Eagle River's first football victory in three years came courtesy of three veterans who stuck with the team through hard times and a freshman kicker who didn't buckle with the game on the line.
The Wolves defeated Barrow 22-20 for a dramatic homecoming win at Eagle River High School.
The win came against a Whalers team that plays on the edge of the Arctic Ocean and has been the subject of books, documentaries and a possible feature film.
But this time the storybook ending was all about Eagle River, a team that has struggled on the football field in 11 seasons of varsity play.
[East defense sets up offense in 40-20 football victory over Dimond]
[Week 3 high school football scores]
Matt Turner won for the first time in three seasons as the team's head coach, juniors Thad Heagy and J.T. Adams scored touchdowns in the first win of their high school careers, and senior Hunter George ran for a first-quarter touchdown that helped ensure his final season will include at least one win.
Eagle River freshman Andrew Hamilton, who missed a potential game-tying point-after kick in the third quarter, didn't falter when given another chance.
His 28-yard field goal, coming late in the fourth quarter, lifted the Wolves to their first win since August 2013, when they beat Dimond 36-29.
"It was a great football game, especially for us, finally getting that W," Turner said.
The teams traded the lead six times and Eagle River played catch-up nearly the entire game.
Eagle River led 13-12 at the half thanks to Heagy's 15-yard touchdown pass to Adams as time expired.
Barrow reclaimed the lead 20-13 in the third quarter and caught a break when Hamilton missed the PAT after Heagy's 13-yard run. The Whalers led 20-19 going into the final quarter.
[Swarming secondary carries Lathrop past Service, 48-34]
On their game-winning possession, the Wolves drove to the 10-yard line and then sputtered. On fourth down, Turner decided to send out Hamilton for a field-goal attempt.
"It was the first time we tried a field goal all year," he said. "One of our guys said, 'That's the same as a PAT, right?' ''
With an enrollment smaller than most Anchorage schools, Eagle River routinely absorbed beatings at the hands of its Cook Inlet Conference rivals. Last season, the Wolves dropped from the large-school division to the medium-school Northern Lights Conference.
"We've worked really hard for three years," Turner said. "I'm really proud of the kids who have stuck with us. They've really put in the time and effort."