Two long passes right off the bat went for two touchdowns, and Castle took a big lead before hanging on to secure a 49-35 Oahu Interscholastic Association Red victory over Nanakuli on Friday night.

Knights quarterback Jaylen Uyemura-Lee had a big night, despite having just recovered from an ankle injury. The senior threw a bomb to his right on the first play from scrimmage, connecting with Kawai Naki for a 79-yard touchdown. Then, on the first play of the Knights’ second possession, Uyemura-Lee unloaded to his left and found Makana Smith for a 62-yard score.

The Golden Hawks (1-4, 1-3) were down 14-0 before they knew what hit them and they never fully recovered. But they fought furiously in the second half to trim it to those pesky 14 points they gave up within the first two minutes.

Uyemura-Lee added TD passes to Smith and Naki en route to a 28-7 halftime lead. That lead ballooned to 49-14 with 4:19 left in the third quarter, thanks in part to Castle running back Chasen Palaylay-Shuford, who got to the outside and put the jets on for an 84-yard touchdown run, and to Damien Fauolo, who recovered a Golden Hawks fumble in the Nanakuli end zone.

But that’s when the home team began to defend its precious valley with gusto and dominated the last quarter and a half with 21 unanswered points — Kaleo Banks’ 31-yard touchdown pass from Nahum Kipi, Chayce Morgan’s 40-yard fumble recovery return and Kipi’s 30-yard TD pass to Aalona Aleka followed by a 2-point conversion catch by Pookela Piilani.

In the final 6:25, Nanakuli forced Castle to punt once, but the Knights (3-2, 3-1) got the ball back and ran out the clock.

Uyemura-Lee finished 25-for-37 for 332 yards passing, no interceptions and four touchdowns. The two players who subbed in for him at QB in recent weeks had outstanding games as receivers. Smith had seven catches for 122 yards and Naki had five receptions for 137 yards.

Palaylay-Shuford rushed the ball 11 times for 137 yards and added 50 receiving yards.

Kipi finished 13-for-29 for 182 yards and no interceptions and rushed for 76 yards.