Moose storm into semifinals

BY LANIER HUTCHESON

Frontiersman

ANCHORAGE — Many called the Palmer Moose underdogs.

But on Friday night, the Moose called themselves victorious.

Palmer ammassed 441 yards rushing en route to posting the 48-12 upset victory over South Anchorage at Anchorage Football Stadium.

“We played a little bit of the underdog role,” Palmer fullback Coleman Ahrens said. “I am just happy with the team’s win.”

Ahrens was a one-man wrecking crew for the Moose, the third seed from the Railbelt Conference, running for 236 yards and five touchdowns during the win.

Ahrens scored twice during a Palmer 21-point second quarter, added a third touchdown in the third and scored twice more in the fourth.

Dustin Silva and Jim McCall also scored for the Moose, who now move ahead to play Chugiak in the state semifinals Saturday at 1 p.m. at AFS.

Chugiak upset Juneau-Douglas 16-14 with a safety in the final seconds late Saturday night.

“You just dream of doing that well,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said after the win. “The coaches had a good gameplan, and the players executed well by getting to the right spots.”

After the teams played to a stalemate in the first quarter, Ahrens found the end zone for the first time at the 10:30 mark of the second.

Ahrens scored again at the 4:02 mark, and Silva added to the Moose advantage, scoring on a quarterback keeper with 43 seconds left in the first half.

Palmer opened the second half the way the Moose ended the first, pounding the ball right at the Wolverines. McCall, a junior wide out, took the ball 66 yards to the end zone on the second play of the second half.

Matt Higgens finally put South on the scoreboard with 7:15 remaining in the third, but Ahrens was able to answer that score with his third touchdown of the game.

Ahrens flourised often, gashing the Wolverines defense for long gains on the outside and pounding the ball up the middle during short-yardage situations.

“It’s just how it worked out,” Ahrens said.

Senior Brennan Bohman, the state’s leading rusher, added 86 yards on 14 carries in the win. McCall finished with 92 yards on three tries.

Coming into the game South averaged a Cook Inlet Conference-high 350 yards per game, and conference best 276 on the ground. But during the loss, South was held to just 59 yards rushing and 131 total yards.

Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz contributed to this story. Contact Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Contact Frontiersman reporter Lanier Hutcheson at lanier.hutcheson@frontiersman.com.

Palmer 48,

South Anchorage 12

Friday, Anchorage Football Stadium

Second quarter

Palmer — Ahrens 1 run (Zegzdryn kick) 10:30.

Palmer — Ahrens 14 run (Zegzdryn kick) 4:02.

Palmer — Silva 20 run (Zegzdryn kick) 0:43.

Third quarter

Palmer — McCall 66 run (Zegzdryn kick) 11:02.

South — Higgens 3 run (kick failed) 7:15.

Palmer — Ahrens 1 run (Zegzdryn kick) 2:49.

Fourth quarter

South — Hornak 1 run (run failed) 11:11.

Palmer — Ahrens 19 run (Zegzdryn kick) 9:05.

Palmer — Ahrens 1 run (kick blocked) 6:09.

Individual statistics

RUSHING — Palmer: Ahrens 22-236, Bohman 14-86, Silva 6-22, McCall 3-92 Sorenson 2-6, Corbin 1-(-1); South: Sollars 9-29, Friess 6-25, Higgens 5-15, Hornak 5-12, Heidemann 1-7, Moeola 1-6, Eilliott 2-2, Kirn 4-(-37).

PASSING — Palmer: Silva 1-3-0—2, Bohman 1-1-0—20; South: Kirn 3-14-1—72.

RECIEVING — Palmer: Ahrens 1-20, McCall 1-2; South: Moeola 1-24, Hanley 1-20, McLean 1-13.