Bartlett continued its high-scoring ways, East maintained its dominance over Alaska opponents, Service remained stingy and Chugiak finally got in the win column as conference play began this weekend for most high school football teams.
Big second-half efforts carried Bartlett and East to Saturday victories.
The Golden Bears broke away from a first-half tie to storm past Colony 59-41 in a Chugach Conference game at Bartlett High, and the T-birds turned a tight game into a 42-13 rout of South in a Cook Inlet Conference game at East High.
Bartlett‘s running backs continued to pile up the points. Elijah Lear rushed for six touchdowns to lead the Golden Bears, who are averaging nearly 50 points per game. In four games, Bartlett has scored 195 points.
Colony (3-1 overall, 0-1 Chugach) stuck with Bartlett through the first half, 28-28. But the Golden Bears owned the second half, outscoring the Knights 31-13.
Bartlett (4-0 overall, 1-0 Chugach) is one of three undefeated teams in the state. There were five entering the weekend, but the Golden Bears handed Colony its first loss and Soldotna swamped previously undefeated West Valley 62-18.
Colony quarterback Eric Christy tries to get past a Bartlett defender. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Also undefeated are a pair of Division II teams – Ketchikan, which is 3-0 after a 54-24 Friday win over Nikiski, and Eagle River, which was off this week and will take a 3-0 record into a Saturday home game against Soldotna.
In the first half at East High, South scored a second-quarter touchdown to become the first Alaska team to score against the T-birds this season.
East, which led 12-6 at the half, outscored South 30-6 in the second half.
Shamir Staten rushed for three touchdowns and Kapono Mederios scored twice, once on the ground and once on a pass to Aiden Williams.
The win moved the T-birds, whose only loss this season came against an Arizona team, to 3-1 overall, 1-0 CIC. South is 1-3, 0-3.
Bartlett’s Elijah Lear leaps over Colony’s Julian McPhail. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
On Friday,
Service won its third straight game behind Jason Villanueva-Kaeo‘s four touchdown passes at West High.
It was the second straight shutout for the Cougars, who are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the CIC under new head coach Kahlil Boling and have matched their win total from last season‘s 3-6 campaign.
West, which has scored seven points in its last two games, dropped to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the CIC.
In Chugiak, Thomas Sitz kicked a 21-yard field goal with a little more than five minutes left to boost the Mustangs past Wasilla 17-14.
The win improved Chugiak to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in the Chugach Conference. Wasilla dropped to 1-3, 0-1.
Friday‘s scores
Service 27, West 0
Chugiak 17, Wasilla 14
Soldotna 62, West Valley 18
Houston 59, Homer 0
Ketchikan 54, Nikiski 24
Eielson at Redington, canceled
Saturday‘s scores
Bartlett 59, Colony 41
East 42, South 13
Kenai Central 64, North Pole 18
Barrow 25, Monroe 7
Seward 41, Valdez 0
Lathrop at Juneau, late
Colony’s Zane Vrvilo reaches the end zone despite the efforts of Bartlett’s Duane Chavis. (Loren Holmes / ADN)