Kona Andres threw for three touchdowns to help Leilehua hold off Castle 27-26 in an OIA Red matchup on Friday night.
Andres threw for 248 yards as the Mules (1-3, 1-2 OIA Red) picked up their first win of the season. Less than a minute after Castle tied the game at 20, Andres connected with Ty Keough on a 42-yard score with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter. Connor Murakami’s PAT made it 27-20.
“Just so proud of the kids, they battled back, made a lot of mistakes, they kept fighting through, bouncing back and picking each other up,” said Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda.
Castle (2-3, 2-2 OIA Red) responded with its second touchdown of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 27-26 on Willie Ewaliko’s 43-yard pass to Paul Tyquiengco with 2:19 left. But Ewaliko, who made two PAT attempts earlier in the game, missed.
The Knights had one more opportunity, getting the ball back with 20 seconds remaining. But Ewaliko couldn’t complete two passes and was sacked on the final play of the game.
“This is a Castle that’s well disciplined, all heart,” Tokuda said.
Leilehua held Castle scoreless in the third, swarming over Ewaliko to limit his options. But Castle broke through in the fourth quarter, using just four plays to advance from its 32 into the end zone. Ewaliko connected with Jeremy McGoldrick on a 9-yard score to tie it at 20 with 4:54 left. But Castle couldn’t hang onto the ball on the PAT attempt.
Andres connected on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hoaka Costorio Carvalho to open the game.
Castle tied it 7-7 on Ewaliko’s keeper from a yard out with a minute left in the first quarter.
Leilehua responded right away on the ensuing kickoff. Keough returned the ball 89 yards to put the Mules ahead 13-7.
Andres helped Leilehua extend its lead to 20-7 on an 8-yard pass to Anthony Ugalino with 11:51 left in the second quarter.
Castle reached the Leilehua 5 midway through the third quarter before an incomplete pass and sack on Ewaliko forced the Knights to punt.
Ewaliko threw for 279 yards in the loss. Castle’s Tyquiengco intercepted Andres twice. He returned one of them for a 35-yard score late in the second quarter.
