HOMER — Juneau-Douglas High School running back Liam Van Sickle punched two short runs into the end zone Saturday against host Homer to break a stalemate and send JDHS onto its second win of the year, 26-8.
Homer opened scoring with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Teddy Croft to Joe Ravin with 4:56 left in the first quarter. JDHS’s Cody Galletes responded about two minutes later with a 3-yard run. Both teams failed to convert extra points.
After the teams tied 6-6 heading into half time, Van Sicle scored from 3 yards out with 6:51 remaining in the third, and then visited the end zone again less than two minutes later from six yards out, putting JDHS up 19-6. Van Sickle carried nine times for 108 yards to lead the JDHS rushing attack. Lance Galletes-Fiagatusa carried 19 times for 89 yards.
JDHS quarterback Jonathan-Che Stults opened the fourth quarter with a 2-yard scamper, and Elliiot Gifford nabbed the extra point to go up 26-6. Stults had 13 carries for 41 yards on the day.
Homer’s final points came on a safety when Galletes-Fiagatusa was tackled by Homer’s Timmy Woo with 6:07 remaining, resulting in the final score, 26-8.
JDHS and Homer controlled the clock equally, but JDHS was the only team able to consistently move the ball. The Crimson Bears gained 236 yards on the ground on 49 carries, compared to 107 yards on 25 carries for Homer. Homer led in the air, mostly by necessity after falling behind, by completing 6-of-19 passes for 122 yards while giving up two interceptions. JDHS was 3-of-6 in the air for 38 yards.
