Wasilla receiver now among state’s best

WASILLA — Tyler Anderson finished his junior season with only five catches.

But as a senior, the Wasilla Warriors wide receiver had five grabs in the first game alone.

A relative unknown on offense last season, at least outside the walls of Wasilla High, Anderson has caught on strong this year, emerging as one of the top wide receivers in not only the Railbelt Conference, but the state.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, Anderson leads the state of Alaska with 13 receiving touchdowns. He’s also among the state’s best with 26 catches and 699 yards. And the senior is one of the big reasons Wasilla is headed to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

“Last year, I had hardly any catches, hardly any yards, but all of a sudden this year, I’m breaking out,” Anderson said. “It’s a good thing for sure. I would have never expected it.”

The run-first Valley has had its share of prolific receivers in recent seasons. Former Palmer receiver Jim McCall caught 36 passes for 641 yards and seven scores as a senior last year. Former Warrior Tim Orr had 24 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns as a senior in 2008. Houston’s Bryan Mason posted 32 catches, 485 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior in 2007.

But it’s the touchdowns and overall improvement in production that set Anderson apart. The senior was a solid defensive back for the Warriors as a junior, and admitted that’s where he thought he’d fit in best this year.

“Last year, I think I contributed more defensively than offensively,” Anderson said. “I came into this year thinking that too. But with a new quarterback, I was thinking I don’t know where this is going to go. But try it out anyway, and it turned out really well.”

That quarterback is junior Ben Fielder, who has also thrown himself into Alaska’s elite. Fielder, who missed his sophomore season, has completed 59 of 120 passes for 1,215 yards and 18 touchdowns. Anderson is quick to give Fielder and his teammates credit as he enjoys a season that has taken him far beyond even his own expectations.

“I definitely didn’t come into this season thinking I’d do this well,” Anderson said. “Fielder’s an amazing quarterback. He can always place the ball exactly where I want, and our line this year started out kind of rough, but they’ve stepped up, too.”

Anderson instantly built a rapport with Fielder. He finished with five catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns during a season-opening loss to Skyview.

“I never had a high school touchdown ever and the first game I had two,” Anderson. “Ben and I clicked right away.”

Anderson said catching that first touchdown, a 35-yard score early in the third quarter, was certainly a highlight of his career.

“It was awesome. I never felt anything like that before,” Anderson said. “I was just too excited.”

Anderson didn’t have to wait long for his second score. Early in the fourth, he snagged a 14-yard touchdown catch.

Anderson has produced throughout his senior season. He has eclipsed the 100-yard mark five times this year and has caught at least one touchdown pass in each of the first seven games of the season.

In addition to his state-best 13 receiving touchdowns, Anderson is also currently fourth in the state with 699 yards receiving. He said he tries not to focus too much on his numbers.

“I don’t even look at my stats, but to have people from the team come up and tell me, hey Tyler, you’re this in the state,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of cool, seeing teammates care about me.”

Anderson is also getting used to some extra attention.

“A number of people have come up to tell me, hey I didn’t know you were this good,” Anderson said. “They give me a bunch of credit, but I could not have done it without my teammates.”

Wasilla head coach Kent Rilatos said it’s that type of attitude that allows Anderson to really stand out.

“I can go over and over and talk about this athletic ability, but I think where it comes from, he’s a class young man,” Rilatos said. “I think that’s the whole idea. Good things happen to good people.”

But Rilatos said Anderson certainly has the athletic ability to go with that good attitude.

“He’s a (6-foot-4) frame. We’ve never timed him in the (40-yard dash), but he’s faster than everyone he’s gone against,” Rilatos said. “If he has the ball stride for stride with someone against anyone we’ve played this year, no one’s caught him.”

Among Anderson’s highlights are a 93-yard touchdown against Lathrop.

Anderson has also played a major role in a very balanced Wasilla offense. In addition to Fielder’s 1,205 yards passing and Anderson’s 699 yards receiving, senior running back Devon Teeling leads the state with 1,177 yards rushing. Rilatos said Anderson has helped Wasilla maintain balance after transitioning to a new offense.

“We knew Tyler was an athlete. We knew converting over to this pistol offense, the run was going to set up the pass,” Rilatos said. “We take what the defense gives us. If the defense loads up for the pass, we run. That’s the whole idea of the spread offense. If they load the box, we pass.”

Anderson is one of two of Fielder’s targets that stand at least 6-4. Fellow senior and 6-5 tight end Braydon Kuiper has 13 catches for 288 yards and four touchdowns.

“I’m not going to lie, height helps,” Anderson said. “Having that advantage is a plus.”

Anderson has also been a varsity athlete in basketball and track and field during his high school career, but certainly wants football — a sport he’s played since the fifth grade — to be part of his future.

“I would really like to play football out of state in college somewhere,” Anderson said.

Rilatos said Anderson has the ability.

“He’s high-end,” Rilatos said. “He’s a prototypical receiver. He’s (6-4). He doesn’t have a fear of going across the middle. He can catch the long ball. He doesn’t have a problem going in there and making blocks.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.