Maeda’s Team Ready To Roll
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usNelson Maeda always divides Castle football season in two - the rival game with Kailua and then the rest of the schedule.
Knight pride in this rivalry is clear from the Hammer Trophy (awarded to the winner of the annual civil war game) on prominent display in Maeda’s office.
“This trophy serves as a reminder as to ‘The Game,’” he explained. To be sure, the Kailua-Castle game couldn’t have a more qualified spokesman than Maeda, who has been on every angle of the series. In the ‘70s, he was a two-way standout for the Surfriders (who won all three games between the schools) and also was Kailua head coach for two years in the early ‘80s. Now in his 15th season as Castle head coach, Maeda
has an impressive 9-5 mark versus Kailua and has led the Knights to wins in seven of the last eight meetings.
The only thing that could top this year’s game, set for Saturday night at Kailua, is a probable rematch in the playoffs next month, given that both teams already are assured of post-season play.
Maeda recently took time away from his preparations to discuss the matchup.
What do you remember most about playing against Castle? Kailua had been dominating its Windward rivals for years and we didn’t want to be the team to break that streak by losing. We beat Castle three years in a row while I was a prepster. It seems that the game has intensified as the years have gone on. There are so many community, business, family ties within both communities that the game becomes bragging rights till the following season when they meet again.
Is there a key matchup in this game? The battle will be in the trenches between the offensive and defensive lines. Whoever wins the battle will give its offense the edge to pass/run the ball. Kailua, as always, is very huge in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The key for Castle is: Will we be able to neutralize their DL tenacity and athletic ability and can we get an edge over their offensive line?
Is there an individual matchup that stands out for this game? Our top defensive back, Kui Alimoot, will be covering Kailua’s go-to guy Eric Lum. We must be able to contain the big plays and force their quarterback to go to their second and third pass options.”
What has impressed you about Kailua as you watched them on film and in person? Their size and athletic ability. They have a young QB who has a lot of poise and maturity for a sophomore. He sees the field well, makes good decisions, has a nice touch to his throws, and is able to accurately throw the short, medium and long ball well, and gets rid of the ball quickly. Kailua has a complete change in offensive philosophy, molding its offense around its young QB. In half a season, they’ve been able to install a passing attack that’s effective and efficient in putting points on the board. Their big people are always well-coached, and I rank them among the best in our division. The question is: How can we counter their size, athletic ability and sound fundamentals?
Special teams play is often critical in big games. How are your special teams coming along? Although we won the Kaiser game on a big special-teams play (a punt return) and were one PAT point better, we still need to be more consistent. The protection teams - punt and kickoff teams - need to be sound and flawless. A mistake here could mean an unforgiving TD. We need to win this facet of the game and gain an advantage.
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