West knocks Colony out of postseason for second straight year

PALMER — Colony head coach Rhett Magner and his assistants addressed a somber group of Knights at midfield late Friday night. It was an all-too familiar scene for the group the third straight season the Knights watched their season come to an end during the first week of the postseason on their home turf.

West Anchorage quarterback Qyntyn Pilcher accounted for both of his team’s scores, including the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, to lead the Eagles to a 14-10 win over the Knights during the Division I quarterfinals Friday night at Colony High.

Colony had the ball inside the West 20-yard line twice in the fourth quarter, but was forced to settle for only three points, a clear difference in the game, Magner said.

“We march down the field, get in the red zone and turn the ball over. You can’t win games doing that,” Magner said after the loss.

Early in the fourth, with the game tied at 7, Colony had the ball at the West 4-yard line. A 16-yard loss pushed the Knights back to the 20. Junior kicker Noah Krozel booted a 37-yard field goal to give the Knights the 10-7 lead.

Later in the fourth, after Pilcher hit AJ Sue’Sue on a 12-yard touchdown to give West a 14-10 advantage, its first lead of the game, the Knights had another opportunity. Colony had the first down at the 20. After a pair of runs for a loss and an incomplete pass, a Colony fumble resulted in a 17-yard loss and the Knights turned the ball over on downs.

Colony did not get the football back.

“We were driving. It was great until we stopped executing,” Magner said.

Colony junior Kaiden Jiminez led the Knights with 30 carries for 128 yards. The fullback gave Colony the early lead, scoring on a 12-yard run with 7:49 left in the first half.

“We were executing well,” Magner said of the first drive. “Kaiden was running hard, as he’s always done.”

The Jiminez touchdown capped a 13-play, 77-yard drive following the game’s opening kickoff.

Colony kept the Eagles out of the end zone in the first half, and used interceptions by Parker Kizer and Julian McPhail to halt West Anchorage drives.

After finishing 0 for 9 in the passing game in the first half, Pilcher had eight completions for 76 yards in the final two quarters. Pilcher and running back Savon Bell combined for 83 yards rushing in the second half.

“They’re well-coached, they had a good game plan,” Magner said of the Eagles. “That’s a really good football team.”

Like the Knights in the first half, West opened the second half with a scoring drive. Pilcher capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard Pilcher run to tie the game at 7.

With the win, West moves forward to play either East Anchorage or Wasilla in the Division I semifinals. East and Wasilla play Saturday at 3 p.m. Colony ends its season with a 7-2 overall record.

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

West 14, Colony 10

Friday, Colony High School

First quarter:

Colony — Jimenez 12 run (Krozel kick) 7:49.

Second quarter:

No scoring

Third quarter:

West — Pilcher 7 run (kick good) 7:38.

Fourth quarter:

Colony — Krozel 37 field goal, 10:30.

West — Sue’sue 12 pass from Pilcher (kick good) 7:55.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

RUSHING — West: Bell 18-89, Pilcher 17-68, Tauililli 3-1; Colony: Jimenez 30-128, Hessinger 6-34, Wyche 6-22; Kizer 5-15, Christy 4-12, McPhail 1-(-6).

PASSING — West Pilcher 8-17-2—76; Colony: Kizer 2-5-0—25.

RECEIVING — Sue’sue 6-66, Montalbo 1-10, Mendoza 1-0; Colony: Hessinger 1-21, Christy 1-3.