Retiring teacher, coach urges Colony grads to ‘find their 68’
By Jeremiah Bartz Frontiersman.com A football coach using a hockey reference as the centerpiece for his keynote address may
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PALMER — Palmer has just about 3,000 yards of total offense this season. On defense, the Moose are allowing only an average of a dozen points per game during the past six weeks.
What does longtime head coach Rod Christiansen attribute it to?
“This year, we’ve really had a team effort,” Christiansen said earlier this week. “We’ve had more guys contributing than most years in recent memory.
“We’ve had different guys step up, whether it’s offense or defense, each week. It’s been real fun coaching a team so team-oriented.”
And that’s why Christiansen likes his team’s chances when the Moose face Alaska football power, Soldotna, the five-time defending champs, in the Division II state title game Saturday at 3 p.m. at Palmer High School.
“We really believe in our kids. We really believe we can pull this off,” Christiansen said.
Saturday’s contest is a rematch of the 2016 state title game, a contest won by SoHi 49-13. The Northern Lights Conference rivals also met midway through the 2017 regular season, with Soldotna taking the 28-10 victory.
Soldotna led just 14-10 early in the fourth quarter, and used a pair of touchdowns in the final frame to ice the game. It was a closer game, and Christiansen said there was both improvement and missed opportunity.
“A couple of opportunities we didn’t come away with points,” Christiansen said. “But we did make them earn it.”
Soldotna will ride a 58-game winning streak into the title game Saturday afternoon at Machetanz Field. It’s an Alaska state record and the second-longest current streak in the nation. The Stars have not suffered a loss since Palmer beat Soldotna in Soldotna during the opening week of the 2012 season.
To be in the position to upset the five-time defending champs, Christiansen said the Moose know they will have to play better against Soldotna quarterback Brandon Crowder.
“We have to do a better job with him on the edge. We knew that they know that,” Christiansen said. “Definitely Soldotna is an offensive juggernaut. It’s a hard to shut down everything.”
But the Moose have their share of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Palmer’s three senior running backs — Larry Cutsforth, Jared Oviok and Jeff Glynn — have combined to rush for 2,200 yards and 19 touchdowns. Christiansen used the trio as an example of how the Moose have embraced the team concept.
“With that three-headed tailback, it’s just incredible how those guys support each other. One guy is running for a touchdown, and the others are cheering,” Christiansen said. “It’s like that in a lot of positions on both sides of the ball.”
A visitor at home
Palmer High School is the host of the ASAA Division II and III state finals, but Palmer will not be the official home team Saturday afternoon. Soldotna, the top-ranked team in the two-round tournament, will wear the dark jerseys, line up on the home sideline and be the home team on the scoreboard.
But to spin it to a positive for the Moose, Christiansen said longtime Palmer coach and athletic trainer Kay Omer reminded him Palmer earned its lone state championship, a win over Chugiak in 1995, lining up on the visitor’s side of the field.
Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
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