CORRALLED

PALMER — After finishing among the state’s top runners as a junior in 2009 with 1,205 yards and 12 touchdowns, Chugiak senior Greg Ghramm is expected to carry the bulk of the Mustangs’ offensive load this season.

On Saturday, Ghramm didn’t disappoint.

Ghramm galloped for a game-high 189 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Mustangs to a 31-21 come-from-behind victory over the Palmer Moose at Machetanz Field.

“Chugiak ran the ball well,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said. “It looked like whenever they wanted to run the ball, they ran the ball well.”

With Ghramm as the primary horse in the Mustangs’ stable, the Mustangs muscled nearly 250 yards rushing and scored 19 unanswered points en route to the win.

Palmer had built a 14-point lead in the second quarter and didn’t trail until early in the fourth. Junior Jackson Buresh posted a pair of running touchdowns in the first half and junior Douglas Chadwick busted through the middle of the Moose line to score on a 30-yard run 14 seconds into the third. But Chugiak was able to capitalize on Palmer’s second-half mistakes and pull momentum its way.

“We just didn’t do enough things right,” Christiansen said. “We had some big mistakes.”

Palmer had potential to take control of the contest early in the second half. Moose kicker Kris Merritt found a hole in the Chugiak kick return team, and the Moose were able to recover a live ball on the opening kick of the second half. Palmer immediately scored, getting the Chadwick touchdown on Palmer’s first offensive play of the third quarter.

But Chugiak steadily chipped away at Palmer’s 21-12 lead.

The Mustangs pieced together five points during the final five minutes of the third. Brian Maley kicked a 26-yard field goal for the Mustangs. Chugiak also netted a safety, scoring the free points after a Palmer snap sailed over Merritt’s head when the senior was back to punt.

The Moose chewed up much of the first quarter with one scoring drive, a possession capped by Buresh’s first touchdown, a 2-yard plunge 49 seconds into the second quarter. Buresh, who made his first start as Palmer’s varsity quarterback, scampered for a 48-yard score midway through the second.

Buresh finished with 61 yards on six carries in addition to 94 yards through the air.

Chadwick led all Moose with 104 yards on 12 carries. Senior Jim McCall snagged three Buresh passes for 57 yards.

Chugiak took its first lead of the game when Colby Mitchell pulled down an 8-yard Ryan Harris touchdown pass with 11 minutes left in regulation. Ghramm scored on a 1-yard run, his second touchdown of the game, with six minutes left in the fourth.

While Christiansen said he did see some good things, the Moose need to be more consistent.

“We’ve got to play more than a quarter-and-a-half,” said Christiansen, who is in his 20th year as the Palmer head coach.

Christiansen admitted the Moose still have numerous players who continue to adjust to the varsity game.

“We only have four, five guys that actually played varsity last year,” Christiansen said.

The Moose will try to rebound from the nonconference loss when they jump into their Railbelt schedule against Lathrop Friday in Fairbanks.

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

Chugiak 31, Palmer 21

Saturday, Machetanz Field

First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

Palmer — Buresh 2 run (Nisbett kick) 11:11.

Palmer — Buresh 48 run (Nisbett kick) 7:00.

Chugiak — Johnson 1 run (run failed) 2:46.

Chugiak — Ghramm 1 run (run failed) 0:42.

Third quarter

Palmer — Chadwick 30 run (Nisbett kick) 11:46.

Chugiak — Maley 26 field goal, 5:17.

Chugiak — Safety (ball snapped through end zone) 2:49.

Fourth quarter

Chugiak — Mitchell 8 pass from Harrirs (Maley kick) 11:06.

Chugiak — Ghramm 1 run (Maley kick) 6:17.

Individual statistics:

RUSHING — Chugiak: Ghramm 30-189, R. Harris 12-59, Trull 2-9, James 2-6, Johnson 1-1; Palmer: Chadwick 12-104, Buresh 6-61, Ahrens 4-31, Sorenson 4-27, McCall 2-5;

PASSING —Chugiak: R. Harris 4-5-0—60; Palmer: Buresh 8-15-2—94.

RECEIVING — Chugiak: Mitchell 3-52, Trull 1-8; Palmer: McCall 3-57, Merrit 3-16, Chapman 1-18, Sorenson 1-3.