Anchorage Daily News

North Pole scored the first upset of the high school football season Friday night, knocking off last year's state runner-up East 20-14 in Fairbanks.

Junior running back Todd McCormick scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run with just over five minutes left in the game.

In other scores, South beat Cook Inlet Conference foe Chugiak 33-27, Palmer doubled up West 40-20 and Skyview defeated Seward 36-13 after scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half.

In North Pole's victory, the Patriots stormed to a 14-0 lead at halftime on touchdown runs from Kevin Kornack and Ricky Culver. Culver also caught a two-point conversion from quarterback Luke Isaacson.

But East roared back behind running back Shawn Pili.

Pili scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter, which was set up by Willie Bell's 51-yard interception return. Pili scored his second touchdown on a 4-yard run with 11:26 left in the fourth quarter. That score was set up by a 15-yard pass interference penalty against North Pole.

McCormick then led the Patriots back down the field before fumbling the ball near his own end zone.

Two plays later, Pili coughed the ball up to give McCormick a chance at redemption.

East quarterback Ronn Schrufer completed 11 of 23 passes for 172 yards in the loss.

In South's victory, running back Brian Hunsicker rushed for two touchdowns in the second half, including a 10-yard scamper that sealed the game.

South built a 21-14 lead on the strength of quarterback Grant Stophlet's right arm. He tossed a pair of touchdown passes -- a 9-yarder to Sterling Lopez and a 39-yarder to Zach Sterling.

LeeAnthony Jenkins scored on a 15-yard run to stake the Wolverines to a 7-0 lead. But Chugiak stormed back behind its defense.

Brian Niedermeyer blocked a field goal and returned a fumble 32 yards, setting up Jake Lester's 35-yard scoring run that gave the Mustangs a 14-7 edge.

Lester finished with 158 rushing yards for Chugiak.

In Palmer's win, running back Haaken Bohman had three second-half touchdown runs to give Palmer a non-conference win at Machetanz Field.

Bohman's runs of 75, 9 and 31 yards broke open a game that Palmer led 21-20 at halftime.

East0 0 6 8 -- 14

North Pole14 0 6 0 -- 20

First Quarter

North Pole -- Kornack 1 run (kick blocked), 6:46.

North Pole -- Culver 4 run (Culver pass from Isaacson), 2:07.

Third Quarter

East -- Pili 3 run (kick blocked), 7:36.

Fourth Quarter

East -- Pili 4 run (Pili run), 11:26.

North Pole -- McCormick 1 run (pass failed), 5:03.

EASTNORTH POLE

First downs87

Rushes-yards28-3541-79

Passing yards17217

Return yards17330

Passes11-24-03-7-1

Punts2-28.55-31.6

Fumbles-lost6-23-1

Penalties-yards11-605-33

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- East: Ferguson 15-24, Pili 4-14, Fernandez 1-1, S. Schrufer 8-(-4). North Pole: McCormick 16-55, Culver 10-27, Kornack 10-11, Isaacson 5-(-14).

PASSING -- East: R. Schrufer 11-23-0-172, Purcel-Reynolds 0-1-0-0. North Pole: Isaacson 3-7-1-17.

RECEIVING -- East: Moore 3-66, Drones 2-34, Harrison 2-34, Eaton 2-20, Ferguson 1-12, Pili 1-6. North Pole: Culver 2-54, Ward 1-13.

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