In the often-unpredictable universe of Alaska high school sports, two schools separated by about eight road miles played their first conference football game in nearly four years Saturday night.
To be exact, it had been 1,394 days since West and Bartlett locked up as Cook Inlet Conference opponents. League rivals or not, the final quarter of an otherwise one-sided affair in favor of the Eagles, 33-9, showcased how much the teams and their fans cherish the competition between one another.
“Crowd noise until the very end, I loved that, I loved that,” said Bartlett senior Isaiah Walker, who racked up two interceptions. “It’s what we need to keep us all pumped up.”
Fans filled the Bartlett High bleachers on each sideline and a few hundred watched from outside the fence. Between the audacious smack talk between players on the turf and the raucous cheers from the stands until the final seconds, all in attendance seemed to enjoy the show in the evening sunshine.
“It’s always a big game when we play (Bartlett),” said West senior Nate Lyken, who dazzled in the yards-after-catch department with 117 receiving yards and touchdowns of 74 and 37 yards. “Everyone tends to get excited.”
Bartlett played in the former Chugach Conference the last three seasons, during which the Golden Bears and West met twice in regular-season nonconference games and twice in the playoffs. The Alaska School Activities Association this season realigned the state’s football teams, and in doing so moved Bartlett back to the Cook Inlet Conference along with Colony, Juneau and five other Anchorage schools (West, East, South, Service and Dimond).
In renewing their conference rivalry with the Golden Bears, West scored all of its points in the first three quarters Saturday while relying heavily on a stout defensive front.
“The West D-line ate us up,” said Bartlett head coach Chance Matsuoka.
The Eagles forced four Golden Bears fumbles and recovered three, one each for Lorenzo Sailele, PJ Paepaetele and Junior Misa. Alvin Faletoi-Solomona and Eddie Sotoa each sacked Bartlett quarterback Mareko Utuga Jr., and West made 14 total tackles for losses or zero yards.
“We set a really good tone,” said Sotoa, a senior defensive end. “Our linebackers did an excellent job with their assignments, and overall, it was a great team game.
“It feels really good to do our part.”
West held Bartlett to 131 total offensive yards and completely grounded the Golden Bears’ famed wing-T, run-heavy scheme.
The Eagles offense (297 total offensive yards) centered around Lyken, senior back Boogie Sloan (32 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and the solid kicking performance of newcomer Rowan Brune.
West coach Tim Davis said Brune, a center midfielder on the soccer team, joined the football squad not long ago. The junior nailed two 32-yard field goals and three extra points. He would’ve had a third field goal, a 35-yard laser, but the play was blown dead at the snap.
Bartlett was penalized on the play and the ball was moved up five yards. The Golden Bears swarmed on Brune’s next attempt, blocked the kick and junior Zuriel Guzman scooped up the ball and blazed 78 yards for his team’s lone touchdown.
With less than 90 seconds to play, West snapped the ball over the head of punter Victor McGrew, who gamely booted the ball out of the back of the end zone for a Bartlett safety.
The Eagles had their way prior to all of that late noise.
Junior quarterback Jaideven Suesue completed six of 10 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The first cme on fourth down with 1:13 to play in the first quarter when he found Lyken in the left flat and the receiver turned nothing into something by cutting to the midfield and up the far sideline.
At 3:54 of the third quarter, Suesue avoided the blitz and laced a low pass to Lyken, who secured the ball inches from the ground before finding a trail to the end zone only he could see.
“We’re taught to usually turn up field and find some yards, but I decided to turn in a little something extra,” Lyken said. “The second one, the screen was a little harder. I was surprised I caught it.”
In Week 2 games, West will carry its 1-0 record into a Friday home game against Service (0-1), and Bartlett will take its 0-1 mark on the road to Colony, which is 0-1 after a 53-12 loss to Juneau.
Matt Nevala co-hosts “The Sports Guys” radio show on KHAR AM 590 and FM 96.7 (@cbssports590). Find him on social media at @MNevala9.