One game into the OIA Red playoffs, Waianae still doesn’t know if it can throw the ball when it needs to, mostly because it hasn’t had to find out.

The Seariders ran the ball 52 times for 256 yards and threw it only nine times in a 37-7 win over Castle in Waianae’s last home game of the season on Saturday night.

Four different Seariders carried the mail to the end zone against Castle’s bunch of ironmen. About the only one not to score was fullback Mahvan Tau. All he did was contribute crushing blocks to spring them and carry the ball nine times for 70 yards.

"I’m fine with that, anything to contribute to the team," Tau said. "I kind of expected we would be able to run the ball actually. We have been drilling the same thing over and over all week."

Jemery Willes totaled 99 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Kekoa Kaluhiokalani had 71 and two scores, Ronald Matautia bulled into the end zone on his only carry and Trensten Spragling added a 17-yard score on one of his two attempts.

"They came out on all four cylinders," Castle coach Nelson Maeda said. "They looked really crisp and sharp and they deserve where they are right now. It’s going to be a great matchup against Kahuku, Waianae looked very, very good tonight."

The Seariders will visit the Red Raiders next week in the quarterfinals after losing to them on the same field in an emotional game last year. When all was said and done and Kahuku won the state title, Waianae could claim that they might have given them the hardest time.

"I know we should have had it last year," Tau said. "Right now I am 0-1 to them, but all we have to do this year is go down there and do what we do."

What Waianae does is run the ball, and it took a little while to get going. Tough little Castle forced a fumble on a field goal to end Waianae’s first drive and followed it up by forcing punts the next two times out.

Kaluhiokalani, the three-year starter at QB who finished 4-for-9 passing, put an end to the drama when he got the ball at midfield following an interception by his defense. It took Kaluhiokalani one play to cover the 50 yards, turning a draw into a touchdown as he weaved through Castle’s defense.

Kaluhiokalani was intercepted the next time he got the ball, then settled down to the easier job of handing off to the guys behind him.

Waianae’s second score came off a 12-play drive and its third came after five plays. The Seariders ran over the Knights all night, especially in the second half when Castle wore down.

"We have to be more sharp from the get-go," Waianae coach Danny Matsumoto said. "You have to give them credit, most of those guys play two ways and that’s a tough job.

"They are real ironmen at Castle. They’ve got heart."