The host Nikiski football team celebrated its homecoming and senior night by defeating Monroe Catholic 54-14 in nine-man Denali Conference action Friday.

The Bulldogs improve to 1-1 in the league and 3-2 overall, while the Rams drop to 1-1 and 1-4.

Nikiski turned in a dominant performance — leading 38-0 after the first quarter and 46-0 at the half — against a Monroe program still rebuilding after restarting the program this season.

With the blue-sky, autumn evening so perfect though, nearly all of the large homecoming crowd stuck around to see the end of the game.

“We’re definitely proud, but we’re trying to keep ourselves humble and remember what the actual goal is,” Nikiski senior Oliver Parrish said.

Parrish said the goal is a nine-man state championship.

“I’ve been working for it for four years, so we’re not going to lie down,” he said. “We’re going to try.

“I know we’re 0-2 against Seward, and that’s our big competition right now. But they know we’re their competition too.”

Parrish said the team did a good job of running hard and getting to the blocks, as well as containing the edge on defense.

In the first quarter, Oliver Parrish scored on a 3-yard run, 44-yard fumble return and recovered an onside kick, Kaiden Parrish scored on a 13-yard run, and Wyatt Maguire scored on 15- and 49-yard passes from Ethan Ellis.

Nikiski head coach Matt Trammell said Maguire was named the player of the game for his two touchdown catches, as well as his two interceptions. Kevin Love also had a fumble recovery for Nikiski.

“They definitely came out hungry,” Trammell said. “We took care of business.”

The coach said seniors Parrish, Lynn Deveer, Love, Everett Chamberlain, James Hemphill, Ellis, Maguire, Jackson Wittmer and Zachariah Hockema all performed well on senior night.

Ryder Maguire scored on a 15-yard run in the second quarter for the Bulldogs, then Ellis finished the scoring with a 44-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Monroe assistant Ben McDaniel said a lot of his players hadn’t even played football until eight or nine weeks ago.

“We have a lot of heart on the field, but we haven’t played in so many years, like Nikiski does,” he said. “Nikiski has a really, really good program, and they’re coached really, really well. So it’s an uphill battle.”

McDaniel said the team has improved a lot, and a victory against Valdez in conference play opens the possibility the Rams will make the playoffs and come back to Nikiski for the first round.

“I want my seniors to have another chance to come back,” he said.

Talon Loving scored on 16- and 45-yard runs in the second half. McDaniel also said quarterback Ryan Mavencamp did a good job of running the offense.

James Benbow moved from the offensive line to running back for the first time, and McDaniel loved the way the senior plowed for 43 yards.

Although McDaniel said the Rams didn’t get much done defensively, the assistant coach gave credit to Daniel Bergstrom for some big hits.

Nine of the 17 on the Monroe roster are seniors, but McDaniel is hoping the victory over Valdez will spur more interest in the program.

Nikiski plays its last regular season game against Valdez on Saturday, Sept. 28, at noon, while Monroe travels to Seward for a 1 p.m. game Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m.

Friday

Bulldogs 54, Rams 14

Mon 0 0 6 8 —14

Nik 38 8 0 8 —54

1st Quarter

Nik — O. Parrish 3 run (K. Parrish run), 9:26.

Nik — K. Parrish 13 run (O. Parrish run), 6:44.

Nik — W. Maguire 15 pass from Ellis (Ellis run), 3:40.

Nik — O. Parrish 44 fumble return (run failed), 2:44.

Nik — W. Maguire 49 pass from Ellis (O. Parrish run), :00.

2nd Quarter

Nik — R. Maguire 15 run (K. Parrish run), 6:08.

3rd Quarter

Mon — Loving 16 run (run failed), :00.

4th Quarter

Nik — Ellis 44 run (O. Parrish), 10:30.

Mon — Loving 45 run (Snow pass from Loving), 2:29.

Mon Nik

First downs 11 9

Rushing yards 36-85 29-212

Passing yards 50 123

Comp-att-int 3-6-2 5-10-0

Return yards 52 178

Punts 2-25.0 0-0

Fumbles 5-2 5-1

Penalties 6-26 9-100

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing — Monroe: Benbow 8-43, Loving 18-66, Bond 2-(-10), Mavencamp 6-(-13), Gilbertson 2-(-1). Nikiski: K. Parrish 8-54, O. Parrish 3-28, W. Maguire 3-15, Ellis 5-67, Scott 1-2, R. Maguire 2-41, Love 1-(-25), J. Wittmer 3-23, Hockema 1-2, Deveer 2-6.

Passing — Monroe: Loving 3-5-1—50, Todd 0-1-1—0. Nikiski: Ellis 4-6-0—120, Love 0-1-0—0, Deveer 0-1-0—0, Doth 1-2-0—3.

Receiving — Monroe: Snow 1-25, Bond 1-25. Nikiski: O. Parrish 1-4, W. Maguire 2-64, K. Parrish 1-52, R. Maguire 1-3.

Nikiski’s Kevin Love forces a fumble from Monroe Catholic quarterback Ryan Mavencamp on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Nikiski Middle-High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Monroe Catholic quarterback Ryan Mavencamp runs against Nikiski’s Wyatt Maguire on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Nikiski Middle-High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)