Castle holds off McKinley, 21-7


KANE'OHE -- Ikaika Urasaki caught 12 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, returned an interception 59 yards for another TD and finished with 150 all-purpose yards Friday night to help Castle hold off McKinley, 21-7, in O'ahu Interscholastic Association football action.

The Knights, coming off two straight heartbreaking defeats, improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the OIA Red Conference Eastern Division on Homecoming/Senior Night. The Tigers fell to 3-2, 2-1.

Urasaki, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound junior, caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Pono Makekau on the final play of the first quarter and then kicked the extra point to make it 7-0. He later made a 24-yard TD reception with 1:36 remaining in the half and tacked on the PAT to put Castle ahead, 14-0, at the break.

McKinley later cut that lead in half 15 seconds before the end of the third quarter after Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta's 7-yard scoring burst, but the Knights effectively sealed the victory with Urasaki's 59-yard interception return back to the house with 3:28 left.

Castle quarterback Pono Makekau completed 22 of 29 passes for 199 yards, but left the game late in the third quarter and did not return.