Moose win Potato Bowl, clinch playoff berth

PALMER — The Palmer Moose weren’t going to let it happen again.

Last week, Palmer led at halftime, but the Moose were outscored 24-0 during the final two quarters and suffered a 31-20 loss to rival Colony. Friday, Palmer led at the break. But the Moose pounded their way to 206 yards and a pair of scores in the second half to edge Wasilla 26-20 to win the 35th annual Potato Bowl at Wasilla High School.

“We didn’t want a second half like we had last week. We had to come out strong in the second half and keep fighting,” Palmer lineman Nick Benshetler said moments after the Moose lifted the Mayor’s Cup, the traveling prize awarded to the winner of the Potato Bowl, high into the crisp autumn air. “Wasilla is a good team, athletic team. We had to keep it going in the second half.”

Vincent Aumavae capped a career night with a 20-yard touchdown and provided the go-ahead score with 64 seconds left in regulation.

With the game tied at 20 and Palmer facing 4th-and-1 at the Wasilla 20, the Moose went for it.

“It was worth the risk. You’ve got to go for it,” Benshetler said. “Coach has trust for us, and we have trust in him. As long as he trusts us, we’ll get it in there.”

Aumavae hit a gap near the right hashmarks, got the first down, and broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone.

“I was thinking, get the first down,” Aumavae said after the win.

Palmer quarterback Zeth Merritt was thrilled to see his running back hit the corner of the end zone for the score.

“That was amazing. That’s when the heart skips a beat. It was amazing to watch,” Merritt said.

Aumavue finished with a career-high 243 yards on 33 carries. He scored three times in the game, including twice in the second half.

“Phenomenal blocking. I could not have done it with out them,” Aumavae said of the Moose offensive front.

The senior, who topped the 200-yard mark for the second time in his varsity career, ran for scores of 12, 2 and 20 yards in the victory. His total also could have included a 45-yard run that was called back due to a Palmer penalty.

“I thought Vincent was amazing today, a complete animal,” Benshetler said. “Hard-runner today, breaking arm tackles and everything.”

Palmer rushed for 206 in the second half and 365 in the game.

“Pound it down their throat, that’s what we wanted to do,” Merritt said.

Palmer also did it without senior James Nisbett, who led all large-schools rushers with 695 yards heading into the final week of the regular season. Nisbett, who has been plagued by injury throughout the year, did not play.

“We wanted to win for James too. I know if he was (playing), he would have given 110 percent,” Merritt said of Nisbett.

The Palmer defense also intercepted four Wasilla passes to help the Moose improve to 3-1 in Railbelt Conference play, and clinch a playoff berth for a state-record 14th straight year. Palmer’s final pick came with 37 seconds left in the game, as the Warriors threatened. Sophomore Nathan Aumavae stretched out near the home sideline to snag a pass out of the air to seal the win for Palmer.

“That’s pretty athletic. I was proud of my little brother,” Vincent Aumavae said of Nathan’s play.

Palmer’s Chase Ferris finished with a pair of interceptions in the game, and Joey LeCheminant picked off a pass late in the second quarter to stop a WHS drive.

Despite the Palmer rushing yards and interceptions by the Moose defense, Wasilla was in the contest throughout as the Warriors fought to stay alive in a contentious Railbelt playoff race.

“It’s the heart of the warrior, we’ve shown all year,” Wasilla head coach Kent Rilatos said. “It was never a lack of effort for us.”

Rilatos took the blame for the turnovers, a pair of interceptions near the end zone, in particular.

“Poor calls on the end zone situations. I made poor calls. I lay that on my shoulders,” Rilatos said.

Senior Cash McGregor finished with 62 yards receiving, 42 yards rushing and ran for a pair of scores. He also had a 56-yard punt return that set up his 11-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 7 late in the first quarter.

McGregor finished his stellar Wasilla career with 65 career catches. He set a single-season school record with 40 as a junior. Rilatos also praised McGregor’s play as the leader of the defense.

“It’s like having an extra coach out there,” Rilatos said of McGregor.

Wasilla trailed 13-7 at halftime, and used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to tie the game at 20. Senior Isaiah Dawkins grabbed a pass on a quick slant, and took it 45 yards for the score midway through the quarter to tie the score at 13.

Less than two minutes after Vincent Aumavae rushed for his second touchdown of the game, Wasilla tied the score again. This time, McGregor dove into the end zone to cap a 9-yard run.

Senior Josiah Williams finished with 173 yards passing a touchdown. Dawkins had 89 yards receiving and the score.

Williams also topped the 1,000-yard passing mark, and finished his senior season with 1,156 yards through the air.

Wasilla finished its season 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the Railbelt Conference. All three Wasilla wins came against playoff-bound teams, and the Warriors beat a pair of teams (Colony and West) that were crowned conference champions over the weekend. Colony won the Railbelt and West Anchorage won the Cook Inlet Conference.

“To beat Colony, a league champion, and West, another league champion, and not be in the playoffs is a tough pill to swallow for sure,” Rilatos said.

Colony used a 41-12 win over West Valley in Fairbanks Saturday to clinch its first Railbelt title since 2010. The Knights own the top seed and will host Dimond Friday at 7 p.m. Palmer is the Railbelt’s No. 2 seed and will host South Anchorage Saturday at 7 p.m.

Palmer 26, Wasilla 20

Friday, Veteran’s Memorial Field

First quarter:

Palmer — B. Aumavae 15 run (Inukai kick) 7:26.

Wasilla — McGregor 11 run (O’Laughlin kick) 2:36.

Second quarter:

Palmer — V. Aumavae 12 run (kick failed) 8:20.

Third quarter:

No scoring

Fourth quarter:

Wasilla — Dawkins 45 pass from Williams (kick blocked) 6:39.

Palmer — V. Aumavae 2 run (Inukai kick) 5:45.

Wasilla — McGregor 9 run (O’Laughlin kick) 3:58.

Palmer — V. Aumavae 20 run (kick fail) 1:04.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

RUSHING — Palmer: V. Aumavae 33-243, Merritt 6-19, B. Aumavae 4-55, N. Aumavae 5-34, Schneider 3-16; Wasilla: Otto 14-45, Williams 9-36, McGregor 6-42, Garnett 4-38, Rilatos 2-16.

PASSING — Palmer: Merritt 3-9-0—15; Wasilla: Williams 9-20-4—173.

RECEIVING — Palmer: Berg 2-9, Wells 1-6; Wasilla: McGregor 4-62, Dawkins 3-89, Garnett 1-17, Dedrick 1-5.