Senior sparks Hawks during win over Seward

HOUSTON — With Seward creeping back into what was once a one-sided game, the Houston Hawks were looking for something special.

Cue the Houston special teams.

Moments after Seward junior quarterback Rhett Sieverts tossed his second touchdown pass of the third quarter, senior Noah Griffeth returned the ensuing kickoff 68 yards for a score. The long return triggered an avalanche of scoring as Houston used four third-quarter touchdowns to drill the Seahawks 45-12 Saturday night at Houston High School.

“We switched back the momentum,” Griffeth said after the win.

Houston led 19-0 at the half, but Seward opened the third quarter with a pair of touchdown passes within the first six minutes of play. With the lead chewed down to 19-12, Griffeth said he knew the Hawks needed a big play. Parked on the right side of the field near the 30-yard line on the kickoff return team, Griffeth took the Seward kick at the 32, followed his blocks, and raced up the right sideline for the score.

“They came out and did a great job (blocking). They got up there in front of me, and gave me a running lane,” Griffeth said of his teammates on the kickoff return squad.

Griffeth helped the Hawks improve to 2-0 with the play, and helped the Houston special teams provide a spark for the second straight week. In the season opener last week, Hawks head coach Glenn Nelson said kicker Aspen Ruth provided the same spark with a 30-yard field goal during Houston’s 22-14 come-from-behind win over Homer.

“That was a huge kick return. Like Ruth’s field goal in the last game was the huge momentum switch, (the kick return) was the switch we needed,” Nelson said.

Seward’s mini rally in the third was also a reminder for the Hawks.

“We had to buckle down,” Griffeth said. “We can’t underestimate them. We did last year and they beat us.”

Griffeth used his four-touchdown day to help ensure Seward wouldn’t get a second straight win over the Hawks. The senior, who scored twice during the season opener against Homer, rushed for a game-high 130 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to the 68-yard special teams score. Griffeth gave Houston an early lead with a 41-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Griffeth added to the advantage with a 5-yard score early in the second. The senior broke away for a 29-yard run in the third.

Junior Ben Pelesasa added 125 yards and two scores for the Hawks. Pelesasa scored on an 18-yard run late in the first half to give the Hawks the 19-0 lead. In the third, Pelesasa rumbled for a 42-yard score. The big junior even hurdled a Seward defender en route to the end zone.

Isaak Jirik added 50 yards and a touchdown.

Griffeth said the Hawks are more complete in the backfield than they’ve been in years past.

“In past years we’ve had a quarterback and a fullback, but no tailback, or a quarterback and a tailback, but not fullback,” Griffeth said. “This year we have all three.”

Nelson praised the depth in his backfield

“We have a stable of running backs,” Nelson said.

Seward had brief success through the air. Sieverts finished with 99 yards passing and two touchdowns, with 82 of those yards and both touchdowns coming during a six-minute span in the third. Following a Houston turnover on the first place of the third quarter, Sieverts found Nik Pahno for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Less than six minutes later, Sieverts connected with Nick Woodard on a 19-yard score.

“He can fling the ball down the field. Our guys weren’t quite ready for it,” Nelson said of Sieverts.

Nelson said it’ll be good experience for the Hawks defense as Houston looks ahead to future opponents such as Barrow that like to throw the ball.

“It’ll be good to have that on film,” Nelson said.

The Hawks defense did come through Saturday.

Kendell Ruta intercepted Sieverts late in the third. On the next play, Pelesasa rushed for his second score of the game. Later in the game, Will Croghan intercepted another Seward pass. Wyatt Mulhaney also recovered a Seward fumble in the game.

Seward also had no success with the run. The Seahawks finished with -36 yards on the ground.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Houston 45, Seward 12

Saturday, Houston High

First quarter:

Houston — Griffeth 41 run (Ruth kick) 2:23.

Second quarter:

Houston — Griffeth 5 run (kick blocked) 8:05.

Houston — Pelesasa 18 run (kick failed) 4:35.

Third quarter:

Seward — Pahno 21 pass from Sieverts (run failed) 11:41.

Seward — Woodard 19 pass from Sieverts (pass failed) 6:24.

Houston — Griffeth 68 kickoff return (kick blocked) 6:13.

Houston — Griffeth 29 run (Ruth kick) 2:34.

Houston — Pelesasa 43 run (pass failed) 2:04.

Houston — Jirik 6 run (Ruth kick) 0:54.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

RUSHING — Seward: Wilps 8-6, Sieverts 8-(-39), Pahno 3-3, Olesuik 3-0, Osbourne 2-(-1), Osborn 1-(-5); Houston: Pelesasa 15-125, Griffeth 11-130, Jirik 8-50, Ritter 5-(-32), Barrett 3-16, Seims 1-1, Van Tyler 1-0, Ruta 1-(-1)

PASSING — Seward: Sieverts 5-13-1—99, Pahno 0-1-1—0; Houston: Ritter 1-2-0—14.

RECEIVING — Seward: Wilps 3-59, Pahno 1-21, Woodard 1-19; Houston: Watson 1-14.