2009 Potato Bowl

WASILLA — Palmer started the season 3-0. Wasilla started 0-3.

The Moose and Warriors traveled very different roads on their respective trek through the 2009 season.

But tonight, the Valley rivals will cross paths.

The Wasilla Warriors host the Palmer Moose at 7 p.m. in the 31st Potato Bowl at Veterans Memorial Field, in a game that will decide which Valley squad moves forward and into the postseason, and which Mat-Su team will see its season-long journey come to an end.

Not only are bragging rights and the chance to hoist the Mayor’s Cup — the prize given to the victor of the annual Potato Bowl — on the line. But the Railbelt Conference’s final postseason berth is at stake.

“It’s a big game for us, clinch that playoff spot and go play an Anchorage team,” Palmer senior Brennan Bohman said after a 25-21 win over North Pole last week.

Despite a season that started far different for the Mat-Su foes, both teams stand just a single win away from the postseason.

Palmer enters the contest at 3-2 in Railbelt play, and third place in the conference. Wasilla stands at 2-3, and in fifth, but within arm’s length of the postseason.

Colony (5-0) and Juneau-Douglas (4-1) hold the top two spots in the Railbelt and will play for the conference title tonight at 8 p.m. in Juneau.

Both teams have already clinched postseason berths and home-field advantage during the first round.

North Pole (3-2) plays winless Lathrop tonight, and is a virtual lock for the playoffs.

So with Colony and Juneau already in, and North Pole appearing to be in, it’s up to the Moose and the Warriors to decide who punches the final ticket.

And the idea of that has Wasilla first-year head coach Glenn Nelson smiling.

“We played the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the first three weeks of the season,” Nelson said, referring to games against Bartlett, North Pole and Juneau-Douglas.

The Warriors also had their fair share of injuries.

“At one point there were 16 guys on the injury board,” Nelson said. “Three of those were season losses, and they were starters.”

Following Wasilla’s rough start, the Warriors earned consecutive conference wins over Lathrop and Wasilla. That and a commendable 19-point effort against conference power Colony has Nelson pleased about his team.

“We survived the first three weeks, and we got into the other part of the season,” Nelson said following his team’s 58-0 homecoming win over Houston last week. “And, now, we feel good.”

Part of Wasilla’s success can be attributed to a few personnel moves.

Prior to its win over Lathrop during the fourth week of the season, Wasilla inserted freshman quarterback Ben Fielder into the varsity starting lineup. Since, he has completed 33-of-60 passes for 566 yards and 10 touchdowns.

And, arguably even more impressive, Fielder has thrown just a single interception.

With the move of Fielder behind center, the Warriors took former starting quarterback Cody Pfeifer and sent him wide.

In just five weeks, Pfeifer has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the Railbelt Conference, with 13 catches for 209 yards and six touchdowns.

“I think he’s the best in the conference,” Fielder said of his senior wide out. “(He) just brings another element to the team.”

Fielder has also found another target in junior David Green, who has 16 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

Speaking of Green, Wasilla found another use for the 6-foot-3, 258-pound tight end, last week against Houston. During the first drive of the game, Wasilla showed off its version of the “wildcat offense” — a hybrid offensive formation that is derived from the Wing-T — with Green in a shotgun set behind center.

“We were hoping Palmer was in the stands,” Nelson said. “We wanted to work with the wildcat. We like what we can do out of that.”

While the Warriors may or may not come armed with the wildcat tonight, Palmer will undoubtedly give its state-leading rusher the opportunity to hurt the Warriors.

Bohman currently leads all Alaska backs, large-school or small, with 859 yards on the ground. He has eclipsed the 100-yard mark five times this season, and posted a game-high 161 yards during the win over North Pole.

Bohman also scored twice in the win over North Pole to help the Moose improve to 4-3 overall and snap a three-game losing streak.

Palmer had suffered consecutive conference losses to Juneau and Colony, and dropped a nonconference game to three-time defending small-school state champion Soldotna.

Throughout, Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen has put an emphasis on turnover differential and the need to make big plays.

“It’s always a turnover battle, good teams force turnovers,” Christiansen said.

The Moose did turn over the ball during the win over North Pole, but overshadowed that with key take-aways of their own.

A Kyle Scheibe fumble recovery and a John Scoresby blocked punt and fumble recovery led to the Bohman scores, and senior Zach Zegzdryn picked off a North Pole pass in the final seconds to seal the win over the Patriots.

Tonight, Palmer will be looking for its 23 win in 31 Potato Bowls, while Wasilla is in search of its 10th Potato Bowl victory.

Palmer claimed a 42-14 win in 2008, while Wasilla captured a come-from-behind 36-35 win over the Moose at Veterans Memorial Field in the 2007 Potato Bowl.

The Railbelt's four playoff seeds will not be determined until three games go final tonight. Juneau hosts Colony in a game that will determine the conference champion. North Pole will face Lathrop.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.