Moose charge into state championship game

Frontiersman staff

ANCHORAGE - The Palmer Moose moved into the school's fourth Alaska state football championship game with a 28-14 victory over the Service Cougars Friday night at Anchorage Football Stadium.

The Moose will face the winner of Saturday's South/Juneau game next Saturday at AFS for the ASAA large-schools state title.

Palmer scored four times in the first half, getting two rushing touchdowns from Devin Konkler and one each from running back Shannon Sawyer and quarterback Conrad Smith.

Palmer led 21-0 in a first quarter sparked by a key special teams play from senior Justin Draughon. On the game's opening kickoff, Palmer kicker Will Ott sent a high kick toward the Moose sideline. The speedy Draughon beat Service to the ball, and recovered the kick at the 35-yard line. On kickoffs, the ball is considered live once it passes 10 yards.

Draughon's efforts allowed Palmer to snag the momentum, and three plays later, Konkler ran for the first of his two scores.

After the Moose defense forced Service to go three-and-out on the Cougars' first possesion, Konkler scored on a 55-yard run on Palmer's first play of its second possesion.

Sawyer added a long run in the first quarter, and Smith scored with nine seconds left in the second quarter.

Palmer recorded 277 yards rushing in the first two quarters. Konkler had 141.

The victory also gave Palmer coach Rod Christiansen his 100th career victory. Christiansen, who began his tenure as the Moose head coach in 1991, is the first head coach in Alaska to post 100 wins with a single team.

See www.frontiersman.com for continued updates and the Sunday edition of the Frontiersman for complete coverage of Palmer's semifinal win.