T-Birds end Colony's season

ANCHORAGE — The Colony Knights entered the semifinals on a tear. Colony had won five straight games, posted three consecutive shutouts and outscored opponents 213-26 during the streak.

But then the Knights ran into the only Division I team with a longer winning streak.

East Anchorage.

And it didn’t take long for the Thunderbirds to strike first. East’s Colton Herman broke free for a 49-yard touchdown run on the first offensive play of the game, and the T-Birds followed their massive offensive front to a 34-13 win over the Knights Saturday afternoon at East Anchorage High School.

With an offensive line that averages 270 pounds per starter, the T-Birds paved their way to 400 yards of total offense on 63 total plays. Thirteen different players carried the ball for the T-Birds, three rushed for 62 yards or more and two scored on runs of 46 and 49 yards in the first quarter.

With the win, East (9-1) moves into the Division I state final and will face West (6-4) Friday at 7 p.m. at Anchorage Football Stadium. West knocked off Chugach Conference champion Bartlett 39-35 in the other Division I semifinal Saturday afternoon.

Colony ends its 2018 season with an 8-2 mark.

Colony senior Julian McPhail capped a brilliant senior season with a touchdown on special teams and an interception on defense in the loss. McPhail, the Chugach Conference Utility Player of the Year, returned the opening kick of the second half 86 yards for a score. McPhail used a stutter step to avoid one defender and ran over another before hitting the right sideline. McPhail cut back to the midfield and ran untouched for the score.

It marked the third time this season McPhail returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a score. He notched an 81-yard return for a score during a win over Juneau and a 95-yard return for a touchdown to start the third quarter last week during the victory over South Anchorage in the semifinals.

Senior quarterback Eric Christy connected with senior Kaiden Jimenez on a 29-yard touchdown pass late in the game to provide Colony’s lone offensive score. Christy, who also capped a stellar senior season, finishing with 93 of Colony’s 134 total yards on offense. The first-team All-Chugach Conference quarterback finished with nearly 1,700 yards of total offense in 2018. Christy threw for 902 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for 784 yards and eight scores.