Monzulla’s records — 44 TDs, 2,860 rushing yards — safe for another year

The high school football season is one game away from its conclusion, which means Perry Monzulla will remain Alaska's touchdown king for another year.

No one in Friday's night title game between Bartlett and West has a prayer of catching Monzulla, who set two big records as a senior running back for the North Pole Patriots in 2004.

Monzulla rushed for 2,860 yards and scored 44 touchdowns in 11 games for the Patriots, who beat West 44-13 in that season's state championship game.

He averaged an astonishing 9.5 yards per carry to annihilate the previous rushing record — Brandon Drumm's 2,241 yards for the Service Cougars in 1997.

Chugiak running back Derryk Snell made a run at Monzulla's touchdown record this season but came up six short of tying it. Snell scored 38 touchdowns in 10 games, including five in last week's semifinal loss to Bartlett.

Had the Mustangs made it to championship game, Snell would have needed seven touchdowns to break Monzulla's record.

"Congratulations to him. That's a heckuva job to get 38 touchdowns," Monzulla said last weekend while in Anchorage for a Pop Warner football pee-wee tournament for 10- and 11-year-olds.

Monzulla, 30, lives in Fairbanks and works as an apprentice plumber and pipefitter. He coaches the Fairbanks Malemutes pee-wee team, which includes his son, Talon Loving.

He said his records remain meaningful "because I have my son out here and he wants to be a running back."

"… (He) says he's going to break my record by 1 yard."

Monzulla, a Region VI champion in the 100 meters, credited his speed and good teammates and coaches — he played for the late Buck Nystrom — for his gridiron success.

His advice for players who want to take aim at his records?

"If I can do it, you can do it," he said. "Spend time in the weight room and hitting the books. I could've gone farther if I had hit the books."