Knights get redemption, move forward

PALMER — The Colony Knights weren’t going to let it happen again.

Week 1, the Dimond Lynx forced four turnovers en route to an 18-12 overtime win over the Knights. On Friday, the first week of the postseason, Dimond grabbed its second turnover of the game and returned a fumble 80 yards for a score to tie the game at 7.

But Colony responded with three Skye Rench touchdowns to notch a 27-14 win over the Lynx during the first round of the large-school playoffs.

“We were saying, oh man, is it going to keep going on like this? Our offense came out and we scored and our defense stopped them,” said Colony senior Dakota Wainwright. “It was a big bounce-back.”

The Knights used more than 360 yards on the ground and a key defensive stop to win their seventh straight game and move into the semifinal round for the first time since 2006.

Rench rushed for 134 yards in addition to his three scores. Starting signal caller Payton McCann had 87 yards on the ground and Anthony Bricker, who saw his first action at quarterback since suffering a broken collarbone against Wasilla earlier in the season, posted 105 yards on five carries.

McCann gave the Knights the early lead with a 8-yard score late in the first quarter, but Dimond tried to snatch momentum when Damon Griffith returned a fumble 80 yards for a score.

Despite the play, Colony head coach Brian McIntosh continued to have faith in his squad.

“Noramlly, I have a gut reaction either way,” McIntosh said. “I knew the offense was clicking at the moment and they would respond. And they did.”

On Colony’s next offensive drive, Bricker replaced McCann, who was rocked by the Dimond defense on the fumble. Bricker, who was injured during Week 6, rushed for 23 on the first play, and sparked Colony’s four-play, 69-yard scoring drive.

Following an interception by Colony senior Nate Wolfe in the end zone, Bricker led Colony on another quick scoring drive. Bricker broke away for a 62-yard run, on a three-play drive capped by a Rench 3-yard run.

In all, Bricker and McCann led the Knights on two scoring drives each.

“We have perfect faith in both of them,” Wainwright said.

Dimond, trailing by two scores, nearly cut the Colony lead to a possession in the second half. Facing 4th-and-9 at the Colony 10-yard line, Dimond running back Armani Afuaga swept around the right side toward the end zone, but Colony senior Kenyon DePriest stepped up to make the tackle and stopped Afuaga just short of the first down.

“We talked about mental toughness all year, somebody needs to make a play,” McIntosh said. “He got real close. That was a huge play.”

DePriest also made another key tackle in the third quarter, dragging down Dimond’s Dylan Afusia from behind after a 40-yard gain, Dimond’s longest offensive play of the night.

“Kenyon had two big plays tonight,” McIntosh said.

Dimond finished with 157 yards rushing and just more than 100 yards passing, showing several different looks in the game, but the Lynx offense only reached the end zone once.

“Bend, don’t break,” McIntosh said. “Our defense deserves so much credit tonight.”

With the win, Colony advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2006. The Knights will face the Service Cougars, who bounced Palmer out of the playoffs with a 31-21 win over the Moose on Saturday.

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

Colony 27, Dimond 14

Friday, Colony High School

First quarter

Colony — McCann 8 run (Weihs kick) 5:47.

Second quarter

Dimond — Griffith 80 fumble return (Thomas kick)_ 8:52.

Colony — Rench 5 run (kick failed) 7:20.

Colony — Rench 3 run (Weihs kick) 3:09.

Third quarter

Colony — Rench 14 run (Weihs kick) 4:56.

Dimond — Afusia 4 run (Thomas kick) 2;45.

Individual statistics

RUSHING — Dimond: Afusia 10-69, Tufaga 8-49, Carter 9-28, Jules 3-11; Colony: Rench 24-134, Bricker 5-105, McCann 17-87, Wainwright 3-41.

PASSING — Dimond: Carter 7-12-1—108; Colony: McCann 2-4-0—19, Bricker 0-1-0—0.

RECEIVING — Dimond: Afusia 3-68, Jack-Nixon 3-36, Tufaga 1-5; Colony: Foster 1-15, Weihs 1-4.