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Turnovers, injuring hamper Whalers in season-opening loss to Rams

August 17th 1:26 pm | Tommy Wells Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Heading into the season, the Barrow Whalers coaching staff wasn't trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. They knew their team would be young and inexperienced. And that a few growing pains would likely be coming.

They may not have expected them to come so quickly.

Barrow, hampered by turnovers and a pair of costly injuries, suffered a 16-0 loss in their 2012 season opener to the Monroe Catholic Rams on Saturday afternoon at Kiwanis Field in Fairbanks.

The loss drops the defending Small-School state runner-up to 0-1 in Greatland Conference play.

The Whalers, who were hit hard by graduation, struggled on offense throughout the contest. Barrow amassed just 167 total yards, including just 19 via the running game.

"Turnovers didn't help us any," Igou said. "With our youth and inexperience and the mistakes we made, we just couldn't sustain any scoring opportunities."

Those missed opportunities spoiled an otherwise solid outing from the BHS defense. Despite giving up almost 300 total yards, the Whalers held the Rams out of the end zone for much of the game.

Monroe Catholic grabbed the upper hand late in the first quarter. Freshman quarterback Tyler Wells gave the Rams a lead at the 5:41 mark of the period when he crashed into the end zone from six yards out. Alex Callahan's extra point staked Monroe Catholic to a 7-0 lead.

From there, the BHS defense stiffened, yielding only a pair of field goals.

Callahan booted field goals of 27 and 26 yards in the second quarter and gave the Rams a 13-0 lead heading into the half.

Monroe Catholic's defense also played well. The Rams intercepted three Barrow passes in the game, including two by Wells.

The Whalers did pick up a solid performance from quarterback Adison Itta and tight end Taylor Masterson. Itta completed 12 of his 27 passing attempts for 148 yards. Three interceptions, however, thwarted Barrow drives.

Masterson, a 6-foot-3 standout, gave the Rams' smaller defensive backs fits throughout the game. He finished with five receptions for 80 yards.

The Rams closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter with Callahan's third field goal of the contest, a 25-yarder that upped Monroe Catholic's lead to 16-0.

Wells proved to be the spark that ignited the Rams' offense throughout the afternoon. He rushed for 131 yards on 14 carries. He also completed three of eight passes for 36 yards and an interception on deflected pass I the end zone.

As a team, Monroe Catholic rolled up 229 rushing yards on the ground.

Barrow's offense was helped when running back Jesse Sanchez was injured. The Whalers' back suffered an injury to his arm and was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

A Barrow defensive lineman also was injured. He suffered a possible neck injury and was taken from the field on a stretcher and transported to the hospital.

Barrow will return to action this Saturday when they host the Homer Mariners at Cathy Parker Field. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Homer enters the second week of the Alaska High School football season at 0-1. The Mariners suffered a 26-6 loss to Eielson on Saturday in their season-opener.

 

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