One step away

PALMER — In each of the last two weeks, the Palmer Moose have prepared for just one opponent — the Wasilla Warriors.

While the Moose now have a different foe in their sights — the Service Cougars — the basic game plan remains the same.

“We need to move the ball consistently in order to hang in there; play good defense,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said before venturing off to his team’s afternoon practice on Thursday. “If we do that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

The Moose earned the right to face the Cougars in the Alaska Schools Activities Association large-schools semifinals with a 29-19 win over Wasilla in the first round of the playoffs last week.

Palmer and Service meet tonight at 7 p.m. at Anchorage Football Stadium.

Palmer has been a staple in the state playoffs, earning postseason berths in 12 of the last 13 seasons. But Service — a program that captured three straight state titles in the late 1990s — has been kept out of the postseason since 2002.

But 2007 has proved to be different for Service, and the Cougars are playing in their first semifinal match since 1999 — the year of their last state title.

So, why is Service having success now?

“They have a lot of team speed,” Christiansen said. “They’re a big-play team.”

Christiansen said Service has the ability to make plays on both sides of the ball, and on special teams.

The Cougars advanced to the playoffs and upset Chugiak 24-17 in the first round, despite the loss of quarterback Cameron Allen to a season-ending injury late in the year.

Service now has Kevin Reilly, a converted offensive tackle, taking the snaps.

“He can throw, run pretty well,” Christiansen said. “Obviously he’s not as good as Allen. But they voted (Allen) the player of the year in Anchorage despite not playing in the last couple of games.”

Service collected 298 total yards in the win over Chugiak last week, gaining most of the yardage through the passing game. Reilly finished the contest 11-for-22 for 160 yards. He threw two touchdowns and an interception.

Both scores were caught by Victor Gamassov, a first-team Cook Inlet Conference selection at wide receiver. Gamassov finished with 76 yards receiving.

While the Cougars won with the passing game, the Moose marched into the semifinals for the fifth time since 1994 on the backs of the Palmer offensive line, which paved the way for more than 300 yards on the ground in the win over the Warriors.

Senior Devin Konkler rushed for a game-high 224 yards in the win. He also scored twice.

Senior fullback Shannon Sawyer and senior quarterback Conrad Smith each had at least 50 yards and a touchdown in the victory.

The win marked the fifth time this season, the Moose have topped the 300-yard rushing

mark.

With a win tonight, the Christiansen-led Moose would score a berth in the large-schools state title game for the fourth time since 1995. Palmer beat Chugiak 12-7 in the 1995 championship game, and fell to the Mustangs 24-19 the following year. In 2005, Juneau-Douglas beat Palmer 49-29 in an all-Railbelt final.

A rematch of the 2005 title game is not out of the realm of possibility. Juneau meets South Anchorage Saturday at noon in the other semifinal game.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.