Anchorage Daily News

Three by air and the rest by road.

A variety of football convoys is coming to Anchorage Football Stadium this weekend from the far-flung corners of the state for Alaska's large- and small-schools state semifinal playoffs.

Of the eight teams remaining, only two are from Anchorage. The rest will come from nearly each corner of the biggest state in America, ranging from Barrow to Kodiak to Juneau to Fairbanks.

When all is told, more than 2,000 road miles and 2,600 air miles will be logged by Sunday.

The Barrow Whalers have the longest trip to Anchorage -- a 762-mile flight that takes 1 hour and 26 minutes, according to Alaska Airlines.

The Kodiak Bears will fly to Anchorage also.

"It's going to be a long ride," said Albert Gerke, a star quarterback for Barrow, which flies to every away game.

The fun starts with a Friday doubleheader, beginning with Barrow squaring off against Kodiak in a 4 p.m. small-school semifinal. Both the Whalers (8-1) and Bears (5-3) had running backs stun their opposition in last week's opening rounds.

Barrow's Anthony Edwards rushed for 269 yards and a touchdown. Kodiak's Adam Woodell exploded for 297 yards and five touchdowns in his first game in the backfield.

Their semifinal game is followed by a 7 p.m. large-school semifinal between undefeated and No. 1 North Pole and Service, which starts at 7.

The Patriots (9-0), champions of the Railbelt Conference, and the Cougars (6-3), who finished second in the Cook Inlet Conference, haven't met in three years. They've met only once in the playoffs, 1997 -- the year Service won its first of three consecutive state championships.

Considering the Cougars haven't won a semifinal since 1999, they aren't taking the Patriots lightly.

"North Pole's going to be a good team," Service linebacker Brown Faaaliga said. "We haven't seen them, but with all the publicity going on, you can never underestimate them."

Defending state champion Juneau-Douglas and undefeated South, the 2006 champion, meet at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Then the defending small-schools state champion Soldotna Stars play Eielson at 4.

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.

"Dimond believed they could win and almost pulled it off," South coach John Lewis said. "Our kids, though -- it was the first round."

The win extended South's first-round record to 4-0 and ensured that the Wolverines 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.

Soldotna (8-0) was so effective on the ground that coaches gave 11 players a chance to carry the ball. Among the crowd, senior Anthony Griglione stood out, piling up 231 yards on 13 carries -- or nearly 18 yards per carry.

Other than South and Service, the two-time defending state champion Stars have the easiest trip to Anchorage -- a 150-mile bus ride.

Riding with them is the longest current winning streak in Alaska football -- 27 games.

Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.

State football playoffs

At Anchorage Football Stadium

Large-Schools Semifinals

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

South vs. Juneau-Douglas, 1 p.m., Saturday

Small-Schools Semifinals

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

Soldotna vs. Eielson, 4 p.m., Saturday

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