Moose capture Railbelt title with victory

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

“They’ve been a nemesis for us,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said following the victory. “We kind of consider them a big rival even though it’s been mostly lopsided.”

Palmer, which is also 0-3 against Juneau in the postseason, had not beaten the Bears since 2006.

“Every year growing up it’s been Juneau beating Palmer,” Moose senior Dylan Myers said.

Nisbett, who rushed for a game-high 125 yards in the game, scored less than two minutes into play to give Palmer the early lead.

“It was amazing to score right off the bat,” Myers said. “It set the tone.”

Nisbett and the Moose needed only three plays to score. On Palmer’s third play of the game, Nisbett broke free to the left side of the field and sprinted 43 yards for the score.

“Always for us, if we can jump on an early lead we really like that,” Christiansen said. “We knew probably they weren’t going to be throwing today. To get ahead of a team that runs the ball a lot shortens the game a bit.”

Nisbett posted a pair of first-quarter scores. Those, combined with Luke Heun’s 10-yard scoring run early in the second quarter, gave the Moose a 19-0 lead. With Palmer controlling the ball on offense, the Moose defense frustrated the Bears early.

Juneau was held to only six offensive plays and without a down in the first quarter. A six-play Juneau drive in the second quarter ended with a Crimson Bears fumble.

Juneau didn’t have the opportunity to capitalize offensively until the Moose coughed up the ball in their own territory. With a short field, Juneau was able to cap a three-play, 25-yard drive with a 2-yard Demetrius Campos touchdown late in the second quarter.

Palmer held Juneau to 74 total yards in the first half.

“I thought our linebackers and defensive line did a really good job,” Christiansen said. “They kept (Juneau) from getting yards on first down. It makes it easier on your defense if they’re facing 2nd-and-10 or 3rd-and-10.”

Campos scored Juneau’s first touchdown at the 4:29 mark of the second quarter, but Palmer was able to answer with two scores during the final two minutes of the half. On Palmer’s drive following the Campos score, Moose senior quarterback Cameron Christiansen scampered for a 43-yard touchdown. Fullback Zeth Merritt plunged into the end zone from 3 yards out with 16 seconds left in the half.

Led by Nisbett’s 125, Palmer rushed for 353 yards in the game. Cameron Christiansen also completed 3 of 5 passes for 92 yards. Palmer put together the 445-yard night of total offense on an artificial turf surface that was completely saturated by recent heavy rain in the Palmer areas. Despite the wet conditions, Myers said the Moose were prepared.

“We practiced in three inches of standing water (Thursday),” Myers said. “We were prepared for whatever.”

With the 125-yard night, Nisbett eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He now has 1,027 yards through seven games, and 21 total touchdowns.

“We continue to ask a lot of him, but he’s doing a good job,” Christiansen said. “He’s a hard runner and has speed to go with it.”

Heun added 82 yards on 13 carries and scored in the win. Vincent Aumavae finished with 16 carries for 67 yards.

The victory clinched Palmer’s first conference title in nearly a decade.

“It’s amazing,” Myers said. “We’ve all been playing together since the third and fourth grade. We’ve been working together since back in the day.”

Palmer, which hosts Wasilla in the annual Potato Bowl Friday at Machetanz Field, is also guaranteed to now host a game in the first round of the large-schools playoffs in early October.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com, follow him @matsu_sports and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.

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.