Hawks rally to score big conference win

WASILLA — Facing a two-touchdown deficit on the road in a key Aurora Conference contest, the Houston coaches took the opportunity to have a bit of a chat with the Hawks during halftime Saturday.

“It was probably the first time we’ve ever yelled at them,” Houston head coach Glenn Nelson said by cellphone Sunday afternoon.

Whatever was said, the message was received.

Houston scored twice in final three minutes to rally from a 14-0 deficit, and notched a 26-20 win over the Buccaneers in Valdez on Saturday.

“We felt like we weren’t putting out our best effort,” Nelson said of the Houston coaches’ thoughts during the intermission. “We said if we want to stay in the playoff hunt, it’s all on you guys.”

And the Hawks responded.

Senior Ben Pelesasa rushed for a career-high 233 yards and three touchdown in the win. All three touchdowns came in the second half, and Nelson said Pelesasa rushed for at least 100 yards in the fourth quarter alone. Senior Vanu Mose added 142 yards and the go-ahead score, which came with 48 seconds left in regulation.

Two of Pelesas’s scores came in the fourth quarter to set up the chance for Mose to give the Hawks the win with the 8-yard touchdown run.

“We really wore them down,” Nelson said of Houston’s play against Valdez late.

Nelson said the coaches had put a strong emphasis on conditioning and time in the weight room, in addition to the daily work on the practice field, for about the first five weeks of the season. That extra conditioning work has tapered off as the Hawks anticipate a playoff run.

“We were really fresh going into that game,” Nelson said.

With the win, Houston improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Aurora play. The Hawks now turn their focus toward, at this point, the biggest game of their season. The Hawks host Barrow Saturday at 7 p.m., which is expected to decide the Aurora’s second postseason berth.

Eielson, the top team in the Aurora, already has wins over Houston and Barrow, and is expected to be the No. 1 seed from the Aurora in Alaska’s four-team small-schools playoffs.

“This is huge. The winner goes to the playoffs,” Nelson said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.