Anchorage Daily News

Alaska's hungriest football team enjoyed a long-awaited feast Friday.

Eagle River, a three-year-old high school salivating for its first victory in school history, snapped a 19-game losing streak in a big way by trouncing the Skyview Panthers 45-7 in Soldotna.

It only took the Wolves three minutes to take the lead, 12 minutes to smell victory and 24 minutes to takecomplete control.

Buron Bell hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass from Agustin Ortiz III to spot Eagle River to a 7-0 lead after two minutes and 59 seconds of play, and the Wolves added two more touchdowns that quarter to grab a 21-7 lead.

Archie Blair scored on runs of 13 and 1 yards to build Eagle River's lead to 21-0. Skyview got on the scoreboard with just under four minutes to go in the first quarter on Bradley Lapp's 31-yard run, a play that saved the Panthers from a shutout.

Eagle River scored three more times in the second half, beginning with Blair's 29-yard run. Ortiz added two more passing touchdowns -- including one as time expired -- to power the Wolves to a 42-7 halftime lead.

The second half was scoreless until the 2:21 mark of the fourth quarter, when Eagle River booted a 29-yard field goal to finish with a flourish.

The 44 points were more than Eagle River scored in its three previous games, during which the Wolves were outscored 154-39 by opponents. The offensive outburst came against a Skyview team that hasn't won a game in three outings this season.

The nonconference victory was the first in four games this season for the Wolves of the Cook Inlet Conference. It improves their all-time record to 1-19.

While the win was huge for Eagle River, the night's biggest game was in Palmer, where the fifth-ranked Moose upset the third-ranked Crimson Bears of Juneau 34-19. The game was tied 10-10 at the half, but Palmer's Coleman Ahrens broke loose for touchdown runs of 32 and 37 yards in the fourth quarter to carry the Moose.

Palmer moved to 3-0 in the Railbelt Conference and 4-0 on the season, while Juneau fell to 2-1 and 2-2.

Palmer improved to 3-1 while Juneau slipped to 2-2.

In Las Vegas, Alaska's top-ranked team -- the Service Cougars -- took a 24-0 beating from Bishop Gorman, last year's Nevada Class 4A state champions. The Cougars had outscored Alaska opponents 129-18 in their first three games, but couldn't muster a point against Bishop Gorman.

In Anchorage, Jamal Hale rushed for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Bartlett past Chugiak 20-7. Bartlett improved to 2-2 on the season and in the Cook Inlet Conference, while Chugiak dropped to 1-2 in the conference and 1-3 overall.

In non-conference action in the Interior, Dane Ebanez rushed 12 times for 235 yards and three touchdowns in North Pole's big 61-12 victory over Eielson at Eielson.

Eielson quarterback Colten Growden scored both touchdowns for the Patriots and led the team in carries with 28 for 147 yards.

Friday's Results

Eagle River 45, Skyview 7

Bartlett 20, Chugiak 7

Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 24, Service 0

Palmer 34, Juneau 19

North Pole 61, Eielson 12

Today's Games

Ketchikan at Houston, 1 p.m.

Lathrop at Dimond, 2 p.m.

Delta Junction at Seward, 2 p.m.

Nikiski at Monroe Catholic, 2 p.m.

Valdez at Barrow, 2 p.m.

Soldotna at Homer, 3 p.m.

Kodiak at Kenai, 3 p.m.

Wasilla at West Valley, 7 p.m.

East at Colony, 7 p.m.

South vs. West, 7 p.m., AFS

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