Knights Playing At Home — Finally
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usLooking at Castle High’s won-loss record over the past two seasons, you’d never know the Knights played every game on the road.
Castle compiled an amazing 11-1 regular-season mark during that span, winning last year’s OIA Red East title outright along the way.
On Friday night, the Knights play their first home game since 2004 when Campbell visits the Castle campus for a pre-season encounter. Castle’s football stadium has undergone an extensive renovation that included new seating - a boost for a program that has established itself among the state’s best over the past decade.
“We got used to playing on the road, but it’s always a bonus to play at home,“said coach Nelson Maeda. “When you’re at home, you’re used to the surroundings and you can focus in on the game more instead of getting on a bus and having to re-focus when you get there.”
In Campbell, the Knights will meet a team that always demands that opponents concentrate hard. The Sabers are the only OIA team that runs the wing-T offense, a four-back set.
“It’s very big on the Mainland - it has a cult following - and they run it very well,“admits Maeda.“It’s hard to prepare for. It’s all angle blocking, and there’s a lot of deception involved with the quarterback often faking to two people. It forces you to defend the whole field, and there’s always the threat of play-action (passes). If you’re not very disciplined, it can be very tough (to combat).”
The Knights were done in last season by Campbell’s play-action passing game in a 49-30 pre-season loss, in large part because of the Sabers’ potent run game.
“Their forte is running the ball - they make no bones about it,” said Maeda,whose team was to travel to Kapolei for a scrimmage over the weekend.“Your defense has to be fundamentally sound against the run. Our front seven are going to have to be able to take on blocks and be physical.
“I like to play teams like Campbell. They’re always blessed with great size. We’re looking forward to it in terms of team development.”
Offensively,Bryce Ukauka gets the call at quarterback for the Knights. “He’s making good progress, and a lot of our offense will revolve around him,” Maeda said.
As the Knights continue building toward their regular-season opener at home Aug. 25 against Kalaheo, he praised his team’s work in the off-season, always the cornerstone of the program.
“The demands of football today require that you work in the off-season,“said Maeda, who led Castle to its first win over Kahuku in 17 years last September.“Gone are the days of just showing up to play on the first (official) day of practice. Mentally, this team has put in the time to prepare themselves for the season.We’ve had a very good commitment from them since February.”
A corps of stellar two-way players - linebacker/wide receiver Corey Paredes, slot-back/defensive back Scott Kieter-Charles, slot-back/defensive back Jesse Humalon and slot-back/defensive back Seth Estioka - will provide early leadership for the Knights.
“Those four will be very key players for us,” Maeda said. “They’re looking good.”
The Sabers have thrived in recent years under coach Tumoana Kenessey,winning both the Division II OIA and state football championship in 2004. Campbell went 6-1 last year (tied for first with Radford and Moanalua) in the OIA’s White Conference and has won four Division titles in the last six years. This fall they move up to Division I, where they’ll compete in the OIA’s Red West Division.
Campbell’s most visible performer is senior Matthew Masafilo, a 6-foot-4-inch, 260-pound offensive lineman who is currently being recruited by Stanford,Oregon, Oregon State, Illinois, Washington and Auburn, among other Division I colleges.
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