Moose beat Juneau, earn Railbelt title

PALMER — Palmer’s biggest win over Juneau-Douglas in school history earned the Moose the Raibelt’s greatest prize.

Palmer used three James Nisbett touchdowns and four first-half scores to post a 40-14 win over the Crimson Bears and clinch the Railbelt Conference title Friday night at Palmer High’s Machetanz Field.

Palmer, which improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in Railbelt play, entered the game 2-22 in 24 meetings against Juneau. But Friday, Palmer scored less than two minutes into regulation and posted six rushing touchdowns en route to beating Juneau to secure its first Railbelt title since 2003.

Nisbett rushed for a game-high 125 yards in the game. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season with the total, and now has 1,027 yards through the first seven games of the season. The Palmer junior also scored three times, pushing his season total to 21.

Seniors Luke Heun and Cameron Christiansen, and junior Zeth Merritt also scored in the win. Christiansen and Merritt’s scores came in less than a two-minute span, late in the second quarter.

Christiansen, Palmer’s senior quarterback, broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run with two minutes left in the first half to give the Moose the 25-7 lead. Nisbett added a two-point conversion to make it 27-7.

Palmer extended its lead again in the half, when Merritt punched in a 3-yard score with 16 seconds left in the second quarter.

See the Sunday edition of the Frontiersman for full coverage of Palmer’s win.

Palmer 40, Juneau-Douglas 14

Friday, Machetanz Field

First quarter:

Palmer — Nisbett 43 run (Kahler kick) 10:13.

Palmer — Nisbett 11 run (kick failed) 4:34.

Second quarter:

Palmer — Heun 10 run (pass failed) 7:57.

Juneau — Campos 1 run (Linehart kick) 4:29.

Palmer — Christiansen 43 run (Nisbett run) 2:01.

Palmer — Merritt 3 run (kick failed) 0:16.

Third quarter:

Palmer — Nisbett 5 run (Kahler kick) 4:34.

Fourth quarter:

Juneau — Hill 36 pass from Pfaff (Linehart kick) 3:59.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

RUSHING — Juneau: Palmer 14-74, Campos 8-34, Pfaff 8-14, Vance 2-2; Palmer: V. Aumavae 16-67, Heun 13-82, Nisbett 13-125, Merritt 3-17, Pempek 3-12, Christiansen 2-43, Myers 2-2, Morrison 1-7, B. Aumavae 1- (-1).

PASSING — Juneau: Pfaff 4-10-0—60; Palmer: Christiansen 3-5-0—92.

RECEIVING — Juneau: Speck 2-26, Hill 1-36, Brassfield 1-(-2); Palmer: Myers 1-50, DeLay 1-39, Heun 1-3.