Thunder Mountain running back Qon Bear-Clark demonstrated a “beast mode” of his own Friday night, running over and around Ketchikan Kings defenders and leading his team to a 58-0 blowout at Falcons Field.
Bear-Clark scored his team’s first four touchdowns, all in the first half, as the Falcons proved too strong for the younger Kings. By the end of the first half, the game was well out of hand, and by the end of the third quarter the Falcons emptied their bench and substituted their junior varsity squad to close out the game.
Bear-Clark ran in his first touchdown on the Falcons’ opening drive. The Kings couldn’t take care of the ball when it was their turn on offense, fumbling three times during their first five offensive snaps. One loose ball was recovered by TMHS.
The Falcons’ second score came on a 13-yard scamper by Bear-Clark into the end zone. For an encore performance, he then ran 75 yards for his third score of the night and a 24-0 lead halfway through the second quarter, following a Falcons field goal. His next score was a 15-yard run to cap a 66-yard drive.
The Falcons weren’t perfect: They were heavily penalized throughout the evening. After receiving three consecutive penalties late in the second quarter, Falcons junior varsity quarterback Calen Jenkins threw an interception that was returned deep into Falcons territory. Just when it looked as if the Kings were ready to strike, the half ended with the Falcons up 31-0.
The second half was much the same as the first. After Bear-Clark moved the ball to the Kings’ 3-yard line, junior fullback Forrest Bizzarro punched in the next score with 8:03 remaining in the third. Falcons quarterback Jenkins started opening up the field on his next series with short passes leading to a 30-yard TD toss.
The Falcons improved to 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. The impending Glacier Bowl showdown against crosstown rival Juneau-Douglas High School, which lost 28-20 in Kodiak on Friday, will decide which Southeast Conference team will earn the No. 2 seed and join North Pole in the state tournament.
Thunder Mountain’s running back Shannon Olmstead pushes off Ketchikan’s Trevor Ortiz during their game in Juneau on Friday.
Thunder Mountain’s coaching staff and players celebrate a touchdown during their game against Ketchikan High School on Friday.
