Fairbanks Grizzlies pull out another Wild win in season finale
Published Sunday, June 29, 2008
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FAIRBANKS — Alaska Wild defensive back James Griffin, who had hounded Grizzlies quarterback Bo Bartik’s passes throughout Saturday night, clutched his helmet by the facemask and slammed it into the turf-like padding on the ground.
Because no matter how well he played, the Grizzlies had found ways to score and finish their season with a 68-66 Intense Football League win over the Wild in the Carlson Center. Fairbanks finished its inaugural season with a 3-11 record and a 2-2 mark against the Wild.
“What we’ve seen and how we’ve played in the last six weeks, we’ve shown we’re a good football team,” Grizzlies coach John Fourcade said. “It’s a shame we’re not in the playoffs. If we’d have played like this all year, we’d be in the playoffs.”
The game opened with a 25-yard touchdown from Bartik to his favorite target, Anthony Parks, but that connection was soon disrupted throughout the game by Griffin and the Wild secondary.
“AP’s probably one of the best or the best receiver in the league,” Fourcade said. “but Bo can’t throw to him all the time.”
Bartik struggled in the second quarter, getting picked off twice by Griffin including one that was run back for a touchdown.
“I was rushing the throw,” Bartik said. “Those are the throws that should have gone into the stands.”
Fourcade said Bartik’s turnaround came from getting chewed out at halftime.
“I told him he’s got to quit throwing the ball for touchdowns, take what they give him,” Fourcade said. “He’s showing them the home run ball every play, and he can’t do that. He was throwing it from wall to wall when he should have thrown it in the stands.”
So Bartik found more targets, including some unusual ones.
Grizzlies lineman Shane Tufford, a true wide receiver at 5-foot-10 and 280 pounds, caught a 20-yard touchdown pass. With about 15 yards to go after the catch, the big man had to evade a defender to reach paydirt.
“He had a play and he made one guy miss,” Bartik said. “He’s a good athlete offensively and defensively.”
So even with the bad start, Bartik was able to amass seven touchdowns and 266 yards in the air.
Grizzlies wide receiver Kenny Wilson also had a standout performance in the second half with two touchdowns. He led Fairbanks in receiving with 10 catches for 104 yards.
He reeled in his second TD by catching the ball above the back of his head while airborne.
“I just trusted my hands, not my eyes,” Wilson said.
With his options open, Bartik was able to connect with Parks again, and the receiver finished with two touchdowns and 93 yards on eight catches.
Using their fifth quarterback this season, the Wild relied on a running attack to go blow-for-blow with the Grizzlies.
Wild quarterback Darnell Louvett reached the end zone four times on the ground and no times in the air. Alaska receiver Thomas Ford was able to pierce the left side of Fairbanks’ defense untouched for a 28 yard touchdown run down the sideline in the second quarter.
But the one-dimensional offense soon fell victim to the Grizzlies’ front line, which got three sacks and six tackles for a loss.
The turning point came when Grizzlies defensive lineman Jay Fulk plucked the ball from Louvett’s hands and returned it for a touchdown.
“I just had the ball in my arm, so I stripped it and ran with it,” Fulk said. “ I got a good block from Mike Quinn, so it was easy to get to the end zone.”
The moment of victory turned ugly for Wilson, who caught what he and Fourcade describe as a sucker punch to the face when the game ended.
“If (the player who punched him) doesn’t get suspended I have no respect for the league,” Fourcade said.
Wilson stormed to the corner of the Carlson Center with blood dripping from his nose, a glaring, with an angry look in his eye. He fumed in the company of friends and dabbed his nose with a tissue until he was calm enough to return to the celebration on the field.
“I showed the professional side: don’t retaliate; let it go,” Wilson said. “Whatever happens to him, happens to him.”
Community Discussion
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It's too bad Kenny Wilsons father and family wern't as professional as thier son. After the game some of his family member taunted the carlson center staff and Wild players to point where it appeared there was going to be a brawl in the Parking lot... That is until The Father of Kenny Wilson appeared to pull a gun out and run.
Mr. Dittman, If you are reading this.... I have attended 2 Grizzlies football games with my family, and I promise you that your league will not get another cent of my hard earned cash! The first game we attended the opposing team came into the stands close to where we were sitting and started thowing punches at some hecklers, then tonite the is a scrum between players, and guns are brandished in the parking lot as my family is leaving. THIS IS NOT WHAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS! Take your league of THUGS and go South.
I appreciate coach Fourcade and the players who represent Fairbanks in this league. My wife and I have attended every home game and are proud of the class and dignity represented by the Grizzlies. I have defended coach Fourcade in these pages against long-time residents and community leaders from the beginning, and stand by my claim he and the team members are a credit to our Golden Heart City.
In the face of much unsportsman-like conduct and multiple ejections of opposing players, our team has presented itself with dignity, discipline and restraint, which reflects a well-coached group of atheletes. I am proud of our team and its leaders, and look forward to next season with optimism.
I extend a heart-felt "Thank you" to those responsible for bringing coach Fourcade and his troops to our fair city.
Yeah it was a great game and all but what was going on at the end? I couldn't pay attention to the end game festivities because there seemed to be some off the field emotion going on. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?
The last thing I saw was moose turds dropping from the rafters. Made a quick exit, and missed the bs.
Great game though. It sure is fun to beat Anchorage.
Great season. And the team is just getting better. The td catch by #11 could have been a Sportcenter highlight. Bartik to Parks is an all-league combination.
I like the Grizzlies.
Gripper are you kidding me. Now why in the world would you not attend another Grizzly game. Does that mean you will not come out of the house. Violence is every where. I cant excuse what Kenny's father did but, for you to put that all on Chad Dittman. Come on Gripper, get Grip. Chad Dittman can't control the action of other's at the game.
The folks we need to be made at is GVEA and all the other fuel companies who are jacking their prices up, just becuase they can.
Besides the season tickets prices arent bad at all.
I bet you one month or two of everyone ridding the city bus would lower gas prices.
Go Grizzlies!!!
Gridlocked,
Sorry, I will not budge on this. I attend UAF Hockey, concerts and other events in Fairbanks and I have seen stupidity for the patrons. However the stupidity isn’t coming from the paying customer... but from the participants. I believe if the player’s father didn’t pull out that gun, he would have been seriously injured by the entire AK Wild football team chasing him through the parking lot. My family’s life was put in danger by the actions of the participants of the IFL, which is why I will not give the IFL another cent of my money. I am well aware crime is in Fairbanks, but that doesn’t mean I need to put my family in the middle of it for a bunch of THUGS. I have never seen this type of behavior from UAF Hockey, and I’m pretty sure we didn’t have Ozzy, Elton John or Trace Adkins running through the Carlson Center parking lot with weapons. So now I will not be attending Grizzlies games anymore, they won’t miss me, and I will not miss them.
Why can’t Chad Dittman control those actions of the league participants? He owns the league, right? He essentially signs the paycheck. I believe Chad can do a great deal to curb this behavior while the participant is playing in HIS league!
And the fuel situation does bother me, but what does that have to do with this situation? Stay on track man!
Our tax dollars support the Carlson Center, it seems like the borough needs to set some limits and consequences on the behavior in this public building. Maybe a $1,000 fine per participant per incident would help pay for the operation of the Carlson Center.
Greetings sunday morning grizzlie fan's,
The Ifl league office will again,just like they did with the hammerhead players that went up into stands after a bladder control/diarrhea challenged fan,sweep the whole thing thing under the 50 yard carpet.I think the Ifl needs a stronger commisoner,Someone who's not afraid to take a players paycheck or make a team forfit a game.
Last nights game was a very emotional game for both teams,The Ak Wild limping into the carlson center without a kicker and a decent quarterback.The Grizzlies playing the role as the Alaskan spoiler.With alot of Alaskan players on both teams The interior players stood their ground and said "not in our house"showing that interstate pride that make Alasakan high School football exciting.
As far as the cheap shot at the end of the game on Wilson Kudo's for keeping your pride and posie like a true professional.But his dad needs to lay off the beer it sounds like to me,Belive me I know!
It was a good inaugral season for the grizzlies
akraider
pirate of the carrots and beans
I was wondering how long it would take for some yahoo to comment one the fuel prices!!! lol, why cant you people stay on topic for once? Good game over all much improved from the beginning of the season.
Thankfully I missed the end-of-the-game drama last night, but I sure did have a blast during the game itself. Gripper - did you SEE the gun with your own eyes? I'm just curious. I was told by a reliable source that there was talk of one, but that no one actually saw one.
Either way, the Wild players pulled several cheap shots last night. I was unimpressed by their sportsmanship multiple times. Sure, there's a fierce rivalry, but at the end of the day, we're all humans and we're all Alaskans. No need to act like that.
Perhaps they were just upset that the Grizzlies did so much better in their inaugural season than the Wild did? ;)
Chad does not own the "league", he is a part owner of the "Griz". Asking him to take the brunt of what happened last night is way off base.
My hats off to Chad, Jay, John, and Lacy for making the inaugural season a good one. It's too bad that more locals didn’t show up to show their support for the game. We as interior Alaskans like to complain about not having anything to do because of our remoteness, yet when we get something like the Griz in town we choose not to come out in numbers to show our support. There is no reason why a game should not be sold as we "Golden Heart" citizens back our boys, especially during their big in-state rivalry.
Good Job Grizzlies team and staff. Thanks for the chance to get out on saturday for some fun and excitement. We look for ward to another good season next year.
As for the last game well done to all. I attended all home games and our guys have always kept their composer under some serious presssure and they deserve their praise. We played our rivary as usual in any sport it is an intense game, but we all get involved in the game and tend to forget why we are really there, which is to support our local athletes. Number 11 had the game of his life but as some of us no he was hit by the opposing team member and look at what example he showed by not retaliating, to our younger athletes who have been watching him all season.
Thanks Again Grizzlies
Ronster - I thought the same thing. But the IFL's website shows Mr. Dittman is the president of the league. (http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/def...)
I'm NOT agreeing with the other individual saying that he is responsible for what went on. Just sharing my discovery!
That is true, Chad Dittman is the owner and founder of the IFL. He owns most of the Grizzlies and the Corpus Christi Hammerheads. Kenny handled himself with class and I am impressed by that very much. The Wild players have a few bad apples who don't belong in professional sports. Too bad they barely squeaked into the playoffs, but oh well, they will lose in the 1st round anyways to Cen Tex, who absolutely crushed them last time they played 54-7. Good first season Grizz!! We won 1 more game than the Wild did last year and we tied them 2-2 on the season series! I hope John Fourcade comes back next year, as it will help having him again. He did a great job with this team. Can't wait for the first game next year when the Wild travel up here.
How did Lee do? You never here about the asst. of the team. Are all the coaches and players returning?
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