Barrow football comes back to beat Homer in battle of Mid Alaska unbeatens

The visiting Barrow football team defeated Homer 30-20 on Saturday in a battle of Mid Alaska Conference unbeatens.

The Whalers came back from a 20-8 third quarter deficit on the Mariners homecoming to move to 3-0 in the league and 3-2 overall.

Homer is 2-1 and 3-3, while Redington is 2-1 and 3-2. The Mariners host Redington at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27.

Next, Kenai is 1-2 and 2-4, Houston is 1-2 and 2-4 and Kodiak is 0-3 and 0-6.

“Barrow’s the team to beat right now,” Homer head coach Justin Zank said.

The Mariners led 12-8 at halftime behind two touchdown passes from CJ Burns to Justus Grimes.

Homer then got the kickoff to open the second half and drove down the field for a rushing touchdown by Burns, with Joaquin Jackson adding the two-point conversion on the ground for the 20-8 lead.

Zank said the tide began to turn as the bigger Whalers players wore on Homer’s players.

“They started getting some significant push there in the fourth quarter,” the coach said.

He also added Homer made some significant mistakes. Barrow uses an onside kick almost every time, and Nikifor Reutov returned one to the Barrow 2-yard line, but the return was called back due to a penalty.

“It was just a series of mistakes,” Zank said. “We were moving the ball all over the place.”

The varsity Mariners will host Redington on Friday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m.

Emilie Springer/ Homer News Homer Mariner players return to the bench after halftime at the homecoming football game on the Mariner Field in Homer on Saturday.