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Crimson Bears seek home field revenge over Cougars
- Klas Stolpe
- 13 minutes ago
- 10 min read
Time ran out last season as JDHS fell to Service on the road
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
Service High School ran out their home-field clock to defeat Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé 19-12 last season. But time is relative and the Crimson Bears are hosting the Cougars at sea level…near a glacier… and, probably, with rain. If not rain, JDHS will bring the storm clouds as the Crimson Bears are steadily building a team whose forecast predicts success.
“We expect this to be a real close game that is probably going to have those handful of plays that you look back at and think, OK, that was the difference in the ball game,” JDHS head coach Rich Sjoroos said. “Whether a key turnover or just a big catch, there will be things we are going to look back and go, ‘Those are the things that either worked out in our favor, where we came out on top or we build from.’ I am just really glad this game is at home.”
Due to budget cuts the Anchorage School District is not traveling their junior varsity programs this season. The varsity game will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday on the Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park field. The game will also be broadcast live on KINY Radio 94.9 FM.
“It is unfortunate and it kind of put our JV program in a bind as far as home games,” Sjoroos said. “So this is one of those weeks where we do joint practices, utilize some of those guys hopefully in our special teams and maybe give some of our guys that don’t get much of a break a playoff. It might make a difference in the fourth quarter to have a little extra gas in the tank.”
Service graduated 25 seniors, the equivalent of a JDHS roster. Service High School is also one of Anchorage’s largest schools with nearly 1,600 students, so they can reload the roster on a regular basis. Only West and East have a larger student body.
“They have always graduated a lot of kids,” Sjoroos said. “They still reload with a bunch of good athletes and that is what they have done this year. I think two good football teams are really going to go at it. They are super well coached, their coach has been there a long time and he has done a pretty good job. Especially last year, their defense was phenomenal, and you look at them coming out this year, and their defense is really strong again. They fly around the field and tackle well, and it looks a lot like us. They have got some speedy guys on receiver and a quarterback who can throw the ball and he can run. I am looking forward to a really good game and I think our kids are excited.”
The two traditional football powerhouses are both 1-1 in the Cook Inlet Conference and 2-1 overall. Colony, South and West are undefeated in the CIC with two wins each, but have one loss out of conference. Bartlett, Dimond and East are winless in their two CIC games.
Service destroyed Railbelt Conference Eagle River (0-2 RBC, 0-3 OA) last weekend 44-0. The Cougars lost 26-10 to the CIC Colony Knights (2-0 CIC, 2-1 OA) in week two and opened the season with a 14-8 win over CIC East Anchorage (0-2 CIC, 0-3 OA).
JDHS opened the season with a 16-6 loss at CIC leader South Anchorage (2-0 CIC, 2-1 OA), defeated East (0-2 CIC, 0-3 OA) at the Thunderbirds’ nest 17-14, and crushed RBC North Pole (0-2 RBC, 0-3 OA) at Adair-Kennedy 52-0.
Stats provided by JDHS coaching staff from the JDHS win over North Pole show the team’s progression.
Nine Crimson Bears carried the ball. Ethan Van Kirk had 12 rushes for 86 yards and one TD; Krew Ridle 9-59, two TDs; Beckham Kasler 4-38; Sylvion Washington 8-33, one TD; Jaxin Jim 3-16, one TD; Andrew Sanders 1-16; Caleb Aube 1-11; Hendrik Van Kirk 3-9; Jarry Maginhay 1-3.
“We were constantly moving forward,” Sjoroos said. “Not a lot of negative plays is a sign of a good rushing attack. Each week we have improved on that. South had us behind the line of scrimmage a lot but East was a lot better and then even better last week. It is something to keep building on.”
The Service defensive line will try to put a lot of pressure on the JDHS front line. The key will be Crimson Bears’ synchronization. JDHS is averaging 25 points per game on offense while Service has allowed just eight points in their two wins, and gave up 26 in a loss to top-ranked Colony. The Crimson Bears have allowed an average of 10 points per game.
“Between our linemen and the backs that communication is key and just starts kind of flowing,” Sjoroos said. “And we are better at throwing the ball out of desire versus throwing it out of necessity. I felt like last week we were able to do that.”
JDHS senior quarterback Krew Ridle only needed to loft seven passes, connecting on four for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Crimson Bears’ junior Andrew Sanders caught two passes for 70 yards and two TDs and classmate Sylvion Washington caught two for 37 yards.
Service also has a quality passing game. According to Sjoroos, the Cougars will not shy away from running the ball, but they key off a quick passing game, either short to the side or downfield.
“That is what hurt us against them last year,” Sjoroos said. “They were able to get some guys behind us a few times and it was the difference in the game. We definitely want to keep guys in front of us and make tackles. So we have been focusing on that, but this is not a big surprise.”
JDHS’ special teams have also been a force. With senior Sonny Mazon providing the boot on kickoffs and scoring plays, the Crimson Bears always possess a threat. Mazon went seven for seven in extra points last week and hit a 31-yard field goal.
“That is a great weapon to have when you have a kicker that you can really rely on,” Sjoroos said. “Just the line blocking, the snap and the hold, especially in those rainy conditions last week, was special. He already has a couple field goals this year and we wouldn’t shy away from that any time we are in a position where it makes sense we will do it. He is just a gamer and ready to take a shot at any distance. I think he would like to try some longer ones, but at the same time, I am all about getting in the end zone. I am glad to see his execution and consistency, these games are going to continue to be tough throughout the rest of the season, so having a solid kicking game is nice to rely on.”
The most reliable, and often overlooked, aspect of the Crimson Bears is the work of Jeff Hedges’ offensive and defensive front lines. Their play in the trenches allows the success of defensive coordinator Brandon Ridle, assistant DC Silver Maake and linebacker coach Hayden Aube, wide receiver coach Danny Isaak, running back coach Mike Behrends and quarterback coach Chris Connally to prime their charges for success.
“For sure,” Sjoroos said. “And we are continuing to try and develop depth within those guys and evolve their communication. We watch film as a group and definitely learn a lot from that. They continue to improve in the areas needed, they take notes, and everybody just kind of talks out loud and asks a lot of questions. I get a lot of good answers and then we just take that stuff out on the field and just keep getting better each week. It is a pretty hungry group. They are all coachable and definitely want to reach their ceiling. Hopefully we make another step this week, knowing that it is just to the midway point of the season... I think any time you can stick to what you do best, then you are going to have a good game. Obviously another big piece is turning the ball over. In a game like this one that would be even more magnified so we definitely want to be the one to hand the ball to the referee after every play.”
The lines are the Crimson Bears’ meal ticket. They key the blocks and allow the tackles, a trademark of JDHS.
“I told the team last night I really admire the way they just line up and play,” Sjoroos said. “Even when things maybe aren’t going their way. Against East, we had five holding penalties and that is a lot, but the kids just kept lining up and playing, nobody said a word. They just line up and play and try to overcome it, and I feel like you cannot say that every year about every team you have. Sometimes they might let the flow of the game get to them, this group just doesn’t do that. And that is going to help us in tight ball games. They are just going to line up and play and give it their best efforts. I am very proud of the way our team has conducted themselves so far out there on the field.”
BIG HITS
Lathrop’s 27-16 win over South Anchorage last weekend is a first for the Malemutes over the Wolverines since the series started in 2005. The big test for Lathrop will come next as they face conference foe Soldotna, highly touted as one of the best football programs in Alaska, if not the best.
Soldotna was one of three Alaska programs that played out-of-state opponents over the weekend. The Stars fell to Wyoming’s Star Valley 35-28, while CIC power West Anchorage fell to Colorado’s Heritage High School 38-16 and CIC East Anchorage fell to California’s Oakmont High School 28-13.
WEEK 3 SCORES:
Lathrop 27, South 16
Star Valley (WY) 35, Soldotna 28
Heritage (CO) 38, West 16
Juneau 52, North Pole 0
Barrow 48, Houston 12
Bartlett 28, West Valley 10
Palmer 14, Colony 7
Oakmont (CA) 28, East 13
Dimond 42, Homer 34
Service 44, Eagle River 0
Wasilla 21, Kenai 14
Chugiak 28, Redington 7
SWDP 42, Kodiak 6
Seward 66, Valdez 26
Nikiski 76, Monroe 44
WEEK 4 GAMES
COOK INLET:
Bartlett vs Dimond
Colony vs East
JDHS vs Service
South vs West
RAILBELT:
Chugiak vs Palmer
Eagle River vs Wasilla
Lathrop vs Soldotna
North Pole vs West Valley
MID ALASKA:
Barrow vs Redington
Homer vs Houston
DENALI (9 man):
Kodiak vs Valdez
Nikiski vs SWDP
Monroe vs Seward
ALL ALASKA POLL:
The Alaska football season polls face a huge test this weekend as number one Soldotna hosts number two Lathrop on Friday and number three West Anchorage hosts number four South Anchorage on Saturday.
1. Soldotna, despite a loss to Wyoming’s Star Valley at Sohi, the Stars remain the state’s top-ranked team, largely because then number two South and number three West also fell.
2. Lathrop, defeated South last week at the Wolverines' home, and earned the jump from fourth-ranked. Now, however, they must play at the under the Stars’ stadium lights, a tough task for the Malemutes who many believe are playing the state’s best football.
3. West, despite losing to a top Colorado team on the road outside Alaska, has remained in their poll position. The Eagles have outscored their two CIC opponents 119-0, but face South in a matchup between two of the state’s top DI teams.
4. South is looking up two spaces where they last sat and do not like that at all. Now they must travel to the “Nest on Hillcrest” where the Eagles lurk.
5. Palmer, in a defensive battle, won the big Battle on Bogard Road against crosstown rival Colony last week and took the final poll spot, sending the Knights riding. Palmer now returns home to face Chugiak, never an easy opponent. And they travel to Lathrop the following week.
6. Colony’s loss to a hometown DII rival by a touchdown was hurtful, but the Knights have no time to nurse wounds and must ready themselves to travel to East Anchorage and add to their DI 2-0 Railbelt record.
7. Bartlett scored their first win of the season over DII West Valley and now have a chance to start a streak as they visit CIC winless Dimond.
8. JDHS, ranked eighth because down-south polls have not watched them play live, face ninth-ranked Service, in a key matchup with future playoff implications as the Cook Inlet Conference is the state’s proven battleground of football prowess.
9. Service, coming off a resounding win, just as JDHS has done, will only bring their varsity team to the Crimson Bears' den. While that slap-in-the-face by the Anchorage School District would be enough for the capital city fans to pack the glacier-backed stadium, the home team Crimson Bears may show just how talented their JV team can play with insertions into the game.
10. Wasilla stopped the winning streak of DIII Kenai by a touchdown and now the DII Warriors host conference foe Eagle River, whom they cannot overlook but are not the threat of past seasons.
11 - 12. Barrow, ranked 11th and the defending state runner-up, travels to Redington to iron out some kinks before the following week’s clash with now 12th-ranked Railbelt foe Kenai. The Kardinals’ loss to a DII opponent last week after steamrolling two DII foes has reset their focus on Railbelt leader Barrow.
AK DIVISION I POLL
Team Record Next Opp:
1. Juneau 2-1 vs Service 2-1
2. Service 2-1 at Juneau 2-1
3. Colony 2-1 at East 0-3
4.West 2-1 vs South 2-1
5. South 2-1 at West 2-1
AK DIVISION 2-3 POLL:
1. Lathrop 3-0 at Soldotna 2-1
2.Palmer 3-0 vs Chugiak 2-1
3. Soldotna 2-1 vs Lathrop 3-0
4. Barrow 2-0 at Redington 1-2
5. Chugiak 2-1 at Palmer 3-0
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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