Showing the skills

WASILLA — There are three ways to move a football downfield quickly: throw it, kick it or punt it.

A player who can master just one of these three skills is a valuable commodity on any football team; one who can do all three well could wind up showing off in front of thousands of fans at a National Football League game.

The NFL’s Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick program gives boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15 the chance to do just that. As part of regional qualifying for the national event, more than two dozen youngsters from Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley competed Sunday at Wasilla’s Veterans Memorial Field in the three events which make up the competition.

PPK Alaska Chair Andrew Mosby said winners from Sunday’s event earned a trip to Anchorage, where statewide qualifying will be held Sept. 30. After that event, the top-5 scores from Alaska’s Region — which includes Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Washington — advance to a qualifying round at a Seattle Seahawks game.

“We represent the Seattle Seahawks because they’re the closest NFL franchise to Alaska,” Mosby said.

Win in Seattle, and it’s on to an NFL playoff game to compete against 31 other competitors representing every NFL team.

While that may seem like a long shot for a kid from Alaska, Mosby pointed out that Anchorage’s Z.Z. Young once placed fourth out of 400,000 female athletes nationwide at the national event.

“It’s not impossible,” Mosby said.

On Sunday, each participant got one chance at each of the three events. Scores were determined based both on distance and accuracy. For example, a 70-foot pass that landed 10 feet off-line would score 60 points. Participants in each age group with the highest cumulative score advanced to Anchorage.

Most of the athletes Sunday said they heard about the competition through the media and figured it would be a fun way to test their football skills.

“My dad read it in the paper,” Wasilla’s Kolten Ketchum said after taking second in the boys’ 8-9 year-old age bracket with a total score of 150.75 points.

Mastery of all three skills helps, though the 8-9 age group winner, Mason Merchant of Anchorage , said he was able to overcome a showing in one event with good efforts in the other two.

“I did pretty good on the kick and throw,” Merchant said. “Not so good on the punt.”

Not all competitors were eying a championship Sunday. Anchorage’s Dillon Montagna said he was just hoping to beat one specific competitor.

“I wanted to beat my sister,” he said.

Montagna will have to wait another year to pass his older sister, Hayley, who outscored her little brother by 30 points while finishing third in the girls’ 12-13 bracket.

A large contingent of youngsters traveled to the Valley after missing out on the Anchorage competition. Each entrant can only participate in one local qualifier, so the Mat-Su event was the final chance for anyone wanting to advance.

“We didn’t hear about Anchorage until it was over,” Dan Montagna, Dillon and Hayley’s father, said.

Winners in each age group included Jedediah Diederich (10-11 boys), Jacob Wenzl (12-13 boys), Gladys Wood Elementary sixth-grader Marleena Merchant (12-13 girls). Wenzl had the highest score out of all competitors, racking up 276 points. Marleena Merchant had the second-highest score.

While only the winners Sunday advanced to Anchorage, organizer Andrew Mosby said each participant received a certificate recognizing their dedication to the sport.

“Everyone here is a winner.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com

NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick

Local Qualifier

Sunday, Wasilla

8-9 Boys

Mason Merchant - Score 189.50 1st Place

Kolton Ketchum - Score 150.75 2nd Place

Dylan Montagna - Score 127.25 3rd Place

10-11 Boys

Jedediah Diederich - Score 243.50 1st Place

Marcus Wilson - Score 237.0 2nd Place

Blake Marks - Score 212.25 3rd Place

12-13 Boys

Jacob Wenzl - Score 276.0 1st Place

Jaime Velasco - Score 261.50 2nd Place

Nick Neubacher - Score 243.50 3rd Place

12-13 Girls

Marleena Merchant - Score 265.0 1st Place

Tara Thompson - Score 161.25 2nd Place

Hayley Montagna - Score 157.50 3rd Place