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Teams Prepare For Yearly Knights-Surfriders Game Friday

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Army vs. Navy. Ohio State vs. Michigan. USC vs. UCLA. Bears vs. Packers. Kailua vs. Castle.

If you think the latter shouldn’t be linked with the others, then you don’t live on the Windward side. Plainly, you won’t convince anyone with ties to either Castle or Kailua that their annual meeting isn’t among the best rivalries on any football field.

“The game itself brings out the best in both,” said Castle coach Nelson Maeda, whose team visits the Surfriders Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. “The won-loss record doesn’t really matter when we play. You could be 0-6 and play your best game of the season. Both teams always know they have to bring their A-game.

“Back when I played, Kalaheo had just opened and was an upand-coming program, so the Castle-Kailua game was the game on the Windward side,” he added. “You have so many families with members on both sides.”

Maeda has perhaps the most unique perspective of anyone on the Castle-Kailua rivalry. He’s truly lived it from all angles, having prepped at Kailua, where he was part of wins over the Knights in both the 1973 and ‘74 seasons. Following his college career at University of Hawaii, where he played for Larry Price and Dick Tomey, respectively, he returned to Kailua to be the Surfriders’ head coach for the 1980 and ‘81 seasons. He was then only 21 years old, having recently finished a stint as a student teacher at Kailua when he was offered the job.

“It was trial by fire,” Maeda said of his time as the Kailua head coach. His Surfrider teams lost both rival games to the Knights.

“I never imagined I would end up at Castle,” said Maeda, who lives in Kailua, a mile-anda-half from the high school. “Loyalty runs deep as a player. Now, I’ve been at Castle for 23 years or so. The rivalry has continued to be as fierce as before. It will be on the tips of everyone’s tongue in the community this week.”

Even last week, as the Knights were preparing for an equally demanding game with McKinley, the Kailua game was near the surface in Castle’s collective mind-set.

“It’s difficult not to think about Kailua,” admitted Maeda late last week.

The series has tilted much in the Knights’ favor in recent years. They enter Friday’s game having won six in a row and eight of the last nine meetings between the schools in a rivalry that dates back to 1951.

As intriguing matchups go, this year’s battle may be the best yet. The Knights entered the weekend at 2-1 in the OIA Red East division and close out their season next week against Kahuku, which plays Farrington in another game Friday night likely to have a big impact on the league race.

Conversely, Kailua has been the state’s hard-luck team this fall with three losses by a touchdown or less - to McKinley (21-20), Kaimuki (21-14) and Farrington (17-14). The Surfriders also had the misfortune of losing projected starting quarterback Kenny Ellis to an injury. Kailua’s tough times only make them seem more dangerous around the Castle program, according to Maeda.

“They’re a very hungry team that’s ready to explode,” he said. “They’ve improved with every game, and they’re very big and physical. They manhandled Farrington (in a 17-14 loss Sept. 29), and I haven’t seen anybody do that to Farrington all season.”

As in past years, Castle has relied on its defense this fall, especially a highly regarded line-backing trio of Mitchell Lum, Kawehi Sablan and Kevin Aipia Jr. “Our defense has been consistent this year,” Maeda said. “They’ve bent, but haven’t broken, and they’ve given the offense opportunities.”

The Knights also have received solid play from twoway performers Garrett Paredes, Shaydon Kehano, Mana Chang, Joe Kaahu, Lowen Rogers and Hans Reppuhn. How well its front seven fare against Kailua’s large and agile offensive line could go a long way in determining Friday night’s outcome. The Surfriders divided their carries among running backs Isaac Sato (10 attempts, 51 yards) and Styren Kahale (10 attempts, 26 yards) in their game with Farrington.

“It’s hard to neutralize their size, so we’ll have to rely on guys filling gaps and pursuing to the ball,” Maeda said. “Kailua’s size is a big concern. Year in and year out, they’re strong on the offensive line, and they’re always well coached. The quarterback, (Bobby) Lastimosa, has done a good job of running their offense, and he has a nice arm.”