The Kenai Central Highschool Kardinals dropped their first road game of the season, 8-6, to the Barrow High School Whalers. Kenai falls to 1-1 on the season. The low-scoring affair was punctuated by an exciting Whalers’ drive late in the fourth quarter, in which a Kenai defense who had been very stout all game, showed just enough cracks to allow Barrow the chance to take the lead. Kenai was looking to improve on their 1-0 start, and a convincing 37-0 win over Kodiak. Barrow came in needing to bounce back from a 38-12 drubbing on the road to the Homer Mariners.
After a scoreless first half, Kenai took the lead on their opening drive of the third quarter when Kardinal’s quarterback Zeke Yragui connected with running back Bobby Hayes on a 65 yard touchdown pass. Yragui rolled out to his right, and hit Hayes over the outstretched hands of a leaping Barrow defender at the Kenai 42 yard line, then Hayes did the rest himself, breaking left to avoid a tackle and sprinting the remaining 58 yards for the score. The extra point attempt was wide left, leaving Kenai with a 6 point lead, which they held until only a minute remained in the game.
After being repeatedly shut down by a Kardinal’s burly defensive line, the Whalers managed to string together enough positive yard plays during a 7-minute fourth quarter drive to tie the game on a naked bootleg, quarterback keeper by quarterback Dwight Unutoa with a minute to play. Then, in a less conventional follow-up, the Whalers opted to go for a 2-point conversion, and took the lead when Unutoa connected with an open receiver in the back, left corner of the end zone.
Kenai was unable to mount a comeback drive as time expired. The teams will meet again in Kenai on September 23rd.
Up Next:
Kenai heads back to the southern half of the state to take on Redington. The Kardinals and Huskies will face off on Redington’s field at 7:00pm, Friday, 8/25.