From the massive hits to an enthusiastic crowd that nearly filled the stadium's bleachers, Kenai's 26-14 win over Homer served up super-sized football.
"It's smash-mouth football," Kenai's Levi Hansen said. "The atmosphere was great. Sometimes I couldn't hear myself think."
Hansen led all rushers with 148 yards on 12 carries and racked most of his yards on two plays, a 44-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a 57-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The first was Hansen's favorite, because the play opened up right from the onset and he knew he could go all the way.
"We had great blocking, it was just perfect," the sophomore said. "Whenever I hit the secondary, I just feel it inside."
Homer delivered its share of big runs, including a jaw-dropping 45-yard run by Robin Glosser to end the first half. Glosser seemingly broke a dozen tackles as he made it from his own 20-yard line to the Kenai 35.
"That surprised me," Glosser said. "I was thinking 'This is ridiculous.' I was mad I didn't make it (into the end zone)."
Glosser did make it to the end zone earlier in the second quarter, and his 55-yard scamper pulled the Mariners within a touchdown, 14-8. Homer showed the ability to move the ball in the first quarter, putting together two drives that stalled because of fumbles.
The Mariners handed Kenai a heavy dose of fullback Taylor Downes, a 6-foot, 235-pound senior. He ripped off six or eight yards nearly every time he touched the ball on his way to 90 yards on 10 carries. On both first- quarter drives, Downes helped the Mariners move into Kenai territory only to suffer the turnovers.
"Those were huge," said Downes. "We just couldn't get any momentum. We worked so hard. We didn't quit."
Kenai led 14-8 at halftime and after Hansen's second touchdown run made it 20-8, the Kardinals put Homer in a deeper hole when Ethan Oliver caught a rare pass from quarterback A.J. Hull in the second quarter, a 59-yard scoring strike. Hull's pass to Oliver wasn't a short one, either. Oliver shook his defender and broke open to receive the pass at the two yard line. Hull threw a pretty spiral right into his waiting arms, and Oliver turned around and dove across the goal line.
There were only 11 pass attempts and three completions between the two teams in a game that featured more of a throw-back style of football. Because it doesn't have a lot of size, Homer runs a one-wing offense, which coach Cam Wyatt said is ancient but effective.
"We have to play that intense, blue-collar, smash-mouth football," he said.
Homer 0 8 0 6 -- 14
Kenai 7 7 12 0 -- 26
First Quarter
Kenai -- Sandahl 1 run (Wagoner kick), 5:15.
Second Quarter
Kenai -- Hansen 44 run (Wagoner kick), 6:49.
Homer -- Glosser 55 run (Downes run), 4:53
Third quarter
Kenai --Hansen 57 run (kick blocked), 7:32
Kenai -- Oliver 59 pass from Hull (kick failed), :11.
Fourth quarter
Homer -- Day 28 run (run failed), 7:15
Homer Kenai
First Downs 9 15
Rushes-yards 37-256 46-278
Passing yards 26 76
Return Yards 45 20
Passes 1-6-0 2-5-0
Punts 3-74 4-120
Fumbles 4-3 2-2
Penalty Yards 4-45 13-80
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing -- Homer: Day 14-47, Frank 3-3 Downes 10-90, Glosser 10-116. Kenai: A.J. Hull 17-75, Mendenhall 8-19, Hansen 12-148, Sandahl 9-36.
Passing -- Homer: Glosser 1-6-0--26. Kenai: Hull 2-5-0--76
Receiving -- Homer: Frank 1-26. Kenai: Nason 1-17, Oliver 1-59.
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