Alaska seeded third at state

WASILLA — The Alaska Road Warriors have met their goal.

Prior to the beginning of the 2008 regular season, the Wasilla-based American Legion team set out to finish in the top three spots in the state’s American Legion team standings and earn a first-round bye in the Alaska state legion tourney.

Thanks to their 13-6 league record, the Road Warriors have now done that.

“I’m ecstatic,” Alaska head coach Steve Mossburgh said on Thursday, noting that because of their third seed the Road Warriors can skip that early-morning game on the first day of the tourney.

Mossburgh’s Warriors will open the tourney at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Mulcahy Stadium.

Alaska needed a late-season run to solidify third place. The Road Warriors capped a regular season-ending four-game winning streak with consecutive mercy rule victories over Eagle River and West Anchorage.

The Wasilla squad beat Eagle River 10-2 at Oberg Field in Chugiak on Tuesday, and followed with a 10-0 win over West at McManus Field on Wednesday.

“We wanted to finish in the top three, and I told them we had to win all four games to get there,” Mossburgh said. “And we won all four.”

Chugiak (19-1) is the top seed in the tourney, while South Anchorage (15-5) is seeded

No. 2.

Alaska has played both teams tough this year, and posted a win over South in June.

“We’re right there with them, as long as we play well and don’t make any errors,” Mossburgh said.

The Road Warriors finished third in the 2007 state tourney.

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