Huskies earn first football win in school history

FAIRBANKS — The Monroe Catholic High School football team learned some valuable lessons during its season opener against the Redington Huskies on Friday at Kiwanis Field.

The Rams discovered they have the ability to score points in bunches, as well as the mental toughness to overcome adversity when times get tough.

Although Monroe proved it will keep fighting when hardships arise, that wasn’t enough to hold off the Huskies in a back-and-forth affair that showcased two high-powered offenses.

In the end, Redington escaped with a 54-40 victory for its first win in the program’s young history.

“The first game is always a mixed bag,” Rams first-year head coach Marcus Cogley said. “There is a lot of good things that we did — we put 40 points up, we scored twice on special teams — I’m proud of that. Generally when you score 40, there’s a good chance you’re going to win that game. However, defensively we didn’t adjust quickly enough.”

While Monroe’s offense managed to manufacture points by tossing the football around the field, the defense struggled to stop the Huskies’ deep rushing attacking.

Led by senior quarterback Sam Reed, who ran wild for 243 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, Redington used its triple option to try to break the Rams’ spirit.

Reed wasn’t alone, though, the Huskies also received strong performances by junior running backs Kyler Rumfelt (20 carries, 175 yards, two touchdowns) and Isiah Hall (10 carries, 69 yards, one touchdown).

The end result was Redington’s first football win, as the team lost four games as a junior varsity program in 2015 before falling in each of its eight regular season contests a year ago.

“This is the first time these guys have experienced that sweet taste of victory,” Huskies head coach Anthony Brooke said. “We’ve been preaching ‘never stop’ since training camp first started. Monroe played a hell of a game, so we earned it. That’s our motto, everything is going to be earned.”

Reed scored a 79-yard touchdown on the second play of the game before running for scores from five and 82 yards out later in the game.

No matter what Monroe tried defensively, Redington managed to continue rumbling the ball with ease.

“That’s our whole play. We have really good personnel for running backs right now,” said Reed, who completed 6 of 8 passes for 89 yards, including a seven-yard strike to Taylor Ingraham which gave the team a 40-26 lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. “We also have a passing game, but Kyler (Rumfelt), Isiah (Hall) and Tommy (Long) are the big three for our running game right now.”

Although Monroe struggled to stop the run, its offense had plenty of success against the Huskies through the air.

The Rams’ starting quarterback, Trae Puryear, finished with 297 passing yards after completing 19 of 42 attempts. He tossed four touchdown passes and also threw an interception.

Puryear’s favorite target was senior wide receiver Isaac Mennima, who hauled in eight passes for 154 yards. The duo connected for a 52-yard score which cut Monroe’s deficit to 22-13 with 5:56 left in the first half.

Mennima, who was making his debut for Monroe, returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

“Practice makes perfect, and Trae’s a great quarterback,” Mennima said. “I can’t complain with his passes.”

“Isaac is a phenomenal athlete,” Cogley added. “We’re very happy to have him. He can break a play at anytime.”

Puryear linked up with sophomore Jordan Higbee for a 50-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game. Higbee scored on a blocked punt to cut Redington’s lead to 40-33 as the third quarter expired.

Although Monroe was hoping to start its season off with a victory, Cogley said the fact his players never quit Friday despite trailing by multiple touchdowns should bode well for next week when the Rams travel to Nikiski for another nonconference showdown.

“That was the best part,” he said. “We’re not seeing guys give up. That’s the cornerstone we’re going to build off.”

Contact News-Miner sports writer Brad Joyal at 459-7530. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMSportsGuy.