Knights get past Bartlett in thriller

PALMER — Like a heavyweight title fight, the two top-ranked teams in Alaska football traded punches, but the Colony Knights outlasted the Bartlett Golden Bears 33-27 on a rainy Friday night at Pride field.

Bartlett's Jontay Edwards took the game's first snap 62 yards and punched it in for a touchdown six plays later. Colony answered on just their second snap of the game when Jon Pomrenke took the option pitch from quarterback Parker Kizer 59 yards to the end zone.

Colony took over on downs late in the first quarter, and Kizer worked with the short field, punctuating a six-play drive by sneaking through the line and weaving around blocks in the secondary to scamper for a 26-yard score. Bartlett wasted no time in answering when Hunter Cargill sprinted 90 yards for a score less than two minutes later. Six-foot-seven-inch Jarek Schultz blocked the Bartlett extra point attempt to keep the Golden Bears from taking the lead. Bartlett would not convert another kick on the PAT.

Special teams were where the game was most affected by the sloppy conditions, as long snappers struggled all night to accurately deliver the ball on kicking plays. Soggy special teams play resulted in each team retaining possession after punting the ball, only to have the receiving team give it back, unable to secure the kick.

Edwards, who ran a ridiculous 48 times during the game, bullied his way into the end zone with 3:14 left in the first half to give Bartlett the 19-14 lead.

"You can't replicate what they've got in practice, we tried. Their dudes are big, fast and strong," said Colony head coach Rhett Magner.

Kaiden Jimenez rumbled to a 2-yard score just before half, set up by a failed passing play where Kizer dodged defensive linemen, ran to the sideline, and eventually tucked the ball and scurried for 15 yards up the sideline.

After defensive adjustments at halftime, both teams struggled to find the offensive success that they had in the opening half. Cargill reached the open field and won a dash to the end zone, chased by Pomrenke. Cargill then scored the two-point conversion to give Bartlett the 27-21 lead with 4:24 left in the third quarter.

Colony's passing attack found wide-open opportunities throughout the game, as the Golden Bears focused their defense on the Knight backfield. Kizer threw to a wide-open Pomrenke in the middle of the field, who went untouched into the end zone to tie the game.

"When he's on, he's on," said Magner.

Noah Krozel had no chance to take the lead with an extra point when the snap was too slippery for Kizer to hold, and the game remained tied entering the fourth.

The Knights high-powered offense rarely saw third-down during the game, gaining yards in large chunks on their way to short scoring drives. Bartlett seemed to do the opposite, with Edwards able to muscle his way for a few yards and a first down seemingly at will.

Colony's defense stole the show in the final quarter, stonewalling the Bartlett running attack and preventing Edwards from gaining a single yard on 4th-and-2.

With the Knights facing a pivotal third down in the fourth quarter, Pomrenke raced to the outside edge of the defense and used blocks from his receivers to run 45 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. But knowing the speed and strength of Bartlett's offensive attack, Colony fans could not rest easy, with nearly five minutes standing between the Knights and victory.

The Bears methodically marched down the field. Edwards converted two first downs on fourth and inches, pounding his way through the line. Colony ran the ball less than half as much as the Bears, but the quality of their running game, not quantity, led to the win. With 14 yards to go on fourth down, Zai Malia-Hughes lofted a pass intended for the speedster Cargill, but left it short enough for Kizer to intercept.

"We're here to make a statement. We're here to prove ourselves, and knocking off the No.1 team is just a step in our journey," said Pomrenke.

Kizer knelt the ball twice with under two minutes to play, but handed the ball off to Pomrenke on third down. The senior burned the exhausted defense for 58 yards, securing the Knights' victory.

"Execute when you’re tired, we showed a lot of heart and a lot of determination. We finally turned the corner. We got punched in the mouth and responded, and it was awesome to watch," said Magner to his team. After discussing the game with his players, Magner took a whip-cream plate to the face from Kizer, and then continued his interview with radio broadcasters. Kizer would later have the same fate, not seeming to mind answering questions with sweat and sugar sliding down his cheeks.

Tim Rockey is a freelance writer. Contact him at timothy.rockey@gmail.com.

Colony 33, Bartlett 27

Friday, Colony High School

First Quarter

Bartlett - Edwards 16 run, (Suon kick).

Colony - Pomrenke 59 run, (Krozel kick).

Second Quarter

Colony - Kizer 26 run, (Krozel kick).

Bartlett - Cargill 90 run, (Suon kick failed)

Bartlett - Edwards 5 run, (2-point conversion failed)

Colony - Jimenez 2 run, (Krozel kick)

Third Quarter

Bartlett - Edwards 80 run (Cargill 2-point conversion)

Colony - Pomrenke pass from Kizer (Krozel kick failed)

Fourth Quarter

Colony - Pomrenke 45 run (Krozel kick failed)

Individual Statistics

Rushing — Bartlett: Cargill 14-127, Edwards 48-342, Fudge 9-5. Colony: Hessinger 5-22, Jimenez 5-10, Jones 2-5, Kizer 7-86, Pomrenke 10-215.

Passing — Bartlett: Malia-Hughes 3-4-0-21. Colony: Kizer 4-8-1-103, Pomrenke 0-1-0-0.

Receiving — Bartlett: Fudge 3-21. Colony: Hessinger 2-27, Jones 1-40, Pomrenke 1-36.