Moose run past Kodiak, earn 1st win of season

PALMER — There was a common theme for the Palmer Moose during the first three weeks of the prep football season.

Unanswered points.

North Pole scored 20 unanswered points and grabbed a 20-19 win over the Moose during week one. The following week, Service scored unanswered in a 27-6 win over Palmer. Last week, Palmer and Colony were locked at 8 late in the first half, before Colony put together 31 unanswered in a 39-9 victory.

But Friday night, Palmer finally had the answer.

The running game.

The Moose rushed for 558 yards on 30 carries, and rolled to a 57-0 Northern Lights Conference victory over Kodiak at Palmer High’s Machetanz Field.

“It feels really good,” Palmer senior Jeff Glynn said after the win. “All of our guys have done stuff to fix things.”

It’s the second straight year Palmer used a win over Kodiak to rebound from an 0-3 start. The Moose beat the Bears last year after losses to East Anchorage, Bartlett and Colony, and won four of their final five regular season games and earned a spot in the medium-schools state title game.

“Yes, we were like this last year. We’re hoping to get back into the semifinals and finals, but we’ve still got to work harder to get there,” Glynn said. “We’ve still got a lot of football to play. We’ve just got to push our limits and get better.”

Glynn used a career night to help the Moose eclipse 500 yards rushing for the first time since the Haakan Bohman-led Moose rushed for 511 yards during a 40-20 win over West Anchorage Aug. 11, 2006. Glynn rushed for a career-high 189 yards on just five carries. The senior broke away for a pair of 51-yard touchdown runs in the first half, and added a 61-yard score in the second half.

“One cut and go,” Glynn said. “Downhill all the way.”

Glynn praised Palmer’s offensive line, which paved the way for three different Moose running backs, which finished with at least 151 yards each.

“The (offensive line) did really well tonight. They got their blocks,” Glynn said. “I’m very thankful for them. My success is based on them.”

Senior Jared Oviok rumbled for 170 yards on five carries. Oviok scored on runs for 65 and 62 yards. Senior Larry Cutsforth added 151 yards on 13 carries.

The Moose were able to strike through the air. Junior quarterback Luke Guggenmos completed 3 of 6 passes for 105 yards. Guggenmos opened the scoring early for Palmer, connecting with fullback Levi Farris on a 31-yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter, Guggenmos found receiver Skyler Hale deep on a 72-yard touchdown pass.

“That was pretty amazing,” Glynn said of the long touchdown pass and catch. “All the guys were pretty hyped for that.”

Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said the coaches like what they see in Guggenmos, Palmer’s first-year signal caller.

“He’s got a tremendous arm. He can really throw. You’ve got to respect that,” Christiansen said.

But Christiansen said Guggenmos is also making good decisions, making reads at the line of scrimmage. Christiansen said the junior is also an offensive captain and the Moose are looking for Guggenmos to be the leader on offense.

Guggenmos also added a 1-yard touchdown run in the win.

Christiansen credited the effort of Kodiak, which dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

“I really respect Kodiak. They came up and they got after it,” Christiansen said. “They got tired. There were not that many of them, and our running backs aren’t going to quit.”

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

Palmer 57, Kodiak 0

Friday, Machetanz Field

First quarter:

Palmer — Farris 31 pass from Guggenmos (Cutsforth kick) 5:52.

Palmer — Oviok 65 run (Cutsforth kick) 4:15.

Palmer — Glynn 51 run (Cutsforth kick) 1:39.

Second quarter:

Palmer — Hale 72 pass from Guggenmos (Cutsforth kick) 4:25.

Palmer — Glynn 51 run (Cutsforth kick) 0:55.

Third quarter:

Palmer — Guggenmos 1 run (Cutsforth kick) 10:09.

Palmer — Glynn 61 run (Baker pass from Daniels) 0:46.

Fourth quarter:

Palmer — Oviok 62 run (Coyne kick) 9:07.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Kodiak: Finley 18-107, Sega 5-32, Walton 4-(-4), Galindez 2-5, Paneda 1-14, Ekin 1-(-4); Palmer: Cutsforth 13-151, Glynn 5-189, Oviok 5-170, Farris 2-22, Knittle 2-9, Corbin 1-13, Guggenmos 1-1, Myers 1-(-1).

PASSING — Kodiak: Walton 10-23-1—62; Palmer: Guggenmos 3-8-0—105.

RECEIVING — Kodiak: Galindez 4-32, Finley 3-21, Jimenez 2-10, Paneda 1-2; Palmer: Hale 1-72, Farris 1-31, Daniels 1-2.