HALE, PALMER HALE: Senior’s touchdown catch helps Moose rally to Potato Bowl win in overtime

PALMER — The Palmer Moose have a tradition at Machetanz Field. After a win at Palmer High, the Moose jog off the turf singing the school’s fight song, “Hail, Palmer Hail.”

Friday night, the Moose hailed Skyler Hale.

The Palmer senior hauled in a 5-yard Luke Guggenmos touchdown pass to tie the score in overtime, and senior Larry Cutsforth kicked the extra point to push Palmer to a 27-26 come-from-behind victory over the Wasilla Warriors in the 2017 Potato Bowl at Palmer High School.

“That was amazing. Right in the end zone, nobody around him,” Palmer senior Jeff Glynn said of the play. “It was awesome.”

Each team had an opportunity with the ball at the 10-yard line during the extra period. Moments after Wasilla senior quarterback Aeron Milliron connected with freshman Byson Malave on a 13-yard touchdown pass early in the overtime frame to give the Warriors the 26-20 lead, Guggenmos and Hale helped provide the answer. Guggenmos rolled to his left and found Hale in the end zone.

“I gotta catch this for my team,” Hale said of what went through his mind as Guggenmos released the pass. “We worked hard all week. We prepared for stuff like this all week. I was ready.”

It was part of a 20-point effort for the Moose in the fourth quarter and overtime. Wasilla, which deviated from its run-heavy double-wing offense and spread it out, attacked with four- and five-receiver sets.

“We didn’t expect them to spread it out,” Glynn said. “At first, yes it was (a surprise). We were completely caught off guard. But our amazing coaching staff and our players communicated, got it figured out.”

The new look worked for the Warriors. Milliron accounted for nearly 250 total yards. The senior completed 13 passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns. Milliron also ran for a team-high 94 yards. Malave had a big night, with four catches for 55 yards and two scores. Carlos Wheeler added a 13-yard touchdown catch.

Milliron plunged into the end zone from a yard out to give the Warriors an early 6-0 lead. He used his three touchdown passes to push Wasilla’s advantage to 20-6.

“They punched us in the mouth,” Glynn said.

The formations may have surprised Palmer, but not Wasilla’s effort, Hale said.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Hale said. “We have all the respect in the world for them.”

Palmer trailed by 14 points in the final quarter, but after the Moose recovered a fumble deep in Wasilla territory early in the fourth, Palmer ran its way back into the ball game. Glynn scored two of his three touchdowns during the final frame. Glynn scored from 9 yards out to pull the Moose within a score with 9:44 left. Glynn helped Palmer tie the score with a 7-yard run with 4:03 to go.

“We took the reins and ran with it, all the way to the end zone,” Glynn said. “Our linemen were getting it done.”

Guggenmos also had a key completion to senior Matt Daniels, a 9-yard catch that helped set up Glynn’s second score of the fourth.

With their backs against the wall, Glynn said the Moose were able to get it done.

“It’s adversity. We all have to push through adversity. I thought that’s what we did,” Glynn said.

Palmer rushed for 253 yards in the game. Both Cutsforth (98 yards) and senior Jared Oviok (97 yards) flirted with the 100-yard mark. Glynn, who also had a 2-yard touchdown run in the second, added 50 yards and his three scores.

With the win, Palmer improved to 4-4 overall and 29-10 in 39 Potato Bowls. The Moose will have the Mayor’s Cup, the traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the Potato Bowl, for the third straight year.

The Moose now look ahead to the postseason. Palmer qualified for Division II playoffs for the second straight season. The Moose, the No. 2 seed from the Northern Lights Conference, will play Southeast Conference champion Thunder Mountain in the semifinals Oct. 7 at Palmer High School. The game time is still too be determined.

Wasilla dropped to 2-6 with the loss, and as of Friday night, Wasilla is still alive in the race for a spot in the Division I playoffs. The Warriors need Lathrop to beat West Valley Saturday evening in Fairbanks to qualify for the second straight season.

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

Palmer 27, Wasilla 26 OT

Friday, Palmer High School

First quarter:

Wasilla — Milliron (kick blocked) 4:39.

Second quarter:

Palmer — Glynn 2 run (kick failed) 11:55.

Wasilla — Malave 23 pass from Milliron (run failed) 7:16.

Third quarter:

Wasilla — Wheeler 23 pass from Milliron (Milliron pass) 4:35.

Fourth quarter:

Palmer — Glynn 9 run (Cutsforth kick) 9:44.

Palmer — Glynn 7 run (Cutsforth kick) 4:03.

Overtime:

Wasilla — Malave 13 pass from Milliron (kick blocked).

Palmer — Hale 5 pass from Guggenmos (Cutsforth kick).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

RUSHING — Wasilla: Milliron 20-94, McDermott 6-(-1), Trask 3-(-3), Shogren 1-(-1); Palmer: Cutsforth 17-98, Oviok 13-97, Glynn 10-50, Guggenmos 1-4, Corbin 1-4.

PASSING — Wasilla: Milliron 13-21-1—150; Palmer: Gugenmoss 6-11-0—66.

RECEIVING — Wasilla: McDermott 5-29, Malave 4-55, Wheeler 3-48, Shogren 1-18; Palmer: Corbin 3-28, Daniels 2-33, Hale 1-5.