Castle DB Colby Kruse picked off this pass attempt and returned it 13 yards for a score against Damien. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Castle WR Kaleo Kanekoa elevates above a Damien defender to try and make a pass reception. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Castle WR Stephen Lee lets a pass attempt fly against Damien. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Fri, Aug 16, 2013 @ Castle [ 6:00 pm ]

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Damien

13

Castle

27

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Damien (4-6-0)	6	0	7	0	13
Castle (3-6-0)	0	7	7	13	27

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Stephen Lee 171 yd 2 TD

Syles Choy 174 yd 2 TD

Makana Bee 46 yd 1 TD

Trevor Caspillo 18 yd

Kyle Urasaki 57 yd 2 TD

Kealii Kaanapu 52 yd 1 TD

The host Castle Knights shook off a slow first half and scored 20 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Damien Monarchs in an interleague game, 27-13.

"I think we started off the game not where we needed to be, it was sloppy on our part, but that was also due to Damien. In the second half we rebounded and it was a better performance for us," said Castle coach Nelson Maeda.

"I think we started off lazy and I told my team to persevere and fight to the end. In the second half it really showed and we wanted that victory," said Ikaika Urasaki, who had 4 catches for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Damien scored the first touchdown of the game after they capitalized on a Castle penalty. Nicolas Angoco made the 44-yard field goal, but the Knights were penalized for running into the kicker.  Quarterback Syles Choy then found Kina'i Picanco for an 8-yard touchdown, but the PAT was no good with 1:07 remaining in the first quarter.  

Castle answered back as defensive back Colby Kruse intercepted a deflected Choy pass and returned it for a 13 yard touchdown. Ikaika Urasaki made the PAT to put the Knights up 7-6 with 11:22 in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, Damien's Kealii Kaanapu recovered the kick off that bounced off a Castle player. After an 18-yard completion to Kaanapu and aided by a roughing the passer penalty, Damien recaptured the lead after Choy hit Kaanapu for a 22-yard touchdown to put the Monarchs up 13-7.

Castle quarterback Stephen Lee struggled in the first half, going 1-of-6 passing for 5 yards.

However, he turned it around in the second half.

"I think Stephen had a rough start and settled in the second half. He is coming into his first year in our program so we're trying to get him acclimated to what we do here. It was encouraging to see him have a second half," said Maeda.

In the opening drive of the second half, Lee went 5-of-5 passing for 60 yards and capped off the drive with a 20 yard touchdown pass to Urasaki with 5:23 remaining. He would finish the game 15 of 25 passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns.

"Coaches told me to settle down during halftime. I asked my linemen to make a block for me and I have give a big thanks to them because I am nothing without them," said Lee.

Castle started off with good field position as Urasaki returned a Damien punt to the Monarch 46 yard-line.

After 6 plays, the Knights drove it all the way to the Damien 9 yard-line, but came up short of the first down.

Facing a 4th and inches, Lee plowed up the middle on a quarterback sneak for 2 yards to keep the drive alive.

"I felt more confident as the game went on and felt good," said Lee.

Lee was sacked by Damien's Emmett Lewis for a 12-yard loss. On 3rd and goal, Lee found Urasaki in the end zone for 19 yards and went up 20-13.

After a short Damien punt with no return, Castle took advantage of good field position on Damien's 44 yard-line. Makana Bee then scored on a 44-yard run to put the Knights up comfortably, 27-13.  

The Castle secondary picked off Syles Choy five times tonight.

Colby Kruse had 2 interceptions, 1 returned for a touchdown. Urasaki, Keanu Furtado and Sonny "Kumukoa" Oana had 1 interception each.

"I think they have been very consistent for us and they have been a foundation for us at this point," said Maeda.

After a shutout loss last week against Kamehameha and defeating Damien this week, Castle sees these preseason games as a way to improve when they start OIA Red East play against Kailua next week.  
 
"I think this will give us experience. Preseason is a good test for getting all the kinks out and preparing for the regular season. Kamehameha was a strong running team and an Damien has been underestimated, but they get the job done, and I feel we covered different aspects of different offenses and defenses. It's really going to prepare us for the all the OIA Red East teams," said Urasaki.