High School Sports

Stars, Moose post dramatic wins to land spots in medium-school football finale

Soldotna and Palmer survived scares Saturday to grab spots in the medium-school state football championship game.

Soldotna rallied past North Pole 25-21 and Palmer held off Thunder Mountain 28-26 in pair of semifinal games at Machetanz Field in Palmer.

The Soldotna Stars pushed their state-record winning streak to 48 thanks to some late dramatics.

Jace Urban scored the game-winning touchdown on a short run midway through the fourth quarter to deny North Pole, which jumped to an early 15-0 lead and forged a 21-18 lead on Lafi Skipp's 60-yard touchdown run.

In the waning minutes Soldotna fumbled away the ball twice, but Urban and Cy Updike both picked off passes to end both of North Pole's ensuing drives.

North Pole finished the season with a 3-6 record.

With the win, Soldotna a chance to play for a fifth straight state championship. The Stars will face a Palmer team that hasn't made it to a state championship game since 2007.

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Palmer got past Thunder Mountain by stopping the Juneau team on fourth down with less than a minute to play.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Thunder Mountain missed a two-point conversion that would have tied the game. The Falcons finished the season 6-3.

In small-school semifinal action Saturday, Eielson walloped Nikiski 70-18 and Houston bruised Seward 44-6. Nikiski ended the season with a 4-5 record; Seward finished 5-4.

The Eielson-Nikiski game was a rematch of the last two state championship games; in both of those, Eielson prevailed.

Houston will be making its first appearance in a state championship game.

Soldotna (9-0) and Palmer (5-4) will play for the state championship Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in Palmer. Eielson (8-1) and Houston (7-2) will meet for the small-school crown at 4 p.m. in Palmer.

ASAA/First National Bowl Football Playoffs

Large-school quarterfinals

Friday
Service 54, Chugiak 42
West 28, Colony 21

Saturday
Bartlett 62, Wasilla 12
East 21, Lathrop 7

Medium-school semifinals

Saturday
Soldotna 25, North Pole 21
Palmer 28, Thunder Mountain 26

Small-school semifinals

Saturday
Eielson 70, Nikiski 18
Houston 44, Seward 6

Large-school semifinals
At Anchorage Football Stadium

Bartlett (8-1) vs. West (6-3)
East (7-2) vs. Service (5-4)

(ASAA will determine which teams will play Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. and which will play Saturday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.)

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Medium-school championship
Saturday, Oct. 15
At Palmer High

12:30 p.m. — Palmer (5-4) vs. Soldotna (9-0)

Small-school championship
Saturday, Oct. 15
At Palmer High

4 p.m. — Houston (7-2) vs. Eielson (8-1)

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