Moose just short

ANCHORAGE — Last week the Palmer Moose scored 21 first-quarter points and rode the momentum to a win in the large-schools state semifinals.

But on Saturday, it was just the opposite.

The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears scored 21 first-half points, and held on to post a 23-13 win over Palmer in the 2007 ASAA First National Bank large-schools state championship game at Anchorage Football Stadium.

The Bears used key plays on special teams and the running game to jump to an early lead over the Moose, much like Palmer did against Service in its 28-14 semifinal win over the Cougars on Oct. 12.

“That’d be a good way to describe it,” Palmer senior lineman Everest Moore said after the game. “They got the early lead, and ran the clock.”

Seniors Conrad Smith and Shannon Sawyer each scored second-half touchdowns, and the Moose outscored the Bears 13-2 in the final two quarters.

“Going into the second half, it was all about pride,” Palmer senior lineman Drew Frohling said.

The Moose rode a a roller-coaster of emotion in the first six minutes of the third quarter. Sophomore Brennan Bohman recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the third quarter to give the Moose the ball on the Juneau 27-yard line.

But on the ensuing play, Palmer turned the ball over, giving it right back to Juneau.

Juneau’s drive would only last three plays. Palmer senior defensive back Justin Draughon recovered a Crimson Bears fumble to return the possession to Palmer once again.

Finally the Moose put a stop to the football version of ‘Patty Cake,’ and used a 13-play, 56-yard drive to get into the end zone.

Smith, Palmer’s senior quarterback, capped the scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 21-7.

Late in the fourth quarter, Sawyer plunged into the end zone from 1-yard out to cut the score to 10 points. Palmer’s two-point attempt failed.

After being held to 82 total yards in the first half, the Moose posted 167 — 83 on the ground and 84 through the air — in the final two quarters.

“I definitely feel like we won the second half,” Palmer senior lineman Tait Johnson said. “I wish we could have played like that in the first half.”

The Palmer defense shut out the Juneau offense in second half.

The Bears offense managed to gain only 63 of their 171 yards in the final 24 minutes of play.

“The second half, it just shows how much character our team has,” Moore said.

Juneau’s only second-half points came via a fourth-quarter safety.

After a long Juneau punt pinned Palmer back on their own 3-yard line. Juneau senior Zach Heppner tackled Smith in the end zone to complete the two-point play.

Key plays on special teams were the primary reason Juneau took the early three-score lead.

Following Palmer’s first possession, Juneau junior Lincoln Maka returned a Moose punt to the Palmer 32-yard line. Seven plays later, sophomore Silver Maake scored his first of two touchdowns, going up and over the JDHS offensive line.

Maka set Maake up once again, just moments after Maake’s first score.

Following a Palmer three-and-out, Maka returned another punt to the Palmer 18-yard line.

And once again, Maake scored, this time on a 6-yard run to the left side.

In the second quarter, another special teams play set up another Juneau touchdown.

Heppner blocked a Palmer punt, and fellow Juneau lineman Phil Moser recovered the ball at the Moose 11-yard line.

Just two plays later, Juneau senior quarterback Ryan Larson found junior wide receiver Alex Fagerstrom in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard score.

“They have great special teams,” Johnson said. “They put (the defense) in terrible field position.”

Palmer, known as a run-first program that topped the 300-yard rushing mark six times this season, threw 15 times in the game. The Moose had not had that many passing attempts since the first week of the season, but Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen didn’t feel the Moose were too far outside of a comfort zone.

“We had some passing things that we showed, some things we were able to do,” Christiansen said. “Just not enough.”

Smith completed four passes of 15 yards or more, including 30- and 38-yard strikes to freshman Jim McCall and Draughon, respectively.

Palmer ran the ball 45 times against a stacked Juneau front.

“They were lined up to stop the run the whole game,” Christiansen said.

Palmer advanced to the state final for the fourth time in school history, despite a 1-3 start to the season.

“Starting 1-3, coming back and making it here, and then going down 21 points, and then shutting down (their offense) in the second half,” Moore said. “That’s really something to be proud of.”

“We went down battling.” Christiansen added. “We just spotted themselves too much in the first half.”

Juneau-Douglas 23, Palmer 13

Saturday, Anchorage Football Stadium

First quarter

Juneau — S. Maake 1 run (Smith kick) 4:56.

Juneau — S. Maake 6 run (Smith kick) 1:01.

Second quarter

Juneau — Fagerstrom 7 pass from Larson (Smith kick) 10:23.

Third quarter

Palmer — Smith 3 run (Ott kick) 6:12.

Fourth quarter

Juneau — Safety, Smith tackled by Heppner in end zone, 7:55.

Palmer — Sawyer 1 run (pass fail) 2:28.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Juneau: S. Maake 19-99, A. Fagerstrom 10-35, Larson 4-5, Wilson 3-8, E. Fagerstrom 2-5; Palmer: Konkler 24-116, Smith 11-6, Sawyer 6-11, Bohman 4-19, Daly 1-0.

PASSING — Juneau: Larson 2-8-1—19, A. Fagerstrom 0-1-0—0; Palmer: Smith 7-15-0—113.

RECEIVING — Juneau: A. Fagerstrom 2-19; Palmer: Konkler 2-26, Swetzof 2-20, Draughon 1-38, McCall 1-30, Mitchell 1-(-5).