Their early 23-point lead had been slashed to just three points, their offense had been stuck in neutral most of Friday night and now the West Eagles faced fourth-and-1 from their own 40-yard line with less than two minutes remaining.
After West failed to sucker Service into jumping offside, Eagles coach Tim Davis burned his final timeout with 1:40 left. As defensive coordinator Josh Garcia implored Davis to go for it -- "We got this!'' Garcia shouted three times, suggesting his defense would hold if West turned over the ball on downs -- Davis walked onto the artificial turf, gathered the offense and drew up a quarterback keeper on the spot.
P.J. Seui, who subs in at quarterback in short-yardage situations, rambled 45 yards down the right sideline, which allowed West to run out the clock and escape with a 23-20 Cook Inlet Conference victory at Service.
After Seiu took a knee on three straight snaps -- Service was out of timeouts -- to drain the clock to zeroes, the Eagles could finally exhale.
"It's very frightening,'' Seiu said of the moment when the game hung in the balance. "It's heart-pounding. I just told my team to believe.''
And that was after Davis cribbed a play the Eagles (2-1 overall, 1-1 Cook Inlet Conference) had not run this season.
"That play wasn't in the playbook,'' Seui said. "Coach Davis just drew it up on a scratch piece of paper. We looked at Coach Davis like he was crazy. But we believed.''
Davis said the play, in which Seui took the snap from the shotgun position and followed the block of running back Will Fehoko, doesn't have a name.
"P.J., (go) right?'' Davis offered. "Or P.J., go get a yard? Let's call it that.''
Thus ended a game that was most remarkable for Service's comeback from a 23-0 abyss and for consistent sloppiness. Each punter watched a snap zip well over his outstretched arms, Service's five turnovers were one more than West's giveaways, and West was busted for 15 of the game's 25 penalties and 118 of the game's 198 penalty yards.
"They really outplayed us in the second half,'' Davis said. "We made just enough plays to win the game.''
The programs in this rematch of last season's large-school state championship game, won by West, have in recent seasons delivered prolific offenses. But on this night of clear skies, with the Chugach Range the backdrop at Service's new stadium, defenses ruled from the outset and neither team mustered even 200 yards total offense.
West's Dave Tuilimu recovered Service quarterback Zyrelle Jones' fumble in the end zone just 93 seconds into the game and Fehoko blocked a punt through the back of the end zone for a safety and a 9-0 Eagles lead just 4:01 into the game.
Seui's 1-yard run, soon after a short Service punt gave West the ball at the Service 21, pushed the lead to 16-0 early in the second quarter. After the teams traded interceptions -- West's Turek Taylor picked off Jones in the end zone and Service's Matthew Wallender snatched a Sam Wedin pass two plays later -- West scored again soon after Rapi Satoa recovered a Jones fumble. Jordan Murchinson raced 89 yards up the right sideline for a 23-0 West cushion.
Good thing West's defense provided points and field position because Service (2-1 overall, 1-1 CIC) constantly hounded Wedin, West's primary quarterback, pressuring him and intercepting him three times. After a holding penalty, a recovery of Wedin's fumble and a sack of Wedin by Nicholas Stevens, the Eagles faced third-and-53 midway through the first quarter.
Davis confirmed he does not have an entry in the playbook for that down and distance.
"I've got a Bible verse,'' he said.
Service chipped away at its deficit with Jones' 10-yard run in the final minute of the first half. Darren Tatum scored on a 1-yard run set up by Emetruis McLeod's 62-yard interception return early in the third quarter, and Dominik Norman blazed 26 yards for a touchdown with eight minutes left to cut West's lead to 23-20.
"We practiced our hearts out all week,'' said Stevens, who harried Wedin throughout. "We know we have the skill to beat West and whoever we play. We just need to apply ourselves.''
After a snap over the head of West punter Sean Duffy, Service enjoyed first-and-goal from the 7 with 6:26 to go. Again, West flexed its defense. Shanai Leon broke up a third-down pass and intercepted Jones in the end zone on fourth down. That marked Leon's second interception of the game at his own goal line.
Leon's 11-yard hookup with Wedin on third-and-10 from the West 20 on the final drive of the game preceded Seui's clutch run to secure victory. Still, Leon knew which unit won the game for his team.
"(Service's) offense made a few plays, and when they did our defense stepped up,'' Leon said. "It won us the game.''
Reach reporter Doyle Woody at dwoody@adn.com and check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog
West 9 14 0 0 — 23
Service 0 7 7 6 — 20
First Quarter
West — Tuilimu recovered fumble in end zone (Metcalf kick), 10:27
West — Safety, Fehoko blocked punt out of end zone, 4:01.
Second Quarter
West — Seui 1 run (Metcalf kick), 10:55.
West — Murchinson 89 run (Metcalf kick), 4:51.
Service — Jones 10 run (Beelman kick), 32.4.
Third Quarter
Service — Tatum 1 run (Beelman kick), 8:01.
Fourth Quarter
Service — Norman 24 run (kick blocked), 8:06.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — West: Murchinson 5-113, Seui 9-61, Tagalu 8-42, Fehoko 2-7, Duffy 3-(-27), Wedin 8-(-50). Service: Tatum 15-44, Norman 5-41, Jones 15-31, Hogan 6-22, Beelman 2-(-33).
PASSING — West: Wedin 5-11-3—51, Duffy 0-2-0—0. Service: Jones 9-17-3—77.
RECEIVING — West: Leon 2-9, Elliott 1-27, Turek 1-12, Strong 1-3. Service: McLeod 2-15, Hogan 2-14, Allen 2-13, Tatum 2-11, Blakenship 1-12.
Alaska Dispatch Publishing