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Friday gridiron clash a classic West, JDHS rivalry
No quarter given or taken in possible title preview as Eagles prevail 21-9 over Crimson Bears
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
In the trenches, through the inclement weather, two teams soldiered on through the late afternoon into early dusk with no quarter given or taken until the final whistle blew and only the players remained under stadium lights — touching fists, hugging worn bodies.
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears and West Anchorage Eagles had just added another classic contest to their 20-plus year rivalry, with JDHS losing at home, 21-9.
“Just proud of our guys, a really gritty, tough group that takes on all challengers,” JDHS head football coach Rich Sjoroos said. “And West is obviously a really good football team.”
“It was a tough game and it went down to the wire,” West head coach Brown Faaaliga said. “Obviously, we got some things going offensively, defensively as well. But like I said, man, we expected a tough game.”
Faaaliga paused and pointed to the JDHS team in huddle, noting the home coaching staff and reciting numbers, among them 20 and 14, and an assortment of the Crimson Bears’ front line players.
“Those guys right there, that is a great team right there,” he said. “And they are going to be playing pretty deep in the season. And you know, we are just happy that our guys got it done on our side, too.”
Sjoroos said, “I think our guys are taking the loss hard, which is tough to see, but also you take pride in the fact that they care that much and are really motivated this season. They have a desire and hunger to do well.”
The first strategic move for JDHS was pinning West back on their own 20 with senior Sonny Mazon’s opening kickoff. The first play from scrimmage was a one-yard loss as Crimson Bears senior Jaxin Jim and Ethan Van Kirk, juniors Caleb Aube and Jarry Maghinay and sophomores Tayt Whiteley and Carter Day got hands on West senior wide receiver Truss Irwin, who had been forced to change direction by JDHS’ defensive line.
That line forced an incomplete pass next and an offensive penalty and the visiting Eagles were looking at a third-and-16.
The challengers responded with senior quarterback Parker Grimm connecting with Irwin for a 76-yard catch and run touchdown and a 6-0 lead. West senior Elias Sandberg kicked the extra point for 7-0.
JDHS started their first drive from their 35-yard line, and seniors Krew Ridle and Van Kirk were trying to find holes the Crimson Bears' offensive line worked to open. They were met with solid tackles by West senior defensive tackle Elikena Ponitini, senior linebackers Halaiea MacCandless and Jezekaiah Tufue and junior lineman Aizehn Lauano, and would be forced to punt.
The action would rarely leave a stretch of field between both teams’ 30-yard lines.
“I learned tonight that we like to fight until the very end,” JDHS’ Ridle said after the game. “I would say the entire team really had hard the entire game, just wanting to fight. There were a couple of plays, small mistakes that kind of set us back, but we will be back.”
West would be met by the JDHS defensive line and tackles by Ridle, Aube, senior Jake Chambers, junior Helaman Aitaoto-Tele’a and senior Avei Tuvaifale and be stopped on fourth-and-three at the JDHS 43-yard line.
JDHS would be met by the West defensive line and crushing tackles by Ponitini. The Crimson Bears faced a fourth-and-three and tricked their way to a first down at West’s 36-yard line but a fumble on the next play was recovered by the Eagles. West would go nowhere however as JDHS’ Ridle made an opening drive tackle and the Crimson Bears line forced a fumble — recovered by West — and an incomplete pass and the Eagles had to punt.
JDHS faced their largest field deficit from their own 8-yard line and worked out to their 39-yard line before West’s Ponitini had two tackles and senior defensive back JJ Chanhtseng another and the Crimson Bears had to punt. The high kick in the rain was fumbled by West and recovered by JDHS junior Beckham Kasler at the Eagles 25-yard line. Three straight plays by the Crimson Bears were thwarted by the Eagles and ran into the second quarter. JDHS relied on Mazon to split the uprights with a 23-yard field goal to close the score to 7-3 with 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
West ran seven plays but had to punt from their own 32-yard line and JDHS started a crunching drive from their own 30-yard line as Van Kirk and Ridle carried the ball seven straight times, inching to the Eagles’ side of the field before an incomplete pass and a fumble — recovered by West’s Chanhtseng — ended possession.
West went three-and-out thanks to a huge tackle for a loss by JDHS’ Jim and an incomplete pass, facing fourth-and-15 at their own 48-yard line. JDHS ran twice and were stopped with no gain by West senior Eli Rucksdashel twice with help from Lauano. The Crimson Bears’ Mazon put a punt out of bounds at West’s own 4-yard line with 1:31 left in the half and the Eagles managed only 14 yards before the half ended.
“You need to play a pretty flawless game to beat West and that is tough,” Sjoroos said after the game. “We had stretches there, we were playing pretty darn good. We got a couple of takeaways and got them off the field a few times and did get a little momentum offensively but just not enough to sustain that for 70 to 80 yards against a defense like that. They are hard to love the ball on, hard to score on. We dug deep into my playlist, everything I could, I guess I need a longer one.”
JDHS received the second-half opening kick and Van Kirk and Ridle would follow their line, with one pass to Kasler included, across the 50 to the Eagles’ 48 before being stopped on fourth-and-short for a three yard loss.
West capitalized on the momentum change and Pogtis threw a first-down completion to sophomore wide receiver JP Chanhtaseng for a first down at the Crimson Bears 20-yard line. JDHS’ Jim, Tuvaifale and Chambers tackled West senior Manny Maga for a two-yard loss, but on the next play Pogtis connected on a catch-and-run to Chanhtaseng for a touchdown with 5:40 remaining in the third quarter and Sandberg hit his second extra point of the game for a 14-3 Eagles’ lead.
JDHS was stopped on their next possession and West theirs. The third quarter would end with both sides working the middle of the field. JDHS tacklers included Day, Van Kirk, Jim and the entire defensive line. West tacklers included Tufue, Pontini, junior linebacker Kaio Thompson and the Eagles’ defensive line.
JDHS took their next possession into the fourth quarter but were stopped on pass pressure facing fourth-and-11 at the Eagle’s 30-yard-line. West worked out to the 50-yard line before an interception by Maghinay gave JDHS the ball at the Eagle’s 46-yard line.
The Crimson Bears drove behind a nine-yard carry by Van Kirk, a 15-yard defensive penalty, a first-down pass from Ridle to Kasler for 18 yards to the 10-yard line, a six-yard run from Van Kirk to the four-yard line and three tough pounding plays that led to a fourth-and-goal two-yard run by Ridle to close to 14-9 with 6:22 remaining in the game.
Said Sjoroos, “Once you get outside of the 30, you are like, “All right, it's time to dig in now.’ And that is when they get even tougher. We got down there and everybody started celebrating when we caught that pass to the 10. And I was like, ‘that's great, but we got to finish this drive.’ And that was tough to do. Those last 10 yards, they are tough. And it took all four downs and some creativity to get it in there on fourth down, and we did.”
A two-point conversion run was tackled short by a swarm of West linemen including Ponitini, who received the Eagles’ “Kings Belt” award following the game.
“As an offensive or defensive lineman you are a king,” West coach Faaaliga said. “So our lineman of the game gets this belt and it is pretty awesome and he was our lineman of the game.”
Ponitini commented after the game, “Playing on the line is setting the tone everywhere we go and then making sure our brotherhood stays strong, even though we are on the way to success. It was hard to play here. Tough team with tough players, tough weather, but I was here with my brothers. I know they were fighting with me so I was fighting for them. Just as Juneau’s linemen do.”
JDHS’ Mazon pinned West on their own 20-yard line with a kick through the end zone, giving the Crimson Bears a solid chance to win the game.
West’s first play featured JDHS’ Jim in their backfield tackling Pogtis for a loss and tackling junior Blessing Faaea after a short gain.
Runs by West’s Faaea and Pogtis were stopped by tackles from JDHS’ Tuvaifale, Ridle, senior Isaiah Galletes-Fale and Maghinay, but the Eagles were accumulating enough yards to reach the Crimson Bears’ 41-yard line.
West’s Pogtis ran 15 yards to the 26-yard line and on the next play West’s Maga pounded through tacklers for a 26-yard rushing score and an Eagles’ 20-9 lead with 2:17 left in the game. West’s Sandberg hit his third extra point of the game for a 21-9 lead.
“I think if you look at what we were able to do offensively, even defensively, against Juneau is special,” West coach Faaaliga said. “I think coming down here in a tough environment is hard. We had to get up at five a.m. to catch a flight, and then play a four p.m. game. I think our guys are resilient, and I think they get the job done week in and week out, and all the props go to them.”
JDHS stayed locked in. With time and score against them the night’s battle was part of a larger war. Every play to the finish was knowledge being consumed.
The Crimson Bears moved from their own 14-yard line out to their 41 as time forced a truce to be called and handshakes symbolized the reconciliation that both sides had added another historical game to their rivalry.
“Well, it was a tough game,” JDHS’ Jim said. “But our best offense and defense will come together in the playoffs. This is a tough loss. But I am using this as fuel for our next two games to just become the best we can be. It is pretty cool getting praising from West, they have really good athletes and players on their sideline. But for now I will get back into what I always do and watch film study for Dimond, draw up the plays and get ready for Dimond… And this number 20, it means a lot to me. And I am kind of just proud to wear it every game. I wear it with pride and represent Juneau.”
Ridle was asked how it felt having opposing coaches and players recognize his and his team’s play.
“It means a lot knowing that I am a player like that,” Ridle said. “Because we always have players that we are calling out, saying we have got to watch them, and it feels great to be one of those guys that people have to watch out for.”
JDHS, now 3-2 in the Cook Inlet Conference (4-2 overall) will next prepare to travel to Anchorage’s Dimond High School (0-4 CIC, 1-4 OA).
West, undefeated against Alaskan opponents (5-0 CIC, 5-1 overall), prepares to host crosstown rival Bettye Davis East Anchorage (1-3 CIC, 1-4 OA). East hosted Dimond Saturday, that score was not final as of this writing.
“We will get back to work Monday and focus our efforts on Dimond,” Sjoroos said. “And a lot of things still in front of us. If we can get another win, we get a home playoff game. So obviously that is a big goal of this program, something you want to do each year. So we will focus on Dimond, just put all our efforts into them and start studying them. I have no doubt these guys will bounce back and be ready to go. I just liked our effort, liked our energy. West was just a little bit tougher team and they made a few more plays than we did and got a couple of stops that were big for them. The thing is, is when you look at the eye test, I mean, geez, I don't know if they live off fertilizer, you know, but, they are just very strong. Obviously they got a good workout program and some good genetics and are just well coached. A well run program. They have a system. It is all that. You have to give them credit, right?”
Ridle rushed 26 times for 78 yards and one touchdown, E. Van Kirk 19 times for 78 yards, Day once for 16 yards, C. Aube twice and Hendrik Van Kirk once. Ridle completed four of 11 passes for 46 yards. Kasler caught one pass for 27 yards, E. Van Kirk two for 18 yards and Whiteley caught one pass for one yard.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Juneau 0 - 3 - 0 - 6 = 9
West 7 - 0 - 7 - 7 = 21
HOW THEY SCORED
1ST QTR
11:02 - Eagles - Grimm 76-yard pass to Irwin. Sandberg PAT 7-0
2ND QTR
11:10 - Crimson Bears - Mazon 23-yard field goal. 3-7
3RD QTR
5:40 - Eagles - Pogtis 22-yard pass to Chanhtaseng. Sandberg PAT 14–3
4TH QTR
6:22 - Crimson Bears - Ridle 2-yard run. 2-point conversion run fails. 9-14.
2:17 - Eagles - Manga 26-yard run. Sandberg PAT 21-9.
“A one-score game in the fourth quarter is what you are kind of looking for,” Sjoroos said. “And we had a couple of chances with the ball bouncing on the ground that we just weren't able to get, and they were able to run the clock out. I am just proud of the kids. I shook every coach's hand after the game. I thought they prepared hard, did everything they could and I thought the kids did everything they could. We just kind of ran out of steam there at the end. It was a great test. At some point you play teams again, you don't know for sure who it will be or when but I bought it will be early in the playoffs. It would be something if we got to a later on type thing, but I got a lot of stuff to do ahead of that. I am glad we came out of that healthy. There was a lot of big hits and some guys got slammed around so to come out of there with everybody looking like they are going be able to go, and getting a couple guys back for next week, will give us a little more depth to regroup and go up north. We have been playing pretty good on the road and we have got to do it again next week and then go from there.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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