Anchorage Daily News
 

Juneau stuns unbeaten South
28-27: Brothers Alex, Eric Fagerstrom score late TDs to advance to the title game.

By KEVIN KLOTT
kklott@adn.com

(10/12/08 00:43:01)

Before Saturday's large-schools state semifinal clash, South coach John Lewis said his team wouldn't be afraid of Juneau's Alex Fagerstrom.

Maybe so, but Lewis walked off the field in awe of not one Fagerstrom, but two.

It was a Fagerstrom affair as Alex and younger brother Eric scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally Juneau from an early deficit and upset undefeated and second-ranked South 28-27 at Anchorage Football Stadium

Thanks to the Fagerstroms, the Crimson Bears have a chance to defend their state championship.

Fagerstrom was shut down in the backfield, rushing for minus-10 yards on his first six carries, so coaches moved their most versatile player to receiver. It worked -- Fagerstrom racked up 180 yards on nine catches.

But it was the other Fagerstrom, Eric, who hauled in the game-winner. He snagged a 14-yard pass from Juneau quarterback Dakotah Smith in the middle of the field, and Joe Slagle kicked the extra point to provide the margin of victory with less than a minute to play.

"They shut down our run game so we went to the air," Smith said. "I don't think (South) knew exactly how to cover Eric and Alex.

"They just did awesome. Wherever you put them, you have to think about them."

Smith didn't do too badly himself. The first-year quarterback passed for four touchdowns and a career-best 292 yards on 17-of-34 passing.

"All our coaches said was keep our heads up and we're going to the air," said Juneau linebacker Jack Perkins.

That they did. In the second half, Juneau went to the shotgun formation and threw repeatedly. Smith passed for 185 yards in the final two quarters.

The Crimson Bears trailed 27-14 early in the fourth quarter until Smith orchestrated a 39-yard, four-play drive that ended on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Alex Fagerstrom.

The job, however, wasn't finished. The Crimson Bears stopped South on four straight downs and forced the Wolverines to punt with 3:27 to go. Then they went on a drive that will go down in Juneau history.

Juneau drove 79 yards on 15 plays, getting a boost from a pair of South pass interference calls and an ugly pass completion from Smith to Alex Fagerstrom.

"I just got laid out and threw it in the air," Smith said about the pass, which wobbled in the air like a punted ball.

Fagerstrom jumped for the pass and pulled it into his chest for a first down on South's 48. Six plays later, Smith hit Eric Fagerstrom for the game-winner with 54 second left.

South had one last chance to win and advance to a championship-game showdown with south-side rival Service -- and quarterback Colin Graham nearly got the Wolverines there.

Starting on Juneau's 37, Graham completed a 9-yard pass to Gabe Holland and a 12-yarder to Marcus Spencer to put South in Juneau territory.

With 10 seconds left, Graham chucked a 38-yard bomb to Holland in the end zone. The senior dove for the ball and it bounced off his chest.

Graham tossed another desperation pass with a second left, but it dropped to the turf. The senior completed 14 of 20 passes for 167 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

"Colin played the best game of his life," Lewis said.

His quarterback knelt on the turf in disbelief while Juneau players mobbed the field. They tossed their helmets in the air in celebration.

"Our defense stepped it up," Alex Fagestrom said. "South has the best run defense in the state by far and so we switched it up."

Moments before he caught the game-winning touchdown, Eric dropped a pass. Alex yelled at him to keep his head up, forget about the missed opportunity and think about the next pass play.

Forget about it -- that's how Juneau dealt with its four-game losing streak earlier in the season, Alex said. And that was his brotherly philosophy late in the fourth quarter.

"This is amazing," Alex said. "Especially with that four-game losing streak."

South rolled into the semifinal with a nine-game winning streak. But on a chilly afternoon in Anchorage, the Fagerstroms put an end to the Wolverines' season and helped the Crimson Bears earn their second straight come-from-behind win in the postseason.

"Is Juneau hot? They absolutely are," Lewis said.


Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.


Juneau-Douglas 7 7 0 14 -- 28

South 13 6 8 0 -- 27

First Quarter

South -- Elsenhiemer 34 pass from Graham (McCarrey kick), 10:50.

Juneau -- Fenumia 28 pass from Smith (Slagle kick), 3:56.

South -- Holland 33 run (kick failed), 2:07.

Second Quarter

South -- Spencer 6 run (run failed), 10:58.

Juneau -- A. Fagerstrom 45 pass from Smith (Slagle kick), 3:12.

Third Quarter

South -- Elsenhiemer 29 pass from Graham (Spencer run), 1:06.

Fourth Quarter

Juneau -- A. Fagerstrom 23 pass from Smith (Slagle kick), 6:02.

Juneau -- E. Fagerstrom 14 pass from Smith (Slagle kick), :54.

JUNEAU SOUTH

First downs 17 20

Rushes-yards 21-20 41-231

Passing yards 292 167

Return yards 101 21

Passes 17-34-1 14-20-0

Punts 3-36 5-26

Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-2

Penalties-yards 10-85 10-90

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Juneau: M. Maka 3-22, A. Fagerstrom 10-5, Fronimos 1-1, Smith 7-(-8). South: Spencer 14-111, Holland 13-55, Graham 4-35, Afulao 4-22, Trent 4-13, Dewolf 1-0, Clay 1-(-5).

PASSING -- Juneau: Smith 17-34-1--292. South: Graham 14-20-0--167.

RECEIVING -- Juneau: A. Fagerstrom 9-180, E. Fagerstrom 3-24, Fenumiai 2-41, Fronimos 2-27, M. Maka 1-20. South: Colbern 4-53, Holland 4-28, Spencer 3-19, Elsenhiemer 2-63, A. Fulao 1-4.

 


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