Anchorage Daily News

Defending state champion Juneau-Douglas will square off against undefeated South High, the 2006 champion, at 1 p.m. Saturday to highlight the semifinal round of the Alaska School Activities Association state football championships.

The association announced this weekend's schedule of large- and small-school games, all of which will take place at Anchorage Football Stadium. The other matchups:

* North Pole vs. Service, 7 p.m. Friday.

* Barrow vs. Kodiak, 4 p.m. Friday

* Defending state small schools champion Soldotna vs. Eielson, 4 p.m. Saturday.

On Friday, Juneau used an outstanding game from running back Alex Fagerstrom to defeat Palmer 34-14 and advance. Fagerstrom had five touchdowns while compiling 331 all-purpose yards and chipping in with a fourth-quarter interception on defense.

At the same time, South (9-0) turned a stout defensive performance into a 21-13 victory over Dimond.

That ensured the Wolverines would get a chance to avenge a 31-14 loss they suffered to Juneau in last year's semifinal.

"I can't wait," South quarterback Colin Graham said. "A little payback is always fun."

The other heavyweight team in the semifinals is Soldotna, which leveled Valdez 75-14 on Saturday behind a brutal ground attack that piled up 592 yards. The Stars were so deadly on the ground that coaches gave 11 players a chance to carry the ball. Among the crowd, Anthony Griglione stood out, piling up 231 yards on just 13 carries -- or nearly 18 yards per carry.

Soldotna, the two-time defending state champion, extended its winning streak to 27 games.

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