Junior quarterback leads Warriors to lopsided win

WASILLA — Some may call it a quarterback controversy. The Wasilla Warriors are calling it a luxury.

Making his second straight start in replace of All-Railbelt Conference signal caller Adrese LaVern, junior backup quarterback Cody Pfeifer threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Warriors to a 65-0 rout of Lathrop Saturday at Veterans Memorial Field.

Asked if Pfeifer had cemented his role behind center on the first team, Wasilla head coach Jim Shetter insisted Pfeifer is filling the role until LaVern is healthy.

“He has been there because Adrese is banged up a bit,” Shetter said.

But that doesn’t mean Shetter isn’t impressed with the work of his second-team signal caller.

“Cody’s doing a great job,” Shetter said. “It’s good to know we have two quarterbacks who can play.”

And even Pfeifer understands there’s no controversy on the Wasilla sidelines.

“He’ll be back,” Pfeifer said of LaVern.

But the Wasilla junior hasn’t hesitated to make the most of his situation.

“I’m taking well advantage of my opportunities right now,” Pfeifer said.

Pfeifer, who has now appeared in four of Wasilla’s first five games, was an efficient 11-for-16 during the win, and connected with five different receivers — including LaVern who saw time at wideout.

Tim Orr caught both Pfeifer touchdowns for the Warriors. The senior grabbed a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Warriors the 37-0 lead late in the second quarter, and hauled in a 24-yard scoring catch to give WHS the 44-0 lead early in the third.

Wasilla senior Chris Crane led the Warriors on the ground with 146 yards and three touchdowns. Senior fullback Jake Worden rumbled in for a pair of scores, and seniors Casey Katchinska and Chris Gross also notched rushing touchdowns.

The Warriors took advantage of Lathrop’s numerous mistakes on offense and special teams in the win.

Wasilla senior defensive lineman Chris Lafe recovered a Lathrop fumble on the Malemutes’ fourth play from scrimmage in the game, and two plays later Crane notched his first of three scores.

In the third quarter, Wasilla recovered two fumbles on special teams that set up two Warrior scores during a two-minute span.

Early in the third, Wasilla junior Anthony Lapiz recovered a fumble on a WHS punt, and three plays later, Orr caught his second touchdown of the day.

On the ensuing kickoff, Wasilla junior Jacob Marshall recovered another Lathrop fumble and Katchinska scored five plays later to give WHS the 51-0 lead.

Wasilla also used a 50-yard Tillerman Kroon punt to pin Lathrop on its own 1-yard line late in the first quarter. On Lathrop’s first offensive play of the drive, Katchinska and junior defensive lineman Chance Brinker smothered Lathrop senior A.J. Allen in the end zone for the safety.

Allen led the Malemutes with 36 yards on 15 carries in the win, but Lathrop managed just 42 total yards in the game.

Lathrop had only 19 yards in the first half, and Allen was able to top that total by himself with a 20-yard run in the third quarter.

With the mercy rule in effect and the clock running throughout the fourth quarter, Lathrop only had seven offensive plays in the second half.

The win erases a three-game losing streak for the Warriors.

“It was good for us,” Shetter said. “We really needed that.”

Following its season-opening win over Chugiak, the Warriors suffered a trio of tough defeats, including a frustrating 10-9 loss to West Valley in Fairbanks last week.

“We went down into a slump a little bit, but I think we pulled out,” Pfeifer said.

Lathrop (1-4) remains in a slump. The Wasilla win marks Lathrop’s fourth straight loss and third against Valley programs this year. Including losses to Colony and Palmer earlier in the year, Valley teams have outscored Lathrop 156-6 this season.

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

Wasilla 65, Lathrop 0

Saturday, Veterans Memorial Field

First quarter

Wasilla — Crane 9 run (Kroon kick) 9:30.

Wasilla — Safety, Allen tackled in end zone, 4:47.

Wasilla — Gross 7 run (Kroon kick) 3:20.

Second quarter

Wasilla — Crane 9 run (Kroon kick) 8:50.

Wasilla — Crane 44 run (Kroon kick) 6:41.

Wasilla — Orr 26 pass from Pfeifer (Kroon kick) 2:43.

Third quarter

Wasilla — Orr 24 pass from Pfeifer (Kroon kick) 8:10.

Wasilla — Katchinska 5 run (Kroon kick) 5:36.

Wasilla — Worden 8 run (Kroon kick) 2:51.

Fourth quarter

Wasilla — Worden 6 run (Kroon kick) 1:24.

Individual results

RUSHING — Lathrop: Allen 15-36, Crump 4-(-10), Warner 4-(-3), Nichols 1-1; Wasilla: Crane 18-146, Gross 5-43, Katchinska 4-32, Welton 3-23, Hite 3-22, Worden 2-14, Bydlon 2-16, Pfeifer 1-1.

PASSING — Lathrop: Crump 2-5-0—18, Hoeffel 0-1-0—0; Wasilla: Pfeifer 11-16-0—163.

RECEIVING — Lathrop: Allen 1-11, LaButa 1-7; Wasilla: Orr 4-88, Crane 3-35, LaVern 2-16, Kroon 1-15, Katchinska 1-9.