Jace Henry
After being oh-so-close in the second quarter, Jace Henry of Fairbanks hit pay dirt in the fourth.
The Dartmouth College dual threat scored a 1-yard touchdown to cap his team’s 35-13 victory over Valparaiso in Hanover, New Hampshire.
This was the first TD in eight career games for Henry, a junior, who also made his first career catch in the game.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder out of Lathrop High was the 2019 Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year and doubles as a tight end and quarterback for Dartmouth.
In the second quarter, Henry lined up at tight end and hauled in a 42-yard reception, taking the ball down to the 1-yard-line. The Big Green punched it in the next play for a 14-3 lead.
Coming up a yard short of reaching the end zone must have haunted Henry, who got another chance to get that yard in the fourth quarter when he came on at quarterback.
With 34 seconds left and the ball at the 1-yard line, Henry lined up in the shotgun and easily scored on the keeper.
.@k1ngj05 scores the final TD of the game! 😤
Dartmouth wins 35-13!!#TheWoods pic.twitter.com/xEZusitSZX
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) September 17, 2022
At Western Colorado University, Josh Cummings of Fairbanks returned to the field and got busy in a hurry.
The senior running back carried the ball 25 times for 111 yards in a 17-10 win over Colorado State-Pueblo. He missed the first two games of the season with an injury.
Josh Cummings
Cummings (West Valley) produced 114 of his team’s 304 yards and played a pivotal role in two drives that resulted in TDs.
He rushed for 20 yards in Western’s 6-play, 80-yard drive that led to a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, he was responsible for 34 yards on his team’s 16-play, 85-yard drive that led to the go-ahead score.
Cummings has carved up opponents on the ground over the last 12 games with eight 100-yard efforts.
Last season, he rushed for 1,301 yards and 17 TDs –the second most rushing scores by an Alaskan at the NCAA level.
Anchorage’s Brandon Pili celebrates a defensive stop. Photo by John McGillen USC Athletics
In the Pac-12 Conference, USC senior defensive lineman Brandon Pili of Anchorage recorded a sack in a 45-17 victory over Fresno State.
In the third quarter on 3rd-and-8, the 6-foot-4 Alaskan powered his way into the backfield for a solo sack that forced fourth down and a Fresno State punt.
Pili (Dimond) has 3.5 sacks and 53 tackles in 41 career games – the third most appearances among Alaskans in the Pac-12.
Oregon State, sophomore defensive lineman Thomas Sio of Anchorage collected a career-high three tackles in a 68-28 win over Montana State.
Thomas Sio
In the second quarter, the 6-foot-3 Alaskan forced a MSU punt when he made a solo stop on 3rd-and-2. In the fourth quarter, he teamed with Isaac Hodgins for a tackle for loss, the first of his career.
Sio (Bartlett) has made 17 appearances for the Beavers since 2020.
The game also featured Chugiak’s Derryk Snell of Montana State. The junior tight end caught a 27-yard pass to give his team a first down in the fourth quarter.
It was the 35th career reception for Snell (Chugiak), the 2017 Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year.
LaTraviaus Kingsland
At Midland University, junior defensive back LaTraviaus Kingsland of Anchorage bagged five tackles and a pass break-up as the nationally ranked Warriors won 20-7 over Mount Marty.
Kingland (Bartlett) is part of a devastating defense allowing just 8.2 points per game, fueling a 4-0 start.
Midland is ranked No. 10 in the NAIA college football rankings.