- Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta 7 run (Liva Logoi kick)
Castle -- Urasaki 59 interception return (Laura Tyler kick)

RUSHING -- McKinley: Tuitele-Iafeta 7-27, Malik Kuhia 1-8, Denzel Kalahiki-Gasper 10-5, Gerime Bradley 11-52, Kona Bagood-Makanui 3-15. Castle: Makanaola Kalahiki-Rombawa 7-11, Makekau 5-(minus-8), Stephen Lee 2-(minus-14).

PASSING -- McKinley: Kalahiki-Rombawa 16-32-1--135. Castle: Makekau 22-29-0--199, Lee 7-15-0--42.

RECEIVING -- McKinley: Kuhia 3-12, Kiaipono Kini 2-2, Micah Kerisiano 5-43, Tyrell Tuiasosopo 3-50, Bagood-Makanui 1-10, Chevas Pacheco 1-16, Kaiwi Pemberton 1-2. Castle: Micah Helemano 3-15, Joseph Lilio 3-32, Isaac Pakele 6-65, Ikaika Urasaki 12-108, Isaiah Lewis 3-13, Ikaika Kanekoa 2-8.