Moose, South meet in semis

PALMER — During last week’s first round of the large-schools playoffs, three of the games on the quarterfinal slate were decided by 28 or more points.

While South Anchorage, West Anchorage and Service all claimed lopsided victories, Palmer grinded out a 13-6 win over East Anchorage. Now, as the top-ranked Moose prepare to face South tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Chugiak High’s Tom Huffer Sr. Field in the state semifinals, the Railbelt Conference champions are hoping some of that first-round adversity helps push the Moose into the state title game.

“It helped us,” Palmer senior quarterback Cameron Christiansen said of the challenging win over East. “It made us more mentally tough.”

It’s been three years since Palmer played South, but the Moose are hoping the experience against East Anchorage last week helped prepare them for the Wolverines.

“It was really good to see them,” Christiansen said of the T-Birds. “Especially since (East) runs a similar offense (to South).”

The Moose have not seen the Wolverines recently, but the programs are far from strangers. Palmer has faced South four times since 2004, sporting a 3-1 record against the Wolverines. The Moose are also 2-0 against South in the postseason. Palmer beat South 48-12 during the 2009 quarterfinals, and advanced to a state championship game in 2005 with a 21-14 win over South in the semifinals.

After suffering a 37-23 loss to Service in the 2011 state final, the Wolverines have been among the state’s best this season. South finished second in the Cook Inlet Conference with a 6-1 mark. The Wolverines are 7-2 overall, but have only one loss to Alaska competition.

Service edged South 21-14 in September. South’s other loss was a 49-8 defeat to Vista Murrieta High in Murrieta, Calif.

“They’re the best team we’ll play to this point for sure,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said.

Senior quarterback Zach Lujan has completed 89 of 162 passes for 1,270 yards for South. He’s thrown 16 touchdown passes and six interceptions.

South, which has rushed for 2,180 yards as a team this season, has three runners with 374 or more yards.

Dante Williams leads the Wolverines with 652 yards on the ground. Taylor Faagau has rushed for 480 yards, and Kahlil Autry has 374 yards and a team-high seven rushing touchdowns.

Tight end Louis Page is Lujan’s top target, with 17 catches for 287 yards and four touchdowns.

Page is also the nephew of Rod Christiansen and cousin of Cameron.

Palmer sports one of the top ground games in the state, averaging 325 rushing yards per game.

Palmer junior James Nisbett is the state’s leader with 1,525 yards and 22 touchdowns. Nisbett rushed for 146 yards and a score during the win over East. It was his eighth 100-yard effort in nine games this season.

Senior Luke Heun also scored his fifth touchdown of the season in the win.

Tonight’s matchup also pairs two of the state’s top defensive teams. Both squads allowed only 15 points per game during the regular season, tied for second best in the state.

With a win, Palmer would advance to its fifth state title game in school history. Palmer won its lone championship in 1995, but also advanced to the state final in 1996, 2005 and 2007.

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.