For almost the entirety of Alaska high school sports’ existence, Anchorage teams have made bus trips out to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley for games of varying importance. Valley squads have done the same in reverse.
In a few days, senior Alex Borke and his unbeaten Dimond High football teammates will take their seats for the hour-or-so ride out to Palmer. Soon after, they’ll get a shot at making history for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.
“We won’t worry about how long it takes,” Borke said of the pending journey. “Shoot, you could take us all the way to Fairbanks, and it would still be the best bus ride.”
Borke caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass and recovered a crucial fumble early in the second half Saturday at Dimond’s Don Winchester Field. Fueled further by a stalwart defense and the cruise-control style of junior quarterback Cayden Pili, the Lynx motored past Bartlett 36-6 in the Division I First National Bowl semifinals.
The Cook Inlet Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, Pili continued making magic in the state semifinals. On a uniquely Alaska fall afternoon with chilled temps in the 30s and laser-like sunshine piercing out from the Southwest skies, Pili rushed for a game-high 91 yards and four touchdowns. He added 96 passing yards that included a 10-yard toss to Borke with 7 minutes, 6 seconds to play.
“I don’t even know with Cayden,” Borke said. “It’ll be third-and-15, and he’ll make a play. You just can’t tackle him. He hasn’t played a lot on defense for us because we can’t have him get hurt. But he’ll come in and make a fourth-down stop.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever played with, that’s for sure.”
The Lynx held Bartlett to only 88 yards of total offense and recovered three fumbles. Golden Bears senior Makisi Poleo finished with 15 carries for only 44 yards. He averaged 169 yards on the ground coming in and amassed 182 rushing yards in August’s 35-30 regular-season loss at Dimond.
“The whole plan was to make (Bartlett) one dimensional, make them have to throw, which they’re not known to be good at doing,” Borke said.
Dimond improved to 10-0 and advanced to its first First National Bowl since winning it all in 2001. In only head coach Brian Yim’s third season, the Lynx have risen from the depths of CIC bottom feeders to appear in the school’s sixth championship game since 1983.
Dimond won crowns in 1983, 1993, 2000 and 2001.
“It doesn’t feel real, really, it just doesn’t feel real,” said Dimond senior co-captain Josiah James. “I’m thrilled at the chance, but my job and our job will be to make sure we’re focused and that nothing distracts us.”
Dimond earned a CIC rematch versus West in Friday night’s DI championship game at Colony High. The Eagles ruffled up East by a 34-14 count in Saturday’s other DI semifinal, which Anchorage School District officials ridiculously scheduled to kick off 90 minutes before the semi at Dimond started. Good luck catching both games, dedicated sports fans.
Dimond dealt West a 29-12 regular-season setback at Winchester Field on Sept. 7.
Pili and Dimond enjoyed the Saturday semifinal run of the store. But most of that running purposely went away from Bartlett junior defensive end Deuce Alailefaleula, who returned to the field for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury Sept. 14 (four games). Once he entered the game on his team’s second defensive series, the Lynx routinely ran left to avoid the can’t-miss prospect.
“I took a break from those games so my leg could get better,” Alailefaleula said seconds after completing postgame handshakes. “I put it at about 75 percent.”
Injury or not, offenses must factor in Alailefaleula on every play. Deuce so resembles his father, Tui, who used his Bartlett career from more than 20 years ago to play at NCAA DI Washington. Deuce should be just as sought after by college recruiters as he looks ahead to his senior season at Bartlett.
A senior season he confirmed will be at Bartlett (6-4) as opposed to somewhere Outside for so-called greater exposure.
“For sure,” Deuce said. “I have to continue the legacy.”
Bartlett 0 6 0 0 – 6
Dimond 7 6 13 10 – 36
FIRST QUARTER
Dimond – Pili 1 run (Lajoie kick)
SECOND QUARTER
Bartlett – Tyrell 1 run (kick failed)
Dimond – Pili 6 run (run failed)
THIRD QUARTER
Dimond – Pili 2 run (Lajoie kick)
Dimond – Pili 2 run (kick blocked)
FOURTH QUARTER
Dimond – Borke 10 pass from Pili (Lajoie kick)
Dimond – Lajoie 33 FG