When Bob Vukajlovich coached football at Grant High School in the 1980s, he once described what it was like to defend Nevada Union's wing-T offense.

"They run around like 11 mad dogs in a meat house and we're supposed to find out who has the food," the coach said.

In short, defending the deception-based scheme could leave one short of breath, dizzy and howling at the moon in frustration. The offense was born regionally at Mira Loma under coaches Don Brown and Gerry Kundert, then became the area fad in the 1980s and '90s.

These days, the two most prominent programs that wing it are Inderkum and Nevada Union, teams that are a combined 11-1 and coached by former Mira Loma players in Terry Stark and Dave Humphers, respectively.

The wing-T lives on in the Yukon.

Behind coach John Jessen, a Mira Loma product who holds the wing-T dear to his heart, Bartlett High of Anchorage beat Chugiak 21-3 in Alaska's large-school final Saturday.

Alaska plays its championship games earlier than the rest of us. Something to do with conditions suitable only for polar bears. Jessen was a key player on Mira Loma's 1981 title team and sports editor for the Matador Capers campus newspaper taught by Len Frizzi.

Jessen used the wing-T – if not 11 mad dogs, then 11 mad huskies? – to build a program that now includes two state championships. Bartlett isn't located at the North Pole, but it did defeat North Pole High in a semifinal game.

"Running the wing-T, it's a tribute to Kundert and Brown and Humphers," Jessen said. "Our uniforms are the same as NU's. The wing-T has stretched to the Last Frontier."

Agony in Idaho – If you watched Chris Petersen coach Boise State last week at Tulsa on ESPN, you might have noticed his expressions exhibiting pure stress. Yes, the Broncos are unbeaten at 6-0, but there's little joy in being a BCS-crasher where every game, every opponent, every first down is scrutinized.

Boise State's 28-21 victory wasn't pretty enough to prevent the Broncos from slipping yet again in the polls, now down to No. 6 in the Associated Press listing. Boise State is No. 4 in the first BCS poll, though experts contend that No. 5 Cincinnati (6-0), No. 6 Iowa (7-0) and No. 7 USC (5-1) will wind up leapfrogging the Broncos if those teams keep winning.

"The national championship (game) is not realistic for (Boise State)," BCS analyst Jerry Palm told AP on Sunday. "They're going to get passed."

Another team of concern for the Broncos is No. 8 TCU (6-0), coached by another former UC Davis assistant in Gary Patterson. The Horned Frogs play at No. 16 BYU on Saturday, and later against No. 18 Utah.

Gross out – Tyronne Gross won't stay away because he can't stay away, never mind his aching knee.

The former Sacramento State tailback who ended his college career at Eastern Oregon is a team captain for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League.

Gross had major reconstructive surgery on his right leg two years ago. While with the San Diego Chargers, he had his knee cap dislocated and tore his calf muscle, two knee ligaments and his hamstring. In any language, that's ouch. He sat out the 2007 and '08 seasons. The UFL has given him a second chance.

• Ian Scott took a knee and looked as if he'd lost the season for Del Oro on Friday against rival Granite Bay. The Golden Eagles' kicker was kicking himself for missing a game-winning attempt, though Del Oro prevailed in overtime. Still in his corner? The entire team.

"I felt bad for him, but it happens to kickers," Del Oro coach Casey Taylor said. "He's one of the best we've ever had, a good player, and sometimes you miss. We forget sometimes the amount of pressure on these 16, 17, 18-year-old guys."

• Christian Tupou of Grant is gutting out a sore knee at USC. The starting defensive tackle managed just four plays against Notre Dame. Armond Armstead of Pleasant Grove started at defensive end, his first action of the season after a foot injury.

• Kaleigh Durket of El Dorado Hills was named the Patriot League volleyball Player of the Week for Colgate. A 6-foot-1 freshman right-side hitter, Durket posted 27 kills, 15 digs, three blocks and one service ace to lead the Raiders in matches against Syracuse and Bucknell.

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