Read the Empire’s quarter-by-quarter live coverage below
Fourth quarter
Juneau lost a nail-biter. Much of the fourth quarter was scoreless with costly penalties for both teams, but with 17 seconds remaining, Colony quarterback Jack Nash managed to run the ball into the end zone, putting the score at 14-7 with 17 seconds left in the game. The Huskies did their best to make gains down the field with 17 seconds remaining. Williams had sizable uns, but they were unable to put any more points on the board. The Colony Knights win the championship game 14-7, the program’s first Division I state championship.
Stray observations:
— Colony opened the quarter with an offensive look that was reminiscent of Juneau. Lots of quarterback keepers behind a flotilla of lead blockers.
— Disastrous end to a Colony possession in the fourth. Multiple penalties to move back, then a blocked field goal that wound up in Jarrell Williams’ hands for a nice return.
— Juneau’s next drive was a near mirror image. With penalties to make a field goal attempt difficult. Possession ends with a sack of Williams for a big loss and a turnover on downs.
— The game had been tied at 7-7 for nearly two quarters before Jack Nash plunged into the end zone.
— The last 17 seconds of the game was more stressful than a Safdie brothers film.
Third quarter
The score remains tied at 7 all. The Huskies were unable to capitalize on a fumble on Colony’s opening possession. Big defensive plays by Hunter Derr and Sam Sika. Jamal Johnson has been picking up big gains throughout.
Stray observations:
— Colony’s Jack Nash did an excellent job of evading the rush and picking up a first down.
— Juneau’s doing a good job generating pressure and causing turnovers. But, so far, no points off three turnovers.
— Witnessing an illegal chop block call against the defense feels like seeing a shooting star.
— Twice, key fourth down plays have resulted in a turnover on downs.
— Colony has consistently extended drives on third downs.
— This game is going extremely fast. Might wrap up in under 150 minutes.
Second quarter
Things are all tied up at the half. In the second quarter, the Huskies managed even the score 7-7 with a touchdown by Jamal Johnson. Thomas Baxter had a big interception for the Huskies, but they ultimately weren’t able to put additional points on the board after a dramatic stand from Colony. There were big defensive plays late in the quarter by Lucas White and Payton Grant that kept the Knights off the board.
— Jonson Kuhn
Stray observations:
— As someone who tried to photograph this team from the right-side all year, it was gratifying to hear the broadcast acknowledging their love of running left.
— Tackling– or attempting to tackle – Jamal Johnson in cold weather doesn’t look fun. Per the broadcast, he finished the half with 99 yards on nine carries.
— Getting ear-holed by Sam Sika on a pull block also looks unfun.
— Colony’s defense had a dramatic goal-line stand to keep the game tied. Jayce Underwood in particular did a good job of stepping up to stop the run.
— Starting deep in their territory, the Knights did a good job maintaining a long drive near the end of the half. The Huskies defense also did a good job bending but not breaking.
— A 15-yard illegal touching penalty on a pass that at first appeared to put Colony in scoring position was hugely important in keeping things tied at the half.
— Ben Hohenstatt
First quarter
At the end of the first quarter Colony led the Huskies with a 7-0 lead. Both teams had turnovers but weren’t able to capitalize on them. The Huskies had a rough start, but picked up momentum by the end of the quarter.
— Jonson Kuhn
Stray observations:
— Colony’s inflatable knight tunnel used for pregame entrances is pretty sharp.
— A fantastic punt capped a tough first possession for Juneau.
— Colony junior Jack Nash looks impressive.
— Juneau’s defense did great to keep Colony off the board after a bad snap deep in Husky territory.
— Jamal Johnson breaking tackles and rumbling for a long gain near the end of the first seemed to get the offense humming again, but that was among the rougher quarters the Huskies have had all season.
— Ben Hohenstatt
Pregame
Tonight’s the Knights.
The Juneau Huskies will look to finish off their undefeated season with a Division I state championship against the Colony High School Knights.
The game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start at Service High School in Anchorage. The game is streaming on https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/.
Juneau (10-0, including post-season games) and Colony (8-2, including post-season games come into the 2022 ASAA Division I First National Bowl red-hot with high-scoring wins in the first two rounds to secure berths in the title game. Top-seeded Juneau dispatched No. 8 South Anchorage High School 52-21 in a game that was even less close than the final score before besting No. 5 Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School 39-6. Third-seeded Colony beat No. 6 Service 51-34 before beating Bartlett High School 46-33 on the road.
Jarrell Williams winds up for a long throw. Williams could be a difference-maker for Juneau in the state championship game. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
A previous game against Bartlett had given Colony one of its two losses. The other came against Juneau on Sept. 2. That tilt ended in a 42-13 win for the Huskies, who would go on to claim their second consecutive Cook Inlet Conference Championship.
Match-ups that could sway the outcome include a duel between two-way stars Jarrell Williams of Juneau and Jack Nash of Colony and the clash of the Huskies havoc-causing front-seven — which recently regained senior Brandon Campbell — and Colony’s offensive line, according to the Alaska Sports Report.
Juneau’s defense lines up against the visiting West Valley High School Rams from Washington state. The Huskies prevailed in their lone out-of-conference match-up.
— Ben Hohenstatt
