Chugiak High flipped an old axiom when it mattered most Saturday night to remain one of just two football teams with unbeaten records in Cook Inlet Conference games:
The No. 3-ranked Mustangs in crunch time used exceptional offense as their best defense and racked a 27-12 CIC victory over South at Anchorage Football Stadium.
South's Evan Benedict blew around the right side for a 21-yard touchdown run to cut Chugiak's lead to 20-12 and furnished the Wolverines hope with 4 minutes, 31 seconds remaining.
South needed a defensive stop.
But there was no stopping Chugiak's time-eating, first down-delivering rushing game.
The Mustangs promptly marched 80 yards on a 11-play drive that culminated with Kenny Lee's 10-yard touchdown run, devoured 3:48 off the clock and robbed the Wolverines of their hope. Lee, a 6-foot, 240-pound bruiser who routinely sheds tackles and moves the pile forward, scored on third-and-3.
Chugiak (2-1, 2-0 CIC) is tied atop the conference standings in the seven-team league with No. 1-ranked West (3-0, 2-0 CIC).
And there's fortuitous scheduling ahead: West plays at Chugiak on Friday night.
The Mustangs received two second-half touchdown runs from Lee and two first-half touchdown passes from quarterback Ben Stewart.
Defending large-school state champion South (0-3, 0-2 CIC) got off to a promising start in the first quarter when defensive end Logan Murray hit the jackpot on a single play. Murray sacked Stewart, forced the quarterback's fumble, recovered the fumble and rolled 71 yards for a touchdown.
Stewart redeemed himself in short order, throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Derryk Snell and connecting with Karletty Faamatuainu on a 70-yard scoring strike. Faamatuainu's score came when he caught a mid-range pass in stride from Stewart on the left sideline and out-ran pursuers.
Chugiak, which led 14-6 at halftime, extended its lead to 20-6 midway through the third quarter on a 50-yard drive that required just two plays. Faamatuainu ran off right tackle and up the right sideline for 37 yards and Lee followed by busting off right tackle for a 13-yard touchdown.
After Benedict's touchdown run kept South in the game, though, the Mustangs churned out their decisive drive, which featured four different ball carriers and easily offset a 10-yard holding penalty. Lee rushed four times for 30 yards on the drive. Stewart ran the option three times for 36 yards, using fabulous fakes to fullback Lee to deceive the Wolverines. Faamatuqinu rushed twice for four yards on the drive and Tevin Cormier ran twice for 20 yards.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr