The host Nikiski football team defeated Valdez 54-14 on Saturday in nonconference action.

The Bulldogs and Buccaneers both play in the nine-man Denali Conference, but the first round of games between the four teams in the conference are nonconference.

The four teams now take a week off before beginning conference play. Nikiski (2-1 overall) plays at Seward (3-0) on Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. in the first game on the Seahawks’ new artificial turf.

Nikiski head coach Matt Trammell said his team is now in midseason form.

“I thought this was the best game of football we’ve played this year, by far,” he said. “We executed well, and played with good energy.”

The Bulldogs stormed to a 46-8 lead at the half against Valdez (1-2). Both coaches agreed to a running clock in the second half.

Oliver Parrish rushed 12 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs. He also led a scoring drive at quarterback in the second half.

“He’s a real passionate kid,” Trammell said of the senior. “He runs hard. He has good vision. He brings the intensity every game and leaves it all out there.”

Sophomore Kaiden Parrish also had a big game, with six carries for 101 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Ethan Ellis also was able to keep the Buccaneers honest through the air, hitting 2 of 3 passes for 76 yards and touchdowns to senior Wyatt Maguire and senior Kevin Love.

On defense, Trammell said Maguire had a great game. The coach also said Trigger McCaughey shined in his first start, intercepting a ball and keeping the Buccaneers from getting to the edge. Sophomore Breaker Schmit also recovered a fumble for Nikiski.

Valdez head coach Lee Chadwick coached at Nikiski from 1999 to 2009. He moved to Utah before coming back to Alaska to coach at Valdez.

A few years ago, Chadwick retired, but the football program fell apart without him. When nine-man football was created last season, Chadwick came out of retirement and has building the program ever since.

He said he’s happy with how the rebuilding is going, but added his squad got a little beaten up against Seward.

“We had three starters on the sideline today,” he said. “We had guys playing out of position all game.

“Overall, I’m fine with what happened today. If we’re healthy, I mean, it’d be a struggle for us, but we’d be playing toe to toe with them.”

Valdez quarterback Andrew Baczuk carried the ball 23 times for 69 yards and found Merrick McCumby for a 25-yard touchdown.

“This is the first year he played that,” Chadwick said of Baczuk. “We just had to move him there because we didn’t have anybody else, really.

“He plays hard and is learning how to run from the shotgun position. We didn’t have the guys up front we normally would, so he got beat up today.”

Chadwick also credited DJ Baron with a strong game at defensive end.

Seward 84, Monroe 16

The defending nine-man state champs cruised in Fairbanks. Seward coach Tyler Mallory texted that his starters were out of the game by the second quarter.

Saturday

Bulldogs 54, Buccaneers 14

Val 8 0 0 6 —14

Nik 24 22 8 0 —54

1st Quarter

Nik — W. Maguire 22 pass from Ellis (O. Parrish run), 8:29.

Val — No. 32 4 run (No. 32 run), 6:20.

Nik — O. Parrish 25 run (K. Parrish run), 3:21.

Nik — Love 54 pass from Ellis (W. Maguire run), :04.

2nd Quarter

Nik — O. Parrish 12 run (pass failed), 8:50.

Nik — K. Parrish 54 run (O. Parrish run), 5:14.

Nik — K. Parrish 36 run (Ellis run), 1:20.

3rd Quarter

Nik — K. Parrish 3 run (K. Parrish run), 6:54.

4th Quarter

Val — McCumby 25 pass from Baczuk (pass failed), 8:05.

Val Nik

First downs 5 6

Rushing yards 27-51 35-254

Passing yards 52 82

Comp-att-int 4-8-1 3-4-0

Return yards 25 26

Punts 3-28.3 0-0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties 6-30 5-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing — Valdez: Baczuk 23-69, No. 32 1-4, Passage 3-(-22). Nikiski: O. Parrish 12-136, K. Parrish 6-101, W. Maguire 3-22, Ellis 3-10, Scott 2-2, Trigger McCaughey 1-(-2), Doth 4-(-15), Tuttle 4-(-4).

Passing — Valdez: Baczuk 4-8-1—52. Nikiski: O. Parrish 1-1-0—6, Ellis 2-3-0—76.

Receiving — Valdez: No. 32 1-13, McCumby 2-40, Agcaoili-Smith 1-(-1). Nikiski: W. Maguire 1-22, Love 1-54, K. Parrish 1-6.

Nikiski’s Oliver Parrish rushes for a touchdown against Valdez on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Nikiski Middle-High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski’s Trigger McCaughey tackles Valdez’s Dylan Passage on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Nikiski Middle-High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)