Key games highlight final weekend of regular season

PALMER — There’s a battle for the second seed in the boys’ class of the Northern Lights Conference, and it could take a pair of key all-Valley rivalries to settle it.

Palmer hosts Colony Friday at 7:45 p.m. The Knights host Wasilla Saturday at 7:45 p.m.

Wasilla has already locked up the top spot in the conference and the No. 1 seed in the NLC tournament, which starts Thursday in Kodiak. Kodiak moved into the No. 2 position, at least temporarily, with a 60-47 victory over Palmer last week. The Bears are currently 6-4. Colony enters the weekend in third at 5-4, while Palmer is in fourth with a 5-4 record.

“These are big games for us to put us in the position we want ourselves to be in,” Palmer head coach Chuck Martin said of late-season games against Kodiak and Palmer.

Kenai Central and Soldotna are tied for fifth in the conference, with 1-8 marks. The Peninsula rivals meet Saturday.

Both the first and second seeds receive first-round byes in the NLC tourney. The No. 3 seed opens against the sixth-seed. The fourth and fifth seeds also meet in the first round.

Defending NLC and 4A state champion Wasilla currently leads the NLC girls’ class with a 9-0 mark, followed by second-place Colony (8-0). Kenai and Soldotna are currently tied in third place with 4-5 marks. Palmer is in fifth at 3-6, followed by winless Kodiak at sixth.

The Palmer girls host Colony Friday at 6 p.m., and Wasilla visits Colony Saturday at 6 p.m.

Kenai and SoHi also meet Saturday at 6. See the Wednesday edition of the Frontiersman for the NLC brackets.

Valley teams hold spots in latest hoops poll

The Wasilla Warriors boys and girls basketball squads are currently ranked second in both the 4A classes, according to the latest polls released by the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches Wednesday morning. Colony is also ranked fifth in the 4A girls poll.

Dimond is the top team, according to the coaches, in the 4A boys poll. The Lynx are followed by Wasilla, East Anchorage, Bartlett and Ketchikan. Dimond is also the top team in the girls poll, followed by Wasilla, East Anchorage, Chugiak and Colony.

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