Castle Football Outlook: Light In Weight, Heavy In Potential

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The Castle Knights practice hard during the off-season to be ready for their spring game, set for May 30. Photo by Leah Ball .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Champions may be crowned in November, but football players are made in the months out of public view. That mind-set has always served the Knights, to hear head coach Nelson Maeda tell it.

“The bottom line is you have to pay your dues and put the time in,” said Maeda, whose team went 3-3 in the OIA Red East conference and 3-5 overall last season. “We try to give ourselves a chance to win during the season by working hard in the off-season. We’re happy with the progress we’ve seen over these last 14 weeks. They’ve responded, and we’re left now with a group of loyal and committed kids, and we’re looking for them to bond together and move on.”

Castle’s 2008 season started Monday when they began a two-week period of spring drills, in which they are allotted 10 practices. While the spring season moves nicely into summer sessions and 7-on-7 passing leagues, the next two weeks figure to be of perhaps more value to the coaches, who will see their players in “live contact drills.” On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Knights will be in helmet before being allowed to wear the entire top half of their equipment on Thursday and Friday. Castle will be in full gear for all five of next week’s sessions. The Knights’ spring game is set May 30.

While much emphasis this off-season was spent on increasing speed, quickness and strength, eliminating the big play will be a huge priority for the Knights.

“In the games we lost, we gave up a lot of points, and big plays were the reason,” said Maeda, noting his team gave up 29, 25 and 36 points, respectively, in losses to Kalaheo, Farrington and Leilehua. “Our defense has been very consistent over the years - they’ve kept us in games - but we kind of wore down last season, and we’re looking for better play at certain positions.”

Castle gave up 12.4 points per contest in six league games last year, second only to league champion Kahuku. Offensively, they were hard-pressed to turn yardage into points, tallying a league-low 76 points.

As in past years, the Knights will depend heavily on two-way players, and Maeda praised the 11 who are projected as starters on both sides of the ball heading into spring. Among the select group of “Iron Men,” as Maeda has coined them, are Blake Rapozo (QB/DB), Kawehi Sablan (OLB/RB), K.J. Aipia (DE/WR), Mitchell Lum (LB), Nainoa Haitsuka (DB/WR), Loewn Rogers (DB/SB), Hans Reppuhn (DB/SB), Garrett Paredes (RB/LB), Mana Chang (OL/DL), Seth Ilae (OL/DL) and OL/LB Sesolu Cocker.

Sablan leads the way as the next in a long line of stellar linebackers in the program. A standout at outside linebacker the past two years, Maeda called him “one of the stalwarts of our defense.

“He had a very good junior year - he was one of our most consistent players,” Maeda said of Sablan, who is 5-feet-11, 195 pounds.“He’s very intelligent, and he has a lot of game savvy. He can read a play, he’s good fundamentally, and he pursues well.”

The offense will be led by senior quarterback Blake Rapozo, who split time last year with the since-departed Thomas Ilae.

“Hopefully, his experience from last year will help him,” Maeda said.“His strength is throwing the ball. We’re also looking for him to be an intelligent leader on the field who’ll make good decisions.”

Aipia could be one of the OIA’s top pass rushers after a promising junior season that included recording five sacks in a game with ILH team Kamehameha.“Like Kawehi, speed and quickness are his assets,” Maeda said. “He’s a great pass rusher who will anchor one side of the line.”

The Knights had traditionally been known as an undersized team amid the larger schools in the East Red until last year when they were blessed with more size up front. This fall, Maeda sees the resembling the smaller teams more from earlier in the decade.

“It will change our offensive thinking,” he admitted, noting that only one projected starter on the offensive line weighs more than 230 pounds.“We’ll want to change our system to fit our personnel. This year, more so, we’re smaller in size and depth. Last year we were bigger, but we struggled. We’re hoping to get a good foundation and rebound this year.”

Castle begins fall camp July 28.