Knights march past Juneau

PALMER — The Colony Knights shifted their course in the 2019 season last week with a pivotal 14-0 win at rival Wasilla. Friday, the Knights continued their march in the right direction.

Colony scored another key Chugach Conference win with a 28-20 victory over Juneau at Colony High School.

Colony head coach Robbie Nash said the victory over the Warriors last week was a season-changer.

“It definitely was,” Nash said after the Juneau win. “The kids started to realize, started to believe in themselves. Now we have an identity. They know what they can do.”

Colony started the season 1-4 and made major changes on both sides of the ball during the week prior to the Wasilla game. Nash said he saw a newfound drive as his players worked in the week of practice before the Wasilla game, and that continued as the Warriors prepared for Juneau.

“They know they can do it,” Nash said.

Nash said there has been tremendous growth throughout the season.

“We’re a totally different football team than we were at the beginning of the season,” Nash said. “They are really coming together as a family. They are fighting for each other.”

Colony finished with 234 yards on offense and held a Juneau team that had averaged 37.5 points per game to only 20 points Friday. Nash credited the work of Colony’s front line on both sides of the ball.

“That’s where the battles are won, in the trenches,” Nash said.

Nash said that has been key in each of the last two weeks. Last week, junior lineman Peter Plant was named the team’s most valuable player of the game, an honor they players vote on.

Colony senior quarterback Ryan Murphy connected with senior receiver Hunter Sasser on a pair of scores, and ran for another during the win. Murphy used a 2- yard touchdown run early in the second to give Colony the 14-6 lead. Murphy connected with Sasser on a 15-yard strike with only eight seconds left in the first half to give Colony the 21-13 advantage.

Murphy hooked up with Sasser again late in the third, this time for a 34-yard score, to give Colony its biggest lead of the game. Sasser finished with four catches for 90 yards.

Juneau quarterback Cooper Kriegmont, playing in relief of starter Noah Chambers, who left early with an injury, led Juenau with 113 yards and a score. Ali Beya added 74 yards and a touchdown

Micahel Bradley also scored for the Knights, giving Colony its first lead with a 3-yard run late in the first. Bradley finished with 31 yards on the ground, and helped the Knights ice the game in the fourth.

With the Knights facing 4th-and-4 at the Juneau 39-yard line, Bradley, who is also Colony’s punter, broke to the right side of the field for a 5-yard gain to extend the drive. That allowed the Knights to bleed the final minutes off the clock.

“We wanted to pin them, but I told him if you see an opening, go,” Nash said.

Colony improved to 2-2 in Chugach play, and officially clinched one of the conference’s four playoff berths. Juneau dropped to 2-1, but is also in the playoffs. The Huskies can clinch the conference crown with a win over Bartlett next week. Chugiak is 3-1 in conference play.

Colony hosts Dimond in a nonconference game next week.

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

Colony 28, Juneau 20

Friday, Colony High School

First quarter:

Colony — Bradley 3 run (Bradley kick) 3:49

Juneau — Izaak 15 pass from Chambers (kick failed) 2:04

Second quarter:

Colony — Murphy 2 run (Bradley kick) 11:49

Juneau — Kriegmont 3 run (kick good) 1:14

Colony — Sasser 15 pass from Murphy (Bradley kick) 0:08

Third quarter:

Colony — Sasser 34 pass from Murphy (Bradley kick) 4:32

Fourth quarter:

Juneau — Beya 3 run (kick good) 9:11

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — Juneau: Kriegmost 11-113, Soto 11-51, Beya 8-74; Colony: Raval 28-109, Bradley 11-31, Freeman 9-34, Murphy 2-4, Ehmann 1-(-4).

PASSING — Juneau: Chambers 2-2-0—29, Kriegmont 2-4-1—25; Colony: 5-8-1—99.

RECEIVING — Juneau: Izaak 1-15, Bryant 1-14, Sika 1-13, Beya 1-12; Colony: Sasser 4-90, Bradley 1-9.