Strategies For Castle-Kahuku OIA Red East Matchup
By Jack Danilewicz
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Some things you guess at, some things you assume, and some things you just know. Here’s a closer look at Friday’s game between host Kahuku and Castle.
What to watch: Bragging rights aside, this is huge for both teams in the final match on the OIA Red East slate. Kahuku was still undefeated heading into last week’s Farrington game and is currently ranked 23rd nationally by Rivals100.Com. A win over the Governors last weekend would clinch at least a share of the Red East crown for Kahuku, which is the defending OIA champion as well as the 2009 Division I state tournament runner-up.
Castle entered last week-end’s Kailua game stinging from an upset loss on the road at Roosevelt. As a result, the Knights need a win this weekend for positioning purposes in the playoffs.
Despite their 2005 and 1988 triumphs in the series, Castle has been highly competitive with the Red Raiders in most years.
Key for Kahuku: Tackle in space; run the ball on offense. Castle is sure to make plays in the passing game with Jaymason Lee at the controls and a stable of quick and agile receivers, so Kahuku needs to limit yards after the catch as much as possible. And their defense just keeps getting better, having yielded only six points in their previous three games.
Offensively, Kahuku’s passing game may have come to life, but its run game is as productive as ever, having produced an OIA East Red-best 1,238 yards entering last weekend’s action. Conversely, Castle is giving up 150 yards per game on the ground and has yielded three or more touchdowns in three of the last four weeks, so expect the Red Raiders to make a concerted effort to run the ball. More likely, however, Kahuku will have to throw it effectively to win.
Key for Castle: Play turnover-free on offense and eliminate the big play on the defensive side. It goes without saying the Knights will have to maximize every scoring opportunity, since Kahuku has given up only six points in its last three games.
The Knights have played some great games in the Kahuku series, but it is their last win, 23-6 in 2005, that is worth re-visiting. The recipe for success that night was a bend-but-don’t-break defense and huge plays through the air, offensively. That figures to be the recipe again. While the Red Raiders’ defense has been stout, limiting opponents to just 196.3 yards per game, it has been over a month since they faced a team that wants to throw the ball first and foremost. Indeed, Kahuku has beaten a trio of teams (Roosevelt, Kaiser and Moanalua) that run the ball better than they throw it. The only two teams to reach the 20-point plateau versus the Red Raiders in 2010 were Kailua and Saint Louis, teams with solid passing attacks. That’s good news for Castle.
Key matchup: Castle’s front seven versus the Kahuku offensive line. Can the Knights hold up in the interior? They were up to the task last season in Kahuku’s 19-14 win in the semifinals of the OIA playoffs and will have to be this week. While the Red Raiders are far more diverse, offensively, having gone more to multiple formations, one thing still hasn’t changed: their ability to wear down opponents. A big key for Castle will be getting off the field on third down, defensively, so it won’t get worn down by long, time-consuming drives. Castle positioned itself to win last year’s OIA playoff game by containing the Red Raider run game, holding it to 104 yards on 33 carries - an average of just 3.1 yards per attempt.
Key individual matchup: Castle defensive back Kui Alimoot versus Kahuku receivers Punga Vea and/or Shairone Thompson. Kahuku is already a load to defend on the ground with backs Aofaga Wily, Tyrone Brown, Fonoivasa Mataafa, Sterling Moe and Tigi Hill. As Castle’s best cover man in the secondary, Alimoot will be critical to the defensive effort as they look to eliminate big plays in the passing game.
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