Castle rallies late to post stunning win over Kaiser

Rayden Aoki | SL

It wasn't particularly pretty, but Knights found a way.

Castle squeezed past Kaiser in the closing seconds of the game, getting a two yard keeper by Rolly Gamez and a perfectly executed two-point conversion from Gamez to Logan Thompson on the ensuing conversion attempt to cap a stunning 22-21 win over Kaiser.

"I just pumped my feet, pumped feet, just running, trusting my linemen," said Gamez of the goal line plunge.

While the play selection on the touchdown wasn't much of a surprise, the pass play that the Knights dialed up on the point after seemingly was.

"That play worked because we kept pounding the run, and they (Kaiser) filled up the box and we just dumped it out," remarked Gamez. "That's how we won it."

Castle clearly leaned on its run game, especially in the second half, where it found success riding the legs of Aiden Kahele, who parlayed 18 second half carries into 102 yards.

With Kaiser forced to compensate more than it wanted to on the ground attack, Castle found pockets of success through the air, none bigger than a 36 yard pass play from Nai Kalauokaaea to Trisen Kalauokaaea for the game-tying score.

Injuries piled up for the Cougars in after halftime, as it lost starting RB Dillon Reis to an apparent leg injury and then QB BJ Rezentes was forced to sit as well. The absence of Rezentes pressed leading receiver Jesse Shinagawa into action at QB, where he was 4 for 8 for 31 yards, but threw two costly interceptions.

Shinagawa had the game's opening score, a beautifully placed ball from Rezentes that he caught in stride and raced past the Castle defense 69 yards for a score. He finished with three grabs for 85 yards.

Stll, the Cougars found just enough momentum in the fourth quarter, and cashed in on a 19 yard run to paydirt by Aiden Leong that had the home team up once again at the 8:35 mark.

Leong actually recovered the ensuing kickoff to get Kaiser the ball back well into Castle territory, but the Knights were able to get the ball back on an interception by Jyo Francis.

Kaiser then got the ball back on an interception of its own by Kash Kamauoha, putting the home team seemingly in prime position in Castle territory. That momemtum lasted a single play, as the ensuing snap was not fielded properly and was eventually recovered by the Knights' Keawe Mahelona.

On the Knights' game-winning drive, a pass interference call in the end zone on Kaiser set up Castle just outside the one yard line, ultimately setting up the game clinching score by Gamez.

The home team had one final shot at taking the lead in the dying seconds, but Castle's Titus Kamalii picked off a pass as the game clock hit zeros to ice it.