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The Kapolei Hurricanes didn’t need record-setting performances to play another solid game.
They got some special moments anyway. Taulia Tagovailoa passed for a school-record 534 yards with six touchdowns in three quarters as No. 7 Kapolei pulled away for a 41-0 win over Castle on Friday night.
The win sets up the Hurricanes (6-3) for a quarterfinal battle with unbeaten Kahuku next week at the Red Raiders’ field.
"Our O-line, they did a great job and gave Taulia lots of protection," coach Darren Hernandez said. "We’ve never been to these heights with passing the ball. It was a great game for our offense, defense and special teams. We know what’s facing us in the next round. To be a top-caliber team, you have to beat the best teams. I’d say right now Kahuku has the best defense, special teams and running game in the state."
Castle finished the season 3-6 overall, suiting up fewer than 30 players.
"It was complete domination by Kapolei. They made all the plays," Knights coach Nelson Maeda said. "It’s disappointing we couldn’t give them a better game."
Tagovailoa was cold early on, hitting just one of his first seven attempts. Then he got hot, finding Ty-Noah Williams for touchdown strikes of 57 and 75 yards. He also connected with Jenesus Tago-Su’e on a 39-yard catch-and-run score.
Kapolei led 20-0 at the half, but it easily could have been a bigger lead. Tagovailoa had 325 passing yards by intermission.
"We counted at least 13 or 14 dropped passes," Hernandez said.
After Williams turned a sideline pass into a zig-zag 49-yard touchdown, the ‘Canes had a 27-0 lead with 9:21 to play.
Moments later, Leon Lee picked off a long pass by Willie Ewaliko in the end zone and returned it to midfield. That set up the next ‘Canes TD, a 9-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Jaymin Sarono for a 34-point lead.
With offensive lineman Toleafoa Sean Auwae out (injury), Tagovailoa still had time to throw, but was sacked for the first time late in the third quarter.
He threw his sixth TD pass on the last play of the third, a 59-yard pass to Williams.
The senior wide receiver finished with seven receptions for a school-record 313 yards and four touchdowns. His yardage total fell just short of the Oahu record of 319 yards accumulated by Kailua’s David Kaihenui in 2002 against Campbell.
Kapolei’s defense kept a lid on the elusive Ewaliko, who finished with 177 passing yards and 24 rushing yards.
"We spent a lot of time studying video. We had to contain Ewaliko," said defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, who had 2.5 sacks. "We used a lot of stunts on their O-line."