Senituli Punivai would not be denied in the latest edition of the Windward-side rivalry.
Punivai, a converted quarterback, rolled up 233 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Knights’ new hybrid wildcat system, and Castle defeated visiting Kailua 38-21 on Friday night.
“I told my boys this week, just like I said last year (after) homecoming, we lost to them,” Punivai said of Kailua, “and every week I keep coming to practice, keep telling them, ‘hey, let’s work hard, let’s make a different statement, and let’s get this dub (win) today. And we did.”
Castle (3-4 overall, 3-3 OIA Division I) is still alive for an OIA playoff berth with a key game at Aiea next week.
Punivai, a 5-foot-11 senior, put Kailua away with scoring runs of 15 and 18 yards in the final 3:13, each following a muffed Kailua return — one on a punt and one on a skied kickoff. He had a first-half score from 12 yards.
Punivai’s 233 yards, on 30 carries, were the second-most rushing for any Castle player in a game. Nicasio Rediros had 249 against Moanalua in 1978.
“Very, very, very proud and excited for how he’s learned and excelled,” said Castle coach John Hao, who had the running back start taking direct snaps two weeks prior in a win at Nanakuli. Punivai led them to a 45-33 homecoming win over Radford last week.
“It was a little rough for him in the beginning, but sometimes you gotta break the butterflies and hit the ground running, and that’s exactly what it is,” Hao said.
Except for Castle’s first series Friday, when the Knights were dropped for a loss of 2 on three straight plays, and a second-half red-zone stand by Kailua, Punivai was borderline unstoppable again — at least on the ground. He completed only two passes for 16 yards and threw two deep interceptions.
Burly running back Bruce Pakele helped make up for it with two touchdowns from close range.
The Surfriders, coming off their first win of the season, 27-0 against Nanakuli last week, were held to 29 yards of offense in the first half and trailed 17-7 at halftime. But they drew to within three to open the second half after a huge kickoff return by Shayden Baker helped yield Lahaina Kane’s 2-yard run.
“Turnovers and tackling,” Kailua coach Joseph Wong said. “Guys just gotta do their job. Again, you can’t turn over the ball right after the defense gets you the ball … we just gotta do a better job of taking care of the football, and somebody’s gotta step up and be a quarterback. I mean, I think Raynen (Ho-Mook) kind of stepped a little bit forward. He did some good things.”
GAME SUMMARY
Castle 38, Kailua 21
At Castle
>> Kailua (1-6, 1-4) 7 0 14 0 — 21
>> Castle (3-4, 3-3) 7 10 7 14 — 38
Kailua — Brian-Allen Kamanu 4 run (Miguel Alcaraz kick)
Castle — Bruce Pakele 1 run (Cheyden Costa kick)
Castle — FG Costa 40
Castle — Senituli Punivai 12 run (Makana Kiakona kick)
Kailua — Lahaina Kane 2 run (Alcaraz kick)
Castle — Pakele 3 run (Costa kick)
Kailua — Kamryn Kahoonei 23 pass from Raynen Ho-Mook (Alcaraz kick)
Castle — Punivai 15 run (Kiakona kick)
Castle — Punivai 18 run (Costa kick)
RUSHING — Kailua: Kamanu 11-65, Samson Rasay 11-18, Kase Oshiro 1-6, Myna Laurito 4-6, Kane 1-2, Cole Weber 1-0, Koalii Kama-Toth 1-(minus 3), Ho-Mook 6-(minus 19). Castle: Punivai 30-233, Pakele 10-37, Branden Frey 4-7, Keanu Tilton 1-3, Team 1-(minus 3).
PASSING — Kailua: Ho-Mook 8-12-0-109, Weber 0-3-0-0. Castle: Punivai 2-7-2-16.
RECEIVING — Kailua: Kaniala Williams 4-58, Kahoonei 1-23, Solomon Farley 1-19, Rasay 1-8, Kale Makaneole 1-1. Castle: Kanekulani Kahala-Giron 1-9, Elijah Catrett 1-7.
* JV — Castle 12, Kailua 9
