Title tears: East's injured quarterback finishes what he started

Crying never felt so good, nor did barely playing. But there was Carson Washburn late Friday night, leaking as he made his way through the postgame handshake line at Anchorage Football Stadium, and yet positively beaming. Who knew a couple of 1-yard losses could trigger tears of joy?

His East High football team was the large-school state champion, a 13-7 winner over defending champion West. Washburn, a senior quarterback, had put the most gentle of exclamation points, two kneel-downs to run out the clock, on his school's first title in 13 years. Those were the only two snaps he took.

There were ample heroes for the T-birds, of course. Josh Malnoske gashed his way to 146 tackle-busting yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, and sealed the game with East's fourth interception. Pavii Tanuvasa, a 6-foot-1, 280-pound athletic marvel, delivered a one-handed, 27-yard touchdown catch and a route-jumping interception. East's defense, which shut out West in the regular season, surrendered a touchdown on the Eagles' first possession Friday, then fed them a bagel the rest of a way.

That was execution. Washburn's appearance furnished emotion.

[T-birds capture Alaska state football title with 13-7 win over West]

Less than four weeks removed from a fractured left collarbone suffered in East's 16-0 regular-season win over West and surgery on his 18th birthday three days later, Washburn in the last three-plus weeks attended East's practices and games in street clothes. His two-year run as the T-birds' starting quarterback appeared over. So he tutored running back-turned-QB Sam Logoleo and helped out where he could.

Friday, though, Washburn slipped on his pads and his No. 12 jersey, with the idea that maybe, just maybe, if everything broke just right, he could play. It would only be at game's end, in the victory formation, but it would be a beautiful bookend to his prep career.

Coach Jeff Trotter was totally up for it. And that's how it went down after Malnoske's pick deep in his own territory, with 58 seconds left, set the stage. Two snaps, two glorious kneel-downs.

"That meant a lot," Washburn said. "I've been with these guys for four years, and to go out with them meant so much. That's why I was suited up. I told coach, 'I want to finish with my boys.' He said, 'I expect no less.' Fortunately, my team performed."

Logoleo was more than happy to step aside for that last abbreviated series of downs.

"Carson was there since freshman year with us, and I wanted him to end the game with his brothers," Logoleo said.

The game ended with that moment of pure class. And there was class on the other side too. West's defense didn't make a move on Washburn. And Eagles coach Tim Davis did not use his final timeout.

"I don't think I've been more proud of an opposing team," Davis said.

The game marked West's fourth straight appearance in the championship game and its fifth in Davis' eight seasons. The Eagles have won three titles in that span and advanced as far as the semifinals seven straight seasons.

But Friday was East's night, and Tanuvasa's night in his final high school game. He grew up playing pick-up football, often with older kids — one tradition is the Thanksgiving Bowl played in the street — and was a C team and JV running back as a freshman. He's got the body of a lineman, the soul of a running back/receiver.

With the game tied 7-7 after West's Turek Taylor caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Qyntyn Pilcher and Malnoske answered with a 20-yard reception immediately followed by a 30-yard touchdown run, Tanuvasa struck.

Logoleo's pass to the right side looked as if it was too high and would sail harmlessly out of bounds — until Tanuvasa reached up with his right hand to snag the ball and bolted to the end zone with 65 seconds left before halftime. That was a head-turning play, unless you're on East's team or staff and have routinely seen such highlights.

"He does stuff like that all the time at practice, just joking around," Washburn noted.

With six minutes to go in the game, West was on the march at midfield and lined up three receivers on the left side. Taunvasa, positioned for a change on the right side of the line, dropped into coverage, but only momentarily and only as a ruse. He said he expected a pass into the flat on his side of the field.

"I jumped that route," Tanuvasa said evenly. "I knew it was coming."

His interception was the third of East's four — Colton Herman and Ryan Green came up with the goods too, and Malnoske's pick served as a dagger.

And then it was left to Washburn to drain the clock to zeroes. Those two kneel-downs will be the most memorable "carries" of his prep career. He got to finish with his boys.

It was all over, save for the crying. Tears never felt so good.