Anchorage Daily News

The streak continued Saturday night as top-ranked Soldotna rolled into the small-schools state championship game with an old-fashioned beat down of Eielson.

Anthony Griglione scored four touchdowns and was one of three Stars to rush for more than 100 yards in a 69-33 semifinal win at Anchorage Football Stadium.

"No team has been able to stop us for 28 straight games," said Griglione, whose team is entering record-breaking territory with the streak.

East High holds the longest streak in Alaska history with 29 straight wins, which stretched from 1985-87 under former coach Bruce Shearer.

Soldotna coach Galen Brantley said the two-time defending state champions take pride in the stretch, which started in August 2006.

"We just have the mentality that every time we step on the football field we're going to win," he said. "It's exciting for our program, our kids."

But not so exciting for those facing the Stars.

After a brief moment of joy, Eielson found out early and often how dominant Soldotna is.

Colten Growden took the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and a short-lived Eielson lead. Seventy-one seconds later, the Stars answered with Griglione's 13-yard touchdown run. About three minutes after that, they answered again. A little more than a minute later, they answered again. Four minutes later, another answer. And so on and so on and so on.

Soldotna (9-0) scored on its first seven possessions to steamroll to a 49-6 lead. An overwhelmed Eielson finally got back on the scoreboard with 2 minutes, 29 seconds left in the half when Growden hit Charles King with a 65-yard touchdown pass. The half ended with Soldotna ahead 49-12.

The Stars were so dominant offensively, they faced fourth down twice and third down five times. They rushed for 599 yards and didn't commit a turnover the entire game.

It was almost as if Eielson's best offense was to let Soldotna score -- the Ravens scored two of their five touchdowns on kickoff returns, amassing almost as many return yards (191) as offensive yards (195).

One of the only bright spots for Eielson (6-4) was Growden, who scored twice on kickoff returns and twice by connecting on long passes.

Growden's 148 passing yards put him in the record book as the only quarterback in history to finish a season with 1,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

He hit the thousand-yard rushing milestone before Saturday's game and added 42 yards against Soldotna to raise his season total to 1,182. He reached the thousand-yard passing mark Saturday, finishing with 1,021.

"It's pretty special," said Eielson coach Dave DeVaughn, whose wife used to babysit Growden when he was a youngster. "Our offense goes through Colten."

But to reach next Saturday's championship game, the Ravens had to go through Soldotna -- and couldn't. Now it's up to Kodiak to see if anyone can stop the Stars, or if the streak will live to see another season.

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

Eielson 6 6 14 7 -- 33

Soldotna 28 21 6 14 -- 69

First Quarter

Eielson -- Growden 83 kick-off return (kick blocked), 11:46.

Soldotna -- Griglione 13 run (Elson kick), 10:35.

Soldotna -- Zay. Aberkane 2 run (Elson kick), 7:23.

Soldotna -- Griglione 18 run (Elson kick), 6:09.

Soldotna -- Price 36 run (Elson kick), 2:40.

Second Quarter

Soldotna -- Wood 6 run (Elson kick), 10:18.

Soldotna -- Griglione 13 run (Elson kick), 6:13.

Soldotna -- McGillivary 4 pass from Zay. Aberkane (Elson kick), 2:47.

Eielson -- King 65 pass from Growden (run failed), 2:29.

Third Quarter

Eielson -- Pulsifer 25 pass from Growden (Growden run), 11:56.

Eielson -- Riley 2 run (kick blocked), 7:24.

Soldotna -- Nolden 10 run (pass failed), 2:45.

Fourth Quarter

Soldotna -- Griglione 5 run (Elson kick), 6:52.

Eielson -- Growden 82 kickoff return (Colvin kick), 6:25.

Soldotna -- Syverson 9 run (Elson kick), 0:18.

EIELSON SOLDOTNA

First downs 8 29

Rushes-yards 24-47 66-599

Passing yards 148 16

Return yards 191 93

Passes 9-23-5 3-7-0

Punts 1-30 0-0

Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-0

Penalties-yards 8-60 13-108

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Eielson: Growden 17-42, Nelson 2-6, Riley 1-2, Brown 1-1, Rogers 3-(-4). Soldotna: Griglione 22-182, Wood 15-134, Nolden 10-130, Price 5-58, Zac Aberkane 3-38, Zay. Aberkane 8-37, Bennett 2-11, Syverson 1-9

PASSING -- Eielson: Growden 9-23-5--148. Soldotna: Zay. Aberkane 3-7-0--16.

RECEIVING -- Eielson: King 4-111, Nelson 2-6, Pulsifer 1-25, Riley 1-3, Barnicle 1-3. Soldotna: Griglione 1-12, Wood 1-11, McGillivary 1-4.

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