Receivers, running backs and quarterbacks are generally football's glamour boys — they rack stats, score touchdowns and get most of the post-game interviews.
Saturday, East High changed convention — the T-birds' defensive players most merited praise after shutting out a West team that entered averaging 34 points per game.
East forced three turnovers and six punts, kept West's deadly passing attack on the run and spearheaded a 16-0 Cook Inlet Conference win at West that secured the T-birds the conference's No. 2 seed into the state playoffs.
The T-birds prospered because their defense generated big play after big play.
Lineman Ralph Toleafoa late in the fourth quarter delivered his second sack of West quarterback Qyntyn Pilcher, forcing a fumble that linebacker Robert Malama returned 29 yards to deliver the dagger and secure the shutout.
East led 10-0 with less than four minutes to go when defensive end Pavii Tanuvasa tipped a Pilcher pass and Dak Paulsen snagged an interception at the West 30-yard line. That set up Paea Poleo's eventual 12-yard touchdown run.
East led 7-0 in the third quarter when West went for it on fourth-and-1 at the East 17. East's Ryan Green made a diving tackle of West's Lazono Martin for no gain and a change of possession.
[4th-quarter drive and 4th-down defense propels Bartlett past Service, 21-17]
East cornerback Josh Malnoske, who helped hold West's lethal receiver, Turek Taylor, to four catches for 55 yards, defended a Pilcher pass in the end zone to end the first half.
And Armand Eppenger picked off Pilcher earlier in the first half after Pilcher, under consistent pressure all game, was flushed from the pocket.
No. 5-ranked East (5-2, 4-1 CIC) will enjoy home field advantage in the state quarterfinals. The T-birds have lost only to the conference's No. 1 playoff seed, Bartlett, and four-time defending medium-school champion Soldotna, owner of a state-record, 46-game winning streak.
No. 4-ranked West (4-3, 2-2 CIC) next week closes the regular season against Service, with the winner earning the conference's No. 3 seed and the loser taking the No. 4 seed.
Although none of the Eagles took a knee during the national anthem — six did so at a game the week before — players and coaches locked arms.
Pilcher seldom had time to set his feet and throw, which East coach Jeff Trotter said was part of his team's game plan.
The T-birds also elected to have their defensive backs play aggressively against West's outside receivers. East, after checking out video of Bartlett's 28-10 CIC win over West earlier this month, figured pressure from its defensive line and tight coverage from the secondary at the line of scrimmage was its best chance at holding West in relative check.
"The defense was awesome," Trotter said. "Even if we weren't getting to him, we didn't let him stand in one place."
Tanuvasa said he and his teammates on the defensive line did a strong job of putting the game plan into action.
"We basically listened to our coaches," he said. "We knew they were a passing team and we knew we had to get pressure. We did a pretty good job."
No argument there from West coach Tim Davis.
"They're big dudes that play football the right way — physical and hard," Davis said.
[Dimond shuts out South 41-0, spoils senior day]
Both defenses shined in the first half — East limited West to 76 yards total offense and West held East to 89 yards total offense.
Malnoske's 53-yard touchdown run furnished the only scoring in the first half. His run came on a draw play on second-and-19. He busted through the middle of the line, cut to the left sideline and was gone, and Carson Reed added the point-after for a 7-0 lead with 1:32 left before intermission.
Reed added a 47-yard field goal with 3:57 to play. He was aided by a generous tailwind, but his kick might have been good from 57 yards.
Both teams limped off the field. East quarterback Carson Washburn suffered a collarbone injury four plays from game's end and is likely out for the season, Trotter said. The T-birds played without their best running back, Johnny Afuvai, who sprained his knee in the loss to Bartlett, Trotter said, but should be back next week or in the first week of the playoffs.
Trotter said Sam Logoleo, who occasionally fills in at quarterback in a wildcat formation, will probably replace Washburn.
"Ironically, we've been working Sam in at quarterback to get a different look," Trotter said. "I guess we're going to accelerate that plan."
West's Martin went through the post-game handshake line with his left arm in a sling and defensive lineman Noah Christy went through the line on crutches. Christy was injured when an East player fell on his ankle.
East 0 7 0 9 — 16
West 0 0 0 0 — 0
Second Quarter
East — Malnoske 53 run (Reed kick), 1:32.
Fourth Quarter
East — 47 FG Reed, 3:57.
East — Poleo 12 run (run failed), 3:15.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — East: Malnoske 13-94, Washburn 4-47, Poleo 6-16, Logoleo 9-14, Collins 1-7, Guerrero 1-5, Schlemmer 1-(-8). West: Tovio 16-80, Martin 10-45, Pilcher 6-(-19).
PASSING — East: Washburn 3-5-0–3. West: Pilcher 13-31-2–147.
RECEIVING — East: Paulsen 3-3. West: Taylor 4-55, Moss 3-59, Martin 3-26, Blake Despain 1-6, Tovio 1-1, Bianchi 1-0.