A look back at Week 6: Playoff picture and a coaching milestone

Of Alaska’s six prep football conferences, the playoff picture became clear in one, but remains partly cloudy in the remaining five.

We now know the four teams that will represent the Cook Inlet Conference in the Division I playoffs. After this weekend, we could also know the two teams that will represent the Division II Northern Lights and Southeast conferences, and Division III Aurora and Peninsula conferences.

It might take the entire regular season to figure out what happens in the Division I Railbelt.

Palmer, Houston and Redington stayed alive in their respective conferences with league wins in Week 6. Palmer bested Eagle River 35-8 to improve to 2-1 in the NLC. A win against Kenai (1-1) on the road Saturday would push the Moose into the Division II postseason. Redington is 2-1 in the Peninsula after a 20-8 victory over Voznesenka and hosts Homer (2-0) Friday at 7 p.m. Homer clinches the Peninsula title with a win. Redington could force a potential three-way tie at the top of the conference with Nikiski with a victory. Houston is 2-1 in the Aurora and needs a win Saturday at Barrow (2-0) to stay alive in the hunt for a Division III playoff spot. The Hawks would be eliminated with a loss.

In Anchorage, Service eliminated Dimond with a 31-27 win over the Lynx. Dimond dropped to 0-3 in CIC play and joins South Anchorage (0-3) on the outside. East took a step forward with a 27-20 win over rival Bartlett. East is now 3-0 in CIC play, followed by Bartlett, West and Service, who are all tied at 2-1.

With East, Bartlett, West and Service claiming the CIC’s four playoff spots, now it’s just a race for seeding. This week, Service hosts Bartlett and West is at East.

The Railbelt is a bit more interesting. Colony and Chugiak are both 2-0, and have clinched two of the four playoff spots in the five-team conference. Lathrop (1-1), Wasilla (1-2) and even West Valley (0-3) are still alive in race for the final two positions. There is still a potential scenario in which three teams could be tied at 1-3, and tiebreakers would be needed to award the final playoff positions.

Colony hosts Lathrop Friday at 7 p.m. Chugiak is at Wasilla Saturday at 7 p.m.

The value of a good kicker

Colony’s Noah Krozel proved the value of a good placekicker in Week 6. Krozel booted a 32-yard field goal during the final seconds to lift the Knights to a 10-7 Railbelt win over West Valley in Fairbanks.

The win marked Krozel’s third straight game with a field goal. He has hit four this season, and is 18 for 20 on his extra point attempts.

Krozel has more points kicking (40) that South Anchorage (33) has scored as a team.

Coaching milestone

Longtime Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen hit a milestone in Week 6, earning his 150th career victory with Palmer’s 35-8 win over Eagle River. Christiansen now sits alongside the late Buck Nystrom, tied for most in state history. Nystrom earned 150 wins during a combined 31 years at Eielson and North Pole before his death in 2006.

Christiansen can break the record with a Palmer win at Kenai Saturday.

For more on Christiansen and the win over Eagle River, see frontiersman.com/sports and the Wednesday edition of the Frontiersman.

ASBN poll

For the first time in several weeks, there’s a change at the top of the latest Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network Division I prep football poll. Chugiak (6-0) jumped Colony (6-0) in the standings, and the Mustangs now lead the list. The Knights are now in second, followed by East (5-1), Bartlett (3-3) and West (3-3).

Nothing changed at the top of the Division II/III poll. Soldotna (6-0), now winners of 55 straight, stay in first. Homer (5-1) is in second, followed by Thunder Mountain (4-1), Houston (4-2) and Barrow (3-2).

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.