Hawks run back into win column

HOUSTON — Life hasn’t been easy for the Houston Hawks the last three weeks.

After jumping to a 2-0 start, the Kenai Kardinals swatted Houston off the list of undefeated teams with a 44-14 victory over the Hawks in Week 3. Last week, Soldotna drilled the wounded Hawks with a 70-0 defeat.

But on Saturday, Houston rebounded and plowed its way back into the win column with a 53-6 nonconference victory over the Delta Huskies.

“This really felt good for us, helped put us back into that proper mind set,” Houston head coach Norm Bouchard said after the victory.

Senior Brandon Dukes and junior Tyler Barron each rushed for more than 100 yards and three touchdowns to help the Hawks improve to 3-2 overall. Junior quarterback Beau Frank and sophomore Charlie Buzby also ran for scores.

Bouchard said the biggest key for Houston was the play of its offensive line.

“We really dominated,” Bouchard said. “I really felt like we totally controlled on the offensive line.”

Bouchard and the Houston coaching staff made a few changes up front after the Hawks fell to 2-2. The Hawks moved junior Colton Buzby and Charlie Buzby from the backfield to the guard and tackle spots on the left side of the offensive line.

“It was a little bit of a change for us,” Bouchard said. “They’re so athletic. You hate to take the ball away from them, but they’re so darn competitive. They’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Bouchard said the return of Barron, who missed much of the last two weeks due to injury, made the changes easier. Saturday, Barron returned to notch his second three-touchdown game of the season.

“Barron ran fantastically,” Bouchard said. “We didn’t really have him the last two weeks. It gave our team a real boost.”

Barron scored twice to give Houston the early 14-0 lead, and Frank gave the Hawks the three-score advantage late in the first quarter.

Barron scored his third touchdown, a 3-yard run, with just more than eight minutes left in the second quarter. Dukes scored on an 8-yard run later in the second and added a 26-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left in the half.

Dukes scored for a third time in the second half.

Delta’s lone score came on Chad Fellman’s 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with five seconds left in the second quarter.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.