Fenumiai "Numi'' Ilalio Jr. had not even cleared security at Ted Stevens International Airport about 2 a.m. Friday morning when he heard sweet sounds of home.
Before he could see the Service High football players who showed up for his return from duty in Afghanistan with the Alaska Army National Guard, Ilalio heard the boys. A group of about 20 Cougars were chanting and performing the haka dance he taught them as their assistant coach, and waiting for their mentor to come into view.
"It brought tears to my eyes, the way this program has supported me,'' Ilalio recalled.
Saturday night, the Cougars gave him another warm feeling. To celebrate Ilalio's return from a year-long deployment that included 10 months in Afghanistan, No. 3-ranked Service throttled Southside rival Dimond 49-3 at Anchorage Football Stadium.
Though Ilalio only worked one practice with the defending state champions before Saturday's Cook Inlet Conference game, his fingerprints were all over the blowout. Ilalio prowled the sidelines, making adjustments on both sides of the ball.
"It's a huge pick-me-up,'' Service coach Jason Caldarera said of Ilalio's return. "He's the guy who implemented this scheme, offensively and defensively.''
Cougar senior Eric Cothran credited Ilalio with a huge helping hand for his 59-yard touchdown pass from J.J. Christy in the third quarter. He said Ilalio made an adjustment to the pattern he ran, which combined with Christy's sharp throw to kick-start a second half in which the Cougars blew the game open. Just three snaps after Cothran's touchdown catch, he intercepted a Ahmed Nasir pass and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown that ballooned Service's lead to 35-3.
"He is Service High,'' Cothran said of Ilalio. "He brings out an intensity and an inner fire. I can't stress how much he means to this program.''
Ilalio early last football season left Anchorage for training in Kansas and then deployment in Afghanistan. Through phone calls, text messaging -- even some during Service games -- and video while in Kansas, he helped coach the team long distance as the Cougars rolled to the state championship.
"He was here, by phone and in spirit,'' Cothran said.
Ilalio said football helped steady him while he was away.
"It's like my outlet, like my sanctuary,'' he said. "In-country, you need something to decompress. I did two things while I was away -- one, work out no matter how tired I was or how late the mission went, and, two, draw up football plays.''
Service (2-0 overall and CIC) led Dimond (1-1, 0-1 CIC) just 8-3 through one quarter, jumping ahead on Robert Smith's 4-yard run and Christy's conversion run. Dimond countered with Kyle Dodson's 32-yard field goal.
But the Cougars eased ahead in the second quarter on Christy's 39-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Oder and Christy's 4-yard touchdown run to take a 22-3 lead into halftime. Joseph Sokimi returned an interception 42 yards in the fourth quarter to give Service a 42-3 lead and institute the mercy rule -- a running clock -- in the last four-plus minutes, which included a 4-yard touchdown run by Smith.
Christy completed 8 of 18 passes for 236 yards, and his 91-yard hookup with Lucas Cosgriff in the first quarter led to Smith's first touchdown.
Service's defense was no slouch, either. The Cougars held Dimond to minus-5 yards rushing and just 92 yards total offense, and sacked Nasir six times. John Hilfiker and Andy Enz each bagged two sacks, and Sokimi and Thomas Zimmerman each recorded one.
Caldarera said the Cougars kept their offensive and defensive schemes simple for last week's season-opening 18-15 win over South. But now that Ilalio's back, Caldarera said, Service will surely employ more complicated and sophisticated tactics.
After all, the Cougars' assistant coach, who was with them mostly in spirit last season, is back with them in the flesh. And for Service's football program, that's a better homecoming than one with floats and royalty.
Find Doyle Woody's blog online at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
Dimond 3 0 0 0 -- 3
Service 8 14 13 14 -- 49
First Quarter
Service -- Smith 4 run (Christy run), 6:03.
Dimond -- 32 FG Dodson, 3:57.
Second Quarter
Service -- Oder 39 pass from Christy (Goodman kick), 3:31
Service -- Christy 4 run (Goodman kick), :09
Third Quarter
Service -- Cothran 59 pass from Christy (kick blocked), 7:25.
Service -- Cothran 56 interception return (Goodman kick), 5:49.
Fourth Quarter
Service -- Sokimi 42 interception return (Goodman kick), 4:34
Service --Smith 4 run (Goodman kick), 1:46.
Dimond Service
First downs 7 10
Rushes-yards 28-(-5) 31-106
Passing yards 97 236
Return yards 158 156
Passes 12-28-2 8-20-1
Punts 6-38.3 5-30.2
Fumbles-lost 2-2 4-3
Penalties-yards 6-42 4-26
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING -- Dimond: Romo 10-17, Jack-Nixon 1-(-5), Nasir 17-(-17). Service: Smith 14-62, Christy 12-51, Jackson 3-(-1), Cosgriff 1-(-6).
PASSING -- Dimond: Nasir 12-28-2--97 . Service: Christy 8-18-1--236, Jackson 0-2-0--0 .
RECEIVING -- Dimond: Mandregan 4-28, Lopez 2-14, Jack-Nixon 2-29, Afusia 2-19, Carter 1-5, Carney 1-0. Service: Cothran 3-87, Cosgriff 2-85, Mamikunian 2-25, Oder 1-39.
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com