A broken play turned into a stunning go-ahead touchdown for the West High football team in the Division I state semifinals Saturday.
Scrambling to his right, quarterback Qyntyn Pilcher heaved the ball into the outstretched arms of wide receiver Jared Harjehausen, who wrestled the ball away from an East defender in traffic.
Five players, including three East defensive backs, had a chance at the ball, but the 6-foot-1 Harjehausen snatched it at its high point for a 28-yard touchdown that put the Eagles on top with two minutes to go in their 21-18 win over the defending state champions.
"For Jared to make the go-up-and-get-it play, I don't know, that's going to be one I don't ever forget," West coach Tim Davis said.
With the victory at Anchorage Football Stadium, West (6-4) will face Bartlett (7-3) in Friday's Division I state championship. The Golden Bears defeated Chugiak 75-62 — yes, that score is correct — in Friday's semifinal game.
A punter, kicker, linebacker and receiver, Harjehausen wears several hats for the Eagles, and they were all on display Saturday.
Harjehausen registered two sacks on East's final drive, including one on fourth-and-18 that sealed the win. He kicked all three of West's extra points, kicked two touchbacks on kickoffs and booted a 41-yard punt that pinned East (8-2) at its own 6-yard line in the second quarter.
Harjehausen said his responsibilities make for busy days in and after practice.
"I've got about six different coaches I go to in a given day," he said. "Just make time for it, I guess. A lot of after-practice work, especially on the special teams side."
[Soldotna grabs 6th straight state title; Whalers get their 1st]
Both teams led twice in Saturday's back-and-forth contest, and special teams were big on both sides.
Harjehausen's three extra-point kicks were the difference in the final score. East missed its first PAT and failed on two 2-point conversion runs.
For the T-birds, who beat West 28-14 in the regular season, junior Colton Herman made two big special-teams plays that set up Julian Baker touchdowns.
Herman ran 26 yards on a fake punt that set up East's first score — a 19-yard run by Baker that gave the T-birds a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, Herman's 49-yard punt return set up a 1-yard touchdown by Baker that put East up 18-14.
But West limited East's normally potent running game to 128 yards on 48 carries for a measly 2.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Jasun Duston was East's biggest threat with 91 passing yards and 38 rushing yards.
Pilcher completed 13 of 24 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 60 and one touchdown to lead West. Senior wide receiver A.J. Su'esu'e snagged six catches for 68 yards and Harjehausen grabbed three for 46 yards.
Davis said West's tough early season is paying dividends now. In their first four weeks, the Eagles were 1-3 with losses to Division II state champion Soldotna, Bartlett and Colony, which was Division I's top ranked team at the time.
"We had to grow up fast," Davis said. "This is the culmination right now of (that schedule) … It pays to be challenged."
[In epic football scorefest, Bartlett beats Chugiak 75-62 in state semifinals]
Friday's championship will be a matchup of underdogs — both West and Bartlett took down the tournament's top two seeds in East and Chugiak.
West has made the state championship for five straight seasons, winning the title in 2015 and 2013. Bartlett is making its first appearance in the championship game since it won in 2009.
"We know they're good," Davis said. "We think we can be good too and it should be a fantastisc show for the city of Anchorage."
First National Bowl
Semifinals
West 21, East 18
Bartlett 75, Chugiak 62
Championship
Friday, 7 p.m. — Bartlett (7-3) vs. West (6-4), Anchorage Football Stadium
West 0 14 0 7 — 21
East 6 6 0 8 — 18
First Quarter
East — Baker 19 run (80 kick failed), 7:15.
Second Quarter
West — Bell 3 run (Harjehausen kick), 8:51.
West — Pilcher 1 run (Harjehausen kick), 2:22.
East — Herman 16 pass from Duston (Eppenger run failed), 0:13
Fourth Quarter
East — Baker 1 run (Sefo run failed), 3:26.
West — Harjehausen 28 from Pilcher (Harjehausen kick), 2:09.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—West: Pilcher 12-60, Bell 12-38, Su'esu'e 2-6. East: Duston 13-38, Baker 5-34, Eppenger 11-27, Herman 1-26, Medeiros 9-20, Sefo 2-12, Ala 2-7, Mamae 1-6, Lilio 1-2, team 3-(-44).
PASSING—West: Pilcher 13-24-0–137. East: Duston 5-12-0–91.
RECEIVING—West: Su'esu'e 6-68, Harjehausen 3-46, Montalbo 3-12, Gladney 1-11. East: Turvey 2-51, Herman 2-26, Ala 1-15.