Thunder Mountain High School senior Q’on Bear-Clark led the Falcons to their first-ever win over cross-town rival Juneau-Douglas, rushing for 324 yards in a 48-0 Glacier Bowl win over the Crimson Bears at Adair Kennedy Field on Saturday night.
The lopsided victory earns TMHS the Southeast Conference No. 2 seed for next week’s state medium school football playoffs and ends the season for JDHS.
Bear-Clark scored his first touchdown with 7:20 remaining in the first quarter on an 18-yard rumble into the end zone. The Falcons failed on the conversion.
JDHS could get no offense generated against a tough Falcons front line and secondary.
The Crimson Bears went three-and-out on their first possession and Falcons’ freshman Hanzel Hinckle returned the punt 50 yards to the 19-yard line.
After two Bear-Clark carries, Falcons’ quarterback Cale Jenkins threw two yards to Mahina Toutaiolepo for a 12-0 lead and then connected on the two-point conversion to Ryan Mayhew for a 14-0 advantage.
JDHS put together a drive from their own 36-yard line on the next possession and marched down to the Falcons’ 13 before an interception by TMHS’ Hinckle to end the quarter.
The Falcons had just four plays with two penalties before JDHS’ Koen Schultz intercepted a pass for a 20-yard return.
JDHS fumbled away during its next possession and with 7:33 remaining in the second quarter Bear-Clark ran in his second touchdown for a 20-0 lead. Riley Olson then made the extra point.
JDHS’ first play from scrimmage was a deep pass that the Falcons intercepted and Crimson Bears quarterback Bubba Stults was injured on the throw. Bear-Clark would score in the possession but the touchdown was called back on a Falcons penalty. The Falcons fumbled away their possession and Crimson Bears quarterback Hunter Hickok had two passes dropped and missed another and the Crimson Bears punted away.
Bear-Clark had another touchdown called back on a TMHS penalty in the next series and again had to punt.
JDHS had possession with 1:58 remaining before the half and worked the ball for two plays before the Falcons’ Shannon Olmstead intercepted a pass and returned the ball to the 31-yard line with 41 seconds remaining. The Falcons were later faced a fourth-and-nine with five seconds remaining and Jenkins connected to Olsen for the half-time score of 27-0.
JDHS opened the second half with their longest possession of the night, moving the ball from their own 27-yard line to the Falcons’ 38 before Hickok was hit behind the line and fumbled to TMHS senior defensive tackle Meki Sikione.
JDHS’ sophomore Lance Fiagatsu intercepted the Falcons next drive but the Crimson Bears went three-and-out.
Bear-Clark earned his third touchdown of the night with 1:13 remaining in the third quarter and the Jenkins-to-Olsen conversion made the score 35-0. Olsen intercepted the Crimson Bears next possession but the Falcons fumbled the ball back and JDHS entered the fourth quarter under the mercy rule and a running clock.
Bear-Clark scored his fourth touchdown after he broke through the Crimson Bears line at the 22-yard line and outran the secondary for a 78-yard scamper. Olsen nailed the extra point.
JDHS had a third-and-two on the next series but Hickok was sacked by the Falcons for a loss and the next snap was fumbled away. The Falcons’ Erik Frenette ended the next series with a five-yard carry for the final score.
TMHS recovered an onside kick with 2:18 remaining and the clock ran out as they searched for more yardage on the night.
This is the first time JDHS has failed to make the state playoffs since 2002.
TMHS will open the state playoffs next Saturday against the No. 1 seed from the Northern Lights Conference, the undefeated Soldotna Stars and their state record 37-game winning streak. The SEC No. 1 North Pole plays NLC No. 2 Kenai. Soldotna defeated Kenai 23-0 last night.
HOW THEY SCORED
TMHS 14 / 13 / 8 / 13 = 48
JDHS 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 = 0
First Quarter
TMHS 7:20 Bear-Clark 18-yard rush (2-pt fails) 6-0
TMHS 4:07 Jenkins 2 yard pass to Toutaiolepo (Jenkins to Mayhew 2-pt) 14-0
Second Quarter
TMHS 7:33 Bear-Clark 7-yard rush (Olsen kick) 21-0
TMHS 0:03 Jenkins 31-yard pass to Olsen (kick no good) 27-0
Third Quarter
TMHS 1:13 Bear-Clark 10-yard rush (Jenkins to Olsen 2-pt) 35-0
Fourth Quarter
TMHS 8:48 Bear-Clark 78-yard rush (Olsen kick) 42-0
TMHS 3:09 Frenette 5-yard rush (2-pt fails) 48-0
Thunder Mountain running back Q’on Bear-Clark takes two Crimson Bears into the end zone during Saturday’s 48-0 Falcons win in the Glacier Bowl over Juneau-Douglas at Adair Kennedy Field.
