Duo leads Castle to close victory over Waipahu

Castle quarterback Willie Ewaliko didn’t have receiver Jeremy McGoldrick available for much of Friday’s game against Waipahu. But when he did, the electrifying pass-catch combo provided enough production for the Knights to hold off the visiting Marauders 35-32 in an OIA Red shootout.

Ewaliko threw four touchdown passes, three going to McGoldrick, who finished with 102 receiving yards despite limited playing time.

McGoldrick didn’t start and racked up his total in just about two quarters of play. He also had an interception from his safety spot on defense.

"Everybody knows he’s our go-to guy," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said. "But we was very fatigued. He missed a practice or two (due to) illness. So he didn’t start and we tried to insert him and gradually get him involved in the game."

The third touchdown from Ewaliko to McGoldrick gave Castle a nine-point cushion with 5:30 left in the game. Waipahu closed to within a field goal on quarterback Blaise De Asis’ second touchdown run of the game at the 2:56 mark.

But Castle managed to hang on to improve to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the OIA Red.

Waipahu running back Gavin Quelnan ran for 118 yards on 17 carries and scored twice to help keep the Marauders (2-2, 2-1) close throughout the night.

"I think we played well enough to win," Maeda said. "It wasn’t a pretty win, but fortunately we were able to make plays when we need to. But we made it very interesting."

Waipahu took the opening kickoff and marched 54 yards in five plays and De Asis gave the Marauders the lead with a 3-yard keeper around the left side.

Castle answered with a nine-play, 81-yard scoring drive with Quinn Aquino finishing it off with an 8-yard run.

Castle twice took possession inside the Waipahu 20 on a fumble recovery and a fake punt that came up short for the Marauders. But the Waipahu defense held both times when Jordan Williams came up with the first of his two first-half interceptions and the Marauders stopped the Knights on downs.

Castle broke the tie in the second quarter when Ewaliko lofted a throw to McGoldrick down the right side for a 35-yard touchdown pass.

Waipahu attempted another fake punt later in the quarter and this time converted with Matthew Leilua’s 38-yard run up the middle on fourth-and 37. The Marauders later faced a fourth-and-15 when De Asis’s deep throw down the right side was tipped skyward and fell into the hands of Leoncio Ea for a 35-yard touchdown.

Waipahu maintained the momentum with an interception that the Marauders converted into a five-play scoring drive and took a 19-14 lead when Quelnan scored on a 7-yard run with 37 seconds left in the half.

The Maruaders attempted an onside kick and Castle recovered at its 45. Two plays later, McGoldrick turned a wide receiver screen into a 55-yard touchdown to give the Knights a 22-19 lead going into halftime.

Waipahu forced a punt to open the third quarter, but Castle retained possession when the ball touched a Marauder and the Knights recovered at the Waipahu 35. Ewaliko then completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Royce Simeona-Townsend to extend the Knights’ lead to 28-19.

Quelnan broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run, but Ewaliko’s 11-yard scoring pass to McGoldrick on fourth down proved just enough for the Knights to hang on.