Knights earn key Railbelt win

FAIRBANKS — Folks in the Railbelt Conference are starting to talk playoff scenarios. Saturday night, the Colony Knights made sure they’ll be part of the conversation.

Colony moved a step closer toward clinching a postseason berth with a 39-19 win over the Lathrop Malemutes in Fairbanks.

Senior quarterback Rob Lorentz tossed three touchdown passes and ran for another to help Colony improve to 4-2 overall and 2-2 conference play. The Knights moved into a fourth-place tie with West Valley, which beat Wasilla 34-21 on Friday. Colony hosts West Valley Friday night at Colony High in a game that could decide the Railbelt’s fourth and final playoff team.

Palmer (4-0), North Pole (3-1) and Juneau-Douglas (3-1) control their own playoff fate.

Antonio Bush, Daniel Bilafer and Fisher Summers each hauled in Lorentz touchdown passes. Wyatt Peltier had an early touchdown run for the Knights, and Ken McCoy returned an interception 54 yards for a score.

Complete statistics and results were not available prior to press time.

Wyatt Peltier punched into the end zone from 3 yards out less than two minutes into regulation to give the Knights the early 6-0 lead, but Lathrop’s Derrick O’Neal caught a 45-yard Gabe Cunningham touchdown pass to give the Malemutes a 7-6 advantage.

Lathrop took a 13-7 lead later in the first quarter with a 35-yard Cunningham touchdown pass, but Bush caught a Colony 11-yard touchdown score for the Knights to tie the score at 13.

Loretnz added a short touchdown run late in the first half.

O’Neal caught another touchdown pass for Lathrop in the third, but the Knights ballooned their lead to 39-19 with three third-quarter scores. Bilafer and Summers caught touchdown passes, and Niver picked off Cunningham and returned the ball for a touchdown with 44 seconds left in the third to give the Knights the 20-point lead.