newsminer.com

FAIRBANKS — The Barrow Whalers spread the ball around to dominate the Seward Seahawks 54-8 Saturday in the Greatland Conference football opener for both teams at Cathy Parker Field in Barrow.

At least 10 different players passed, ran or caught the ball for the Whalers, who moved to 1-0 conference and 2-0 overall.

“When you’re able to get your substitutes in a game and allow them the opportunity to show their stuff, it makes the day-to-day work seem more valid,’’ Barrow head coach Mark Voss said by telephone.

The Whalers amassed 532 yards in total offense — 282 rushing and 250 passing — against the team which a year they defeated 18-16 in the first game on Barrow’s blue artificial turf field which was the result of a fundraising drive by Parker, a football mom and bank account executive in Jacksonville, Fla.

In this year’s game against Seward, quarterback Albert Gerke completed eight of 17 passes for 183 yards with an interception and three touchdowns. Cody Romaine had four catches for 102 yards with a touchdown and Ganina Pili had three for 35, including the first two touchdowns of her career.

Romaine was Barrow’s utility man, as he also rushed twice for 25 yards and was 3-for-4 in passing for 67 yards.

Anthony Edwards rushed for a game-high 108 yards on 11 carries and scored twice and Gerke had four carries for 22 yards with a touchdown.

Barrow was also supported by a solid defense, helping it lead 35-0 at halftime.

“Our defense was able to get penetration and it made a big difference in disrupting Seward’s offense,’’ Voss said.

Dillon Beck caught a touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the game for Seward (0-1 conference, 0-2 overall).

Also Saturday, the Kenai Kardinals gained their first win of the year with a 20-13 victory over the visiting Valdez Buccaneers. Bartlett Golden Bears trounced the Eagle River Wolves 68-13 in a Cook Inlet Conference game at the Anchorage Football Stadium, where later Saturday, the South Anchorage Wolverines topped the East Anchorage Thunderbirds 34-13.

The Kodiak Bears improved to 2-0 with a 47-14 rout of the Homer Mariners in a Northern Lights Conference game in Kodiak.