Prep football: Palmer scores key win over Valley rival

Frontiersman staff

PALMER - The Palmer Moose scored 14 unanswered points and posted a key 14-13 win over the Colony Knights at Machetanz Field on Friday.

With the Moose trailing 13-0, Palmer senior quarterback Conrad Smith helped his squad improve to 2-1 in Railbelt Conference play by notching a pair of short touchdowns. Smith cut Colony's lead to 13-7 late in the second quarter, with a 4-yard touchdown plunge. He added the go-ahead touchdown, a 1-yard run, with 4:19 left in the third.

Smith also helped Palmer seal the victory, carrying the ball on all but one play on the final Palmer drive of the evening. Led by the running of Smith, the Moose were able to run the clock down to the 19 second mark of the fourth quarter.

Palmer senior lineman Everest Moore enjoyed a most valuable player-like performance. Moore blocked the extra point attempt that followed Colony's second touchdown in the second quarter. And in the third, Moore recovered a Colony fumble on the Knight 1-yard line that set up Smith's second score. On defense, Moore also helped contain Colony's dangerous running attack. On offense he paved the way for Palmer's ball carriers from his right tackle position.

Colony took the 7-0 lead when senior Jaron Murphy scored on a 1-yard run on the final play of the first quarter. Geno Paoletti rumbled in from 29 yards out to give the Knights the two-score advantage.

While the Moose improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play, the Knights dropped to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Railbelt. In other Railbelt Conference action, North Pole earned an important 26-25 win over Lathrop in Fairbanks. Wasilla hosts Juneau-Douglas on Saturday. JDHS is the lone undefeated team in the conference.

See the Sunday edition of the Frontiersman for a complete recaps of Palmer's win over Colony and Wasilla's clash with Juneau.