Knights sloppy in homecoming rout of West Valley

PALMER — On the scoreboard, the Colony Knights showed all the signs of continuing their rampage, but Friday night’s 45-6 homecoming win over visiting Fairbanks West Valley, wasn’t without its hiccups and stumbles.

“Our execution was poor, honestly,” Colony head coach Rhett Magner said. “I think we were distracted. We had a good week of practice, but I thought we got caught up in the moment.”

Things started splendidly for the Knights, as on their opening drive they needed just two plays to move 72 yards, the last 48 a run by quarterback Parker Kizer to the end zone.

But for most of the rest of the half, penalties, negative rushing plays, fumbles and an interception in the red zone kept the Knights from blowing it open ahead of halftime festivities.

A 32-yard field goal by Noah Krozel made it 10-0 at the end of one, and the play that allowed the Knights to open it up was a 36-yard strike and diving catch by Jon Pomrenke at the Wolfpack 9. On the next play, Cade Havel took it for six, Krozel made it seven, and with 4:55 to go in the half it was 17-0.

A Cooper Sant sack of West Valley quarterback Zach Lester on fourth-and-one gave the Knights offense a short field with which to work at the Wolfpack 16 and a minute to go. But when that drive failed to net a first down, the Knights lined up to settle for a 29-yard Krozel kick. Instead, Kizer rose up from the holder’s spot, rolled to his right and found Pomrenke open for a 19-yard touchdown pass that made it 24-0 going into the break.

“That’s a vital part of our offense; we suck ‘em in with the run and get ‘em deep with the pass,” said Pomrenke, who caught four balls for 78 yards. “We really did that tonight.”

Havel made it 31-0 with his second touchdown run of the night with 3:08 to go in the third, and after West Valley’s Joshua Cummings took the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to give the visitors’ their only points of the night, Cameron Pead burst in from 18 yards on the final play of the third quarter, and Dawson Nash got the running clock started at the 8:24 mark on his 36-yard touchdown run on a third-and-27 play.

Friday night’s win all but guarantees a postseason berth for the Knights, who visit Lathrop, a 41-21 winner over Wasilla, next week.

“They’re a lot like West Valley — fast, they throw the ball around a lot and we’re going to have to defend everybody on the field, which is going to be difficult,” Magner said.

Colony 45, West Valley 6

Friday, Colony High School

First quarter

Colony — Kizer 48 run. (Krozel kick) 11:32

Colony — Krozel FG 32. :22

Second quarter

Colony — Havel 9 run. (Krozel kick) 4:55

Colony — Kizer 19 pass to Pomrenke (Krozel kick) :29

Third quarter

Colony — Havel 2 run. (Krozel kick) 3:08

West Valley — Cummings 89 kickoff return. (Pass failed) 2:52.

Colony — Cameron Pead 18 run. (Krozel kick) :00

Fourth quarter

Colony — Nash 36 run. (Krozel kick) 8:24

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Colony: Kizer 17-93, Nash 8-82, Havel 11-77, C. Pead 5-21, Lorentz 5-19, Bowker 1-3, Hessinger 3-0. West Valley: Cummings 10-80, Lester 13-(-20), Merrick 1-(-27).

PASSING — Colony: Kizer 4-9-1—55, Lorentz 1-1-0—36. West Valley: Lester 13-32-1—113

RECIVING — Colony: Pomrenke 4-78, Pead 1-7.