KALIHI – Every great running attack needs a defense to match it. 

The Castle Knights (4-2, 3-0 OIA D2) shook off the absence of starting running back Logan Thompson, using over 350 rushing yards and a timely safety to sneak past the Kaimuki Bulldogs (0-3, 0-3 OIA D2) at Edward “Skippa” Diaz Stadium on Friday night, 23-21. Castle junior Kauanahe Kalahiki-Goheir received HSRN’s Timmy T’s “Grinder of the Game” award after rushing for 174 yards on 18 carries and all three touchdowns by the Knights. 

The Knights, who switched to a heavier running attack after interception woes early in the year, dominated time of possession in the 1st quarter, getting on the board with the first of Kalahiki-Goheir’s touchdown runs with 2:09 left in the opening frame. The junior running back rumbled through contact into the end zone for a 14-yard score to cap off an 8-minute drive by Castle. 

It looked as though Castle would extend the early lead after forcing a punt from Kaimuki and driving deep into Bulldogs territory to open the 2nd quarter, but an interception in the end zone by Kaimuki DB Lukela Hicks turned the momentum back for the Bulldogs. On the very next play, Kaimuki QB Gabriel Logan fired a deep ball down the left sideline for a streaking Ezekiel Kuie-Matias and connected with the 5-foot-10 senior receiver for 82-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, 7-7, with 10:32 left in the first half. 

Castle calmly responded in turn, methodically driving 67 yards as Kalahiki-Goheir and Aiden Kahele split carries all the way into the red zone. Again, it was junior Kauanahe Kalahiki-Goheir finishing the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run with 5:47 remaining in the 2nd quarter. 

Kamuki responded 13 seconds later after seeing the ensuing kickoff trickle out of bounds to start the Bulldogs at their own 35-yard line. Logan dropped back on 1st-and-10 and dumped off a short screen to Kuie-Matias, who followed one block and outran the rest of the Castle defense on the way to paydirt and a 65-yard score to knot the game at 14-14. 

Again, the visiting Knights drove the field smoothly as Kahele and Kalahiki-Goheir gashed a fatigued Kaimuki defense for eight yards or more each carry. Kalahiki-Goheir completed his hat trick of scores with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:14 left in the half to send Castle into the locker room leading by seven. 

After the break, Kaimuki’s defense held off the Castle offense with an impressive goal line stand to keep it a one-possession game after another 8-minute drive by the Knights.  

Disaster struck for the Bulldogs on the very next play. Stuck on the half-yard line after the turnover-on-downs, a bad snap forced Kaimuki’s Logan to fall on the ball in the end zone as Castle swarmed the QB for a safety to push the lead to nine for the Knights, 23-14. 

Without panicking, Kaimuki responded with a stop and a score over the next two drives as Kuie-Matias completed a trio of scores for himself when he hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel Logan with 8:19 left in regulation, pulling the Bulldogs back within two, 23-21. 

That would be the closest the comeback would come as the Castle offense drained seven minutes off the clock before the defense of the Knights shut down the spunky Kaimuki offense with one final stop to move to 3-0 in OIA Division 2 play and 4-2 overall. 

Castle running back Aiden Kahele, starting in place of the injured Logan Thompson, led the Knights with 185 yards rushing on 37 carries. Starting quarterback Nai Kalauokaaea completed 5-of-10 passes for 54 yards while tossing his sixth interception of the season. 

Kaimuki QB Gabriel Logan finished the night with 184 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 6-of-11 passes while throwing a pair of interceptions in the loss for the Bulldogs. Go-to target Ezekiel Kuie-Matias ended the evening with a game-high 180 yards receiving on five receptions, scoring all three touchdowns from Logan. 

Both teams have a week off before returning to action as Kaimuki looks for that elusive first league win in a matchup against McKinley on October 5 and Castle looks to keep with winning ways working when Kalani comes in for a contest that same evening.