Knights cruise to win

SOLDOTNA — It may have been a rough 2011, but the Colony Knights found a great way to kick off their 2012 campaign.

A year removed from a frustrating 2-6 season, the Knights started 2012 with a 56-7 drubbing of the Skyview Panthers at Skyivew High School in Soldotna Saturday afternoon.

“We’re extremely excited,” Colony head coach Brian McIntosh said by cellphone Saturday evening. “The kids played just so hard. The effort was amazing.”

Six different Knights reached the end zone to help Colony grab the lopsided nonconference victory and begin the season 1-0. Senior Wyatt Peltier rushed for 111 yards and a pair of scores. Backup quarterback Bryce Niver added a game-high 140 yards on the ground and two scores.

McIntosh said after Peltier broke away for scores of 18 and 36 yards in the first half, the senior tailback was ready to go back into the game as a blocking back. McIntosh said that represented the type of teamwork he saw.

“This is the first time in a long time I saw them play as a team. They played for each other,” McIntosh said. “The way they played, sharing the ball, it was pretty amazing.”

As a blocking back, the 160-pound Peltier helped Ryan Ertz score from 1 yard out in the second quarter. Senior quarterback Rob Lorentz also threw and ran for touchdowns in the first half. Lorentz gave Colony an early lead with a 10-yard rushing touchdown in the first half. He capped the half with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bush. Simon Root also had a 2-yard score in the first half.

Colony led 43-0 at halftime.

Lorentz finished the game 9 of 11 for 132 yards and a touchdown. He also had three rushes for 33 yards.

McIntosh said the Knights offense platooned different units. The team sent out a unit with Lorentz at quarterback and Peltier at running back, and had another squad with Niver at quarterback and Ertz at tailback.

In the second half, McIntosh said the Knights emptied the bench on offense and defense.

McIntosh said he was also pleased with the play off his defense. Colony didn’t allow a score until the third quarter, and Skyview finished with only eight yards rushing.

Regardless of whether the starters, reserves of third-teamers were playing, McIntosh said the Colony coaching staff did not see a letdown.

Colony will continue nonconference play hosting Kenai Friday at 7:30 p.m. at CHS. The Knights will debut their new field turf.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com, follow him @matsu_sports and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.

Colony 56, Skyview 7

Saturday, Soldotna

First quarter

Colony — Lorentz 10 run

Colony — Root 2 run

Colony — Peltier 18 run

Second quarter

Colony — Peltier 36 run

Colony — Ertz 1 run

Colony — Bush 5 pass from Lorentz

Third quarter

Colony — Niver 4 run

Skyview — West 21 pass from Zimmerman

Fourth quarter

Colony — Niver 25 run

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Colony: Niver 18-140, Peltier 14-111, Ertz 12-32, Root 5-37, Lorentz 3-33, Bureson 2-(-2), Rench 1-2, Bush 1 -0; Skyview: Zimmerman 9-4, Jones 1-4.

PASSING — Colony: Lorentz 9-11-0—132, Niver 1-2-0—(-1); Skyview: Zimmerman 25-37-1—148, Jones 0-3-0—0.

RECEIVING — Colony: Bush 6-74, Bilafer 3-17, Hall 1-20; Skyview: Howell 7-51, West 7-42, Edwards 5-8, Duke 3-36, Collier 3-11.