Sports

CIC football title on the line

October is championship season in Alaska football, and the title stretch begins Thursday night when South puts its undefeated Cook Inlet Conference record on the line against Bartlett in a battle for the conference crown that kicks off the final week of the regular season.

"You can't miss this game," said South coach John Lewis, whose team hasn't lost to an Alaska opponent and is ranked No. 1 in this week's ASBN large schools football poll.

Other big games this weekend include a battle for Mat-Su supremacy and a clash between peninsula powers with a conference championship on the line.

Bartlett is coming off a 35-32 loss last weekend to West, while the Wolverines crushed Service 35-0 to take over sole possession of first place in the CIC. But a win by the Golden Bears would give them the CIC's top seed in the state large schools playoffs and a legit claim on the conference title.

Playoff-bound for the first time since their 2009 state championship season, Bartlett can finish no lower than third in the CIC. Golden Bears coach John Jessen said his team is excited about both clinching a playoff berth and having a chance to win the city.

"We have put a bunch of hay in the barn, now we get to play for a conference championship," he said.

Fans can expect plenty of smash-mouth football. Bartlett features the CIC's top two running backs in Ethan Falaniko (776 yards, six touchdowns) and Vincent Lobendahn (687 yards, 12 TDs), while South has the next two on that list in playmakers Justice Augafa and Nicholas Settle.

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South has rolled through the CIC, putting up a league-best 46.7 points per game while outscoring their opponents by an average of 40 per contest. Running backs Augafa and Settle have been twin killers for the Wolverines, combining for more than 1,200 rushing yards to lead a powerful South attack.

While South's offense has been impressive, the hillsiders' stranglehold on defense has been truly devastating. South has allowed fewer than half as many points as Bartlett, which ranks second in that category with 93.

Bartlett – now ranked second – was No. 1 in the poll nearly all season, a fact Lewis said wasn't overlooked by his players.

"We still have a chip on our shoulder," he said.

Jessen said he feels like Bartlett won't just playing for a CIC title, but for all of Alaska when the Golden Bears tangle with a team that refers to itself as "The Darkside."

"South is kind of the bully right now, and somebody's gotta take them out," he said.

Jessen said if his team is to knock South off its pedestal and earn a share of the CIC title, his players must be ready for a hard-hitting affair.

"We're going to have to match their intensity," he said.

Lewis said he welcomes the challenge of facing Bartlett for a true CIC crown.

"This isn't going to be finesse," Lewis said. "This isn't going to be a welterweight fight. This is going to be heavyweights going after it."

West stadium, holidays mark final weekend

West will play the first home game at its new on-campus turf field Friday at 4 p.m. against Chugiak (3-3 CIC, 4-3 overall). Although both teams have already clinched playoff spots, there's still playoff seeding to play for. West (4-2 CIC, 5-2 overall) can finish either second or third in the CIC, while the Mustangs can finish fourth or fifth.

Other CIC games this weekend include Thursday's season-ending contest between Eagle River (0-6 CIC, 0-7 overall) and Dimond (2-4 CIC, 3-4 overall) at Dimond Alumni Field and Friday's 4 p.m. matchup between East (1-5 CIC, 1-6 overall) and Service (3-3 CIC, 4-3 overall) at Service. Eagle River, Dimond and East have been eliminated from the playoffs, while Service can finish as either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed from the CIC.

Games are being played Thursday night and Friday afternoon to accommodate the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and the Muslim holiday Eid al Adha, which are Anchorage School District Cultural Days of Significance.

Rivalry games in the Valley, on the Peninsula

Two of the state's biggest rivalry games are set for this weekend, with the annual end-of-season Palmer vs. Wasilla and Kenai vs. Soldotna clashes.

In the Mat-Su, Palmer (1-2 Railbelt Conference, 2-5 overall) and Wasilla (2-1 RBC, 5-2 overall) will renew their annual rivalry Friday night at 7 p.m. in the annual "Potato Bowl," which this year will be at Palmer's Machetanz Field.

Palmer has a 26-10 advantage in the all-time series, although the teams' records against each other in the big game are disputed. Palmer claims they're 26-9 against Wasilla in the official rivalry game, while the Warriors argue it's a 25-10 edge for the Moose.

The controversy dates back to 1984, when Palmer and Wasilla split two regular season games. Those who support the blue say the Moose's win that year came in the "real" Potato Bowl, while those who root for the big red argue the opposite.

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No animosity there, right?

Aside from Valley pride, there are also playoff implications for both teams. The Moose can clinch the No. 2 spot in the Railbelt Conference with a win. A Palmer loss combined with a West Valley win over first-place Lathrop would knock the Moose out of the playoffs and send the Wolfpack through. Wasilla clinched one of the conference's three playoff berths last week, but a win over Palmer would clinch the No. 2 spot for the Warriors – important because the third team out of the Railbelt gets the CIC's top team in the first round of the large schools playoffs.

On the Kenai Peninsula, archrivals Soldotna and Kenai Central will battle for Twin Cities – and Northern Lights Conference – supremacy Saturday at 2 p.m. at Soldotna's Justin Maile Field. Both medium schools powers are 2-0 in the NLC and have locked up spots in the state medium schools playoffs. But a win Saturday would mean a top seed in the four-team tournament.

The Stars lead the overall series – which dates back to 1980 – by a 23-16 margin. Soldotna has won nine of the last 11 meetings, including eight straight in the regular season. Kenai's last regular season victory over the Stars came in 2005 – although the Kardinals did beat the Stars in the 2009 small schools title game and again in the 2011 medium schools championship.

The Stars (2-0 Northern Lights Conference, 6-0 overall) are riding a 26-game winning streak after a 67-30 nonconference win over West Valley. The Kardinals (2-0 CIC, 3-3 overall) clinched a playoff berth last week with a 41-6 sinking of the Homer Mariners.

Thursday's games

Bartlett vs. South, Anchorage Football Stadium, 7 p.m.

Eagle River at Dimond, 7 p.m.

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Friday's games

Juneau at Thunder Mountain, 4 p.m.

East at Service, 4 p.m.

Chugiak at West, 4 p.m.

Lathrop at West Valley, 6 p.m.

Colony at North Pole, 7 p.m.

Wasilla at Palmer, 7 p.m.

Saturday's games

Sitka at Ketchikan, Noon

Barrow at Eielson, 1 p.m.

Valdez at Monroe, 1 p.m.

Kodiak at Voznesenka, 2 p.m.

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Kenai at Soldotna, 2 p.m.

Nikiski at Seward, 2 p.m.

Houston at Homer, 3 p.m.

- End regular season -

Matt Tunseth

Matt Tunseth is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and former editor of the Alaska Star.

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