C.J. Toomer accounted for five touchdowns despite missing the first series as Service defeated Colony 52-21 on Opening Night of Alaska football at Anchorage Football Stadium.
Photo by Skip Hickey
The Kevin Kern coaching debut was a major hit at Anchorage Football Stadium on Friday night.
The longtime assistant watched his second-ranked
Service (Anchorage, Alaska) Cougars score early and often to wallop No. 10
Colony (Palmer) 52-21 on opening night of high school football action in Alaska.
"We have some things to clean up, but overall I was very pleased," Kern told MaxPreps by phone after the game. "We had some guys and some positions step up that we weren't really expecting."
C.J. Toomer threw for four TD passes.
Photo by Skip Hickey
Senior quarterback
C.J. Toomer accounted for five touchdowns — even after missing the first series — as Service raced to a 39-14 lead with 2:27 left in the first half. From there, the Cougars, the Alaska large-school runner-up last season, simply cruised.
Colony actually took its only lead to open the game, with 4 minutes, 11 seconds left in the first quarter on a scoring toss from
Bryce Niver to 6-foot-4 Division I prospect
Antonio Bush.
Toomer came right back 41 seconds later on a long scoring pass to
Nyeem Johnson to tie the game, before
Demetrius Mcleod scooped up a fumble and rambled 17 yards to put Service up for good, 13-7.
Levi Hanson made it 19-7 on a short run, another Toomer touchdown pass made it 25-7 and
Eric Jones followed with a 33-yard scoring run with 4:55 left in the half, making it 33-7 Service.
A Niver to
Daniel Bilafer scoring toss cut the Service lead to 33-14, but Toomer ran in another touchdown with 2:27 left in the half, making it 39-14.
Ball game.
Service gave game balls to Johnson, who also played cornerback, and Joel Bresser, a backup receiver, defensive back and special teams specialist.
The secondary gave up a few big plays to the potent Colony passing attack, but it also intercepted four passes.
"We learned a lot about our kids tonight," Kern said. "It's been a transition period for our coaching staff, but the kids did a real nice job. I'm very encouraged."
Service running back Thavun Srisaneha.
Photo by Skip Hickey
Elsewhere, No. 4
Palmer (Alaska) edged Bartlett, 21-15. See
Qwixcore report of the game, as well as other
Alaska football news and updates.
