Crimson Bears trounce North Pole Patriots

The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears left another football team scoreless this weekend.

In the first Railbelt Conference game of the season, the Crimson Bears varsity toppled the North Pole Patriots by a score of 57-0. The Juneau-Douglas junior varsity also beat the North Pole JV by 38-6.

The games were played in North Pole and heard in Juneau on KJNO radio and the KATH-TV website.

Quarterback Phillip Fenumiai says the varsity offensive and defensive lines really did “their thing” and the entire team was “clicking on all cylinders.”

Fenumiai had 290 yards passing, most of that in the first half. He threw three touchdown passes. The 6-foot 2-inch junior explains the plays:

“Two touchdown passes were to Sean Niumataevalu. One was on a post route. That’s where you just go up seven yards and just aim for a spot 45 degrees down field,” Fenumiai says. “The second one was on a drag. He just came across the middle of the field from slot and he made a play after he caught the ball and ran 70 yards.”

Fenumiai’s third touchdown pass was to first-year player Alec Calloway, in what he calls a go route.

“Straight down the field,” Fenumiai explains. “I threw it up to him and led him in strides so he didn’t have to stop for the ball, and he scored a touchdown.”

Senior Fullback Lah Fifita also scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. Kohl Jaeger and Gary Speck each had 6-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots were missing several key players, due to illness, injury and violating a team rule.

Fenumiai says the Bears knew that going into the game, but they still expected more because they had scrimmaged the Patriots in football camp this summer.

“I didn’t think we were going to go by them with such ease this game, but defense did their thing, actually got us the ball back when we wanted it,” he says. “Offense, we were just clicking on all cylinders. I don’t think North Pole knew what hit them.”

The Crimson Bears sacked the Patriots’ quarterback Moo Rogers twice and limited him to 97 yards passing and rushing.

The varsity Bears amassed 125 points in their first two games of the season. Last week they beat the Thunder Mountain Falcons 68-0.

Photos by Gail Fenumiai

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