Bartlett grinds out big win over West Valley Wolfpack

Published Saturday, September 6, 2008

The West Valley Wolfpack practiced this week for Bartlett’s wing-T attack for Friday night’s nonconference high school football game in Chugiak.

The Wolfpack saw a few differences between their practices and Bartlett’s actual execution. In a 59-19 loss, West Valley saw Bartlett maximize its attack on Chugiak Stadium’s new artificial turf field and finish the game with three running backs with more than 100 yards apiece. The backfield trio also helped Bartlett capture the Class 4A state track and field championship last May at Lathrop.

The loss dropped West Valley to 1-4 on the season and 0-8 all-time against Bartlett.

“It’s just one of those things; it’s hard to simulate that speed,” West Valley head coach Ben Johnson said Friday by cell phone. “You know you can prepare, but until you get out there on that fast field ... it’s hard, too, when you’ve traveled a long way, and your legs are slow and your minds are a little slow.”

Junior quarterback Sam McKinstry produced three touchdowns for the Wolfpack on Friday.

He scored on a 4-yard run in the first quarter and Evan McDonough converted his lone point-after kick of the night following the run. McKinstry also connected with Victor Wisel on scoring passes of 52 yards in the third quarter and 24 yards in the fourth.

“They’re getting a little more comfortable with each other,’’ Johnson said of the chemistry between McKinstry and Wisel, a senior.

Bartlett (3-2) rushed for 246 yards in the first half Friday and ended the game with 161 yards rushing from Marcus Mendez, 151 from Cook Inlet Conference-leading rusher Jamal Hale and 143 from Cyrus Chenault. The trio ran for two touchdowns each and Mendez also caught a 21-yard scoring pass.

Also Friday, the Colony Knights thumped the Palmer Moose 27-6 in the crosstown Railbelt rivalry in Palmer. The Moose missed an opportunity to move ahead of the North Pole Patriots and take over sole possession of first place in the Railbelt. Palmer slipped to 3-1 conference.

North Pole, leading the Railbelt at 3-0 conference and 5-0 overall and ranked third among large schools in the Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network Poll, faces the West Anchorage Eagles at 2 p.m. today in a nonconference game at Patriot Pride Field.

The East Anchorage Thunderbirds downed the Eagle River Wolves 44-12 in Cook Inlet action on Friday night at the Anchorage Football Stadium, and the host Kenai Kardinals held on for a 7-6 win over the Skyview Panthers in a Northern Lights Conference game.

Juneau-Douglas’ varsity squad plays today in Portland, Ore., against the Lake Oswego Lakers, who reached the Oregon Class 6A state quarterfinals last season. The Crimson Bears play host to North Pole next Friday night in a key Railbelt game.

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