The Colony Knights upset the top-ranked East T-birds in exciting fashion in the opening round of the 2019 Division I high school football playoffs 28-27.
The defending large-school state champion T-birds came into the game undefeated in the state of Alaska during the regular season and had an opportunity to extend that record but the Knights kept them out of the end zone on a 2-point attempt with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
The T-birds attempted an onside kick that was recovered by a Knights player, who fumbled the ball after being hit by an East player, and recovered by another Colony player.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Colony senior quarterback Ryan Murphy who ran in a pair of touchdowns. “We’ve played them the past two years and got our butt whooped. I knew we’d get them and I knew we’d beat them but it’s pretty surreal."
East junior quarterback Ja’sem Atonio found junior receiver Jordan Holland, who was their primary playmaker on the day with 5 catches for more than 100 yards and a touchdown, in the back-left corner of the end zone to bring the T-birds to within one point. A PAT would have tied the game but head coach Jeff Trotter opted to leave his offense on the field and go for the win with 43.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
“Our resiliency was good,” said Trotter. “That’s why we decided to go for two because we trust these guys and I’ll still stick with that decision.”
Junior running back Oakland Aka had a strong day on the ground for the T-birds racking up 74 yards on eight carries but was stopped by a host of Knights short of the goal line on the failed 2-point attempt.
“It meant a lot," said Holland about his coach’s decision to let them attempt to win the game in regulation. “We coach told us to go back on 2-point we all put our heart in it but it just didn’t work out.”
It was a back and forth game between two teams with dominant rushing offenses that accounted for over 400 yards combined on the ground.
“Our plan was just to pound the ball,” said Murphy. “People thought we couldn’t do it but I knew we could just go down there and just punch them in the throat.”
These two teams met in the season opener where East took a commanding 44-16 victory but the Knights were able to avenge the lopsided loss thanks to their reformed offensive attack that has helped them win four games in a row.
“We were confident that our team had changed halfway through the season,” said Colony head coach Robbie Nash. “You could see it in the kids. A different air when we walked into the locker room, the kids had a different air. They had a confidence in themselves that they really believed in themselves and we started that four games ago.
“We changed our offense around, the kids started believing in our offense and our defense. We talk about being built for others and that’s being built for each other and that’s been our motto all year.”
East was able to overcome its mistakes and miscues in the regular-season finale against Service, but they proved to be too costly in the quarterfinals against a disciplined Colony team that played a clean game outside of one turnover.
“The first time we played them we had 15 penalties,” said Nash. “You can’t win a game like that and this time they were disciplined in their hard count quite a bit.”
Colony’s offense moved the ball against East’s stout defense and capitalized on the advantageous field position that its host gifted them off of turnovers and a failed fourth-down conversion. They outgained the T-birds on the ground and ran in all four of their touchdowns on the day.
“We were really confident,” said Nash. “We just needed to get first downs, we want to maintain and control the ball, maintain possession and if we can offensively maintain the ball longer than they can.”
East still has a very young team stockpiled with talent so they will head into the offseason determined to avenge their early postseason exit and Colony will be advancing to the semifinals to face the Service Cougars next weekend for a chance to punch their ticket to the state championship game for the first time since the 2006 season, when they lost to South 26-16.
“It feels great,” said senior running back Michael Bradley who led the Knights in rushing with 174 yards and added 4 extra points as the placekicker. “Definitely didn’t want to end the senior year on this game right here. We’re going all the way.”