Paving the way

PALMER — They’re in the line of fire.

Behind a seasoned and savvy offensive line, the Palmer Moose have rushed for 2,693 yards this season. The Moose have topped the 300-yard mark six times, and the offensive line has paved the way for 31 rushing touchdowns.

For those who make this Palmer line O-so-good, these are just statistics. They’re numbers that matter, but not something they dwell on.

“Winning is all that matters,” Palmer senior offensive guard Drew Frohling said, standing by six of his fellow lineman on the edge of Machetanz Field following Thursday’s practice.

“It’s what’s on the scoreboard,” Palmer senior offensive tackle Everest Moore echoed.

A big reason why Palmer has won five of its last six games, is averaging nearly 27 points a contest and has found itself on the winning side of that scoreboard has been the play of its offensive line.

Frohling, Moore, senior tackle Tait Johnson, junior guard Daniel Contini, junior center Kevin Priestley, junior tight end J.D. Mitchell and senior Thomas Rathbun, a key reserve, have pushed Palmer into a position to play in its fourth state championship of the last 12 years.

If you ask any of the Moose lineman, each hungry for an opportunity to call himself a state champion, it’s not the total yards they focus on, it’s getting a minimum of five yards on every play.

“As the year’s gone on, they’ve gotten better at communicating and understanding they can win the game by themselves,” Palmer line coach Tim Popowski said. “That’s something they need to understand.”

Without the ability to put together the 10-, 12- and 14-play drives that eat four, five and six minutes on the clock at a stretch, the Moose could have been relegated to the stands on Saturday rather than fighting for their second state title.

Time of possession directly translated to wins over Colony and North Pole, a pair of regular-season wins that put Palmer in the playoffs, and postseason victories over Wasilla and Service.

“When it’s time to run the ball, they take over,” Popowski said of his linemen.

And for the Moose, it’s a simple formula.

“It’s beat the guy in front of you,” Contini said.

In the past, Palmer has put together offensive lines that could be described as mammoth. This season, the Moose don’t have the luxury of a few 300-pound sides of beef up front.

Of the starters, Moore is the tallest at 6-foot-3, and Moore and Frohling are each the biggest at 250 pounds. Priestley and Contini are each listed a 225, and Johnson is 200.

“We’re real small,” Moore said. “Especially for Palmer.”

That is why the Moose pride themselves on their technical abilities.

“The smaller they are, the better technique they have to have,” Popowski said.

So technique is something the Moose continuously work on. The players hit the blocking sled — over and over. Popowski used a tool known as the “strain drill” to help improve footwork and remind his smaller lineman of the importance to stay low.

“Getting low; it’s huge,” Priestley said.

As Johnson is quick to remind, sometimes there’s an advantage to being a bit smaller.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” he said.

With such an emphasis on technique the ability for his players to listen, learn and ask questions has been incredibly important, Popowski said.

“If I had one word to describe them, it’s ‘cacheable,’” Popowski said.

Popowski began the season with at least two holes to fill — vacancies on the line left by graduates Kelly Devon and Ian Heindel. Moore and Frohling each had significant playing time last season, and Contini and Priestley also saw action.

And then there was Johnson, a player new to the left tackle position.

“Tait has really improved throughout the year,” Popowski said. “Now he’s probably one of the best ones out there.”

Moore, Frohling and Johnson were each recognized on the all-conference team. Moore and Frohling were named first-team while Johnson received second-team honors. Moore was also named the Railbelt lineman of the year.

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