Prep football squads making playoff push

WASILLA — Crunch time has officially arrived.

With two weeks remaining in the high school football season, all three Valley large-schools teams are still alive for a spot in the state playoffs. In fact, with Lathrop and West Valley already eliminated — and Juneau having clinched a spot with last week’s win over Colony — Palmer, Wasilla, Colony and North Pole are fighting for the three remaining playoff spots.

Which of those four teams is on the outside looking in two weeks from now when the large-schools playoffs start will be decided in the next two weeks, starting with tonight’s showdown between the Knights (3-3 overall, 2-2 Railbelt Conference) and Wasilla Warriors (4-2 overall, 2-2 Railbelt Conference).

A win doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot for either team — nor does a loss eliminate the loser.

But, if either the Knights or the Warriors win their last two games of the season, they’re in the playoffs. A loss tonight means a potential tie-breaking scenario following the final week of the season.

Wasilla coach Jim Shetter said he’s not paying much attention to the standings. Instead, he’s simply trying to get his team to focus on the Knights, a team Wasilla hasn’t beaten since 2001.

“We’re at the point where we just keep our mouths shut and do it on the field,” Shetter said.

Shetter said he believes that if the Warriors can take care of business on the field, the playoff scenarios will take care of themselves.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” he said.

This one game, in particular, is a big one. As the second of three games this season pitting Valley rivals against each other, Colony’s Jamie Mayo said the game is a classic case when records can be tossed out the window.

“This game isn’t about records, it isn’t about playoffs, it’s about Colony against Wasilla,” Mayo said. “This is neighbor versus neighbor.”

Coming off three consecutive defeats, the Knights have plenty of reason to be motivated against the Warriors. Add the fact that it’s Colony’s homecoming game, and tonight’s tilt has all the makings of a classic battle between two teams that know each other well.

“I expect there’s gonna be a whole lot of bodies flying all over the place,” Mayo said.

Shetter said the Warriors plan to stick to what’s worked this season, a wishbone offense that puts a premium on running the football.

Wasilla is coming off a big 47-6 win over Lathrop in Fairbanks that saw the Warriors rack up nearly 400 yards rushing, including a game-high 256 on just 13 carries by junior Chris Crane.

“He’s been real successful for us this year,” Shetter said.

Crane isn’t the only Warrior Colony will have to be ready for. Against Lathrop, the Warriors also had success handing the ball to senior Mike Gonser-Chafin, junior Beebo Russel, junior Casey Katchinska and senior Joe Barkley.

Quarterback Adrese LaVern can also run the ball, and has had success with his few passing attempts. LaVern threw just seven times last week, but completed five passes for 109 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior Tim Orr.

“You can’t really key on one player,” Shetter said.

Wasilla’s defense is also looking solid. Shetter said Lathrop may have the fastest team speed in the state, and he said he was happy with how his team was able to fly to the ball and limit the Malemutes’ attack.

“It’s not one person, it’s the whole team,” he said.

Still, doubts linger about Wasilla. The team has gone unranked all season in the statewide media poll despite racking up a 4-2 record that includes a one-point loss at No. 1 Juneau, the state’s lone undefeated team.

“There’s a lot of doubters out there,” Shetter said.

Tonight’s game against Colony will be a big test for the Warriors, and Shetter said he believes the game will be a chance for his team to show that Wasilla football is for real.

“They’ve got a lot to prove,” Shetter said.

Like Wasilla, Colony likely won’t try to do anything too fancy. The Knights rely heavily on a ground game led by senior running back Jaron Murphy, who has amassed 632 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.

“To try to change something up or try to get cute would take valuable time away from what we’ve been doing all year,” Mayo said.

For the second week in a row, Collin Murphy will get the start at quarterback for the Knights, who lost starter Brad Truax to a shoulder injury against Palmer. Mayo said the junior has played well in relief of Truax.

“He’s a tough kid,” Mayo said.

Tough enough to start at linebacker for the Knights before he moved to quarterback full time.

“That gives you an idea of his mentality,” Mayo said.

Mayo said he’s expecting a tough game tonight, and predicted whichever team is better able to keep its composure could come out on top.

“It’s going to be a match-up of execution and intensity.”

North Pole at Palmer, Saturday 2 p.m.

With it’s 3-1 record in Railbelt Conference play, Palmer sits in the best position of the four teams fighting for their playoff lives.

With a win over North Pole (3-3 overall, 2-2 in conference) on Saturday, the Moose would lock up one of the four Railbelt playoff spots. Even if the Moose fall to Wasilla next week in the annual Potato Bowl, a win over North Pole would push the Moose to four conference victories — a mark that seems to be the magic number for most of the teams in the conference.

Colony could still reach four wins, with victories over Wasilla tonight and Lathrop next week. But thanks to a 14-13 win earlier this month, the Moose hold the tiebreaker over CHS.

Wasilla still could reach four wins. But even with Warrior victories over Colony and Palmer, a Moose win Saturday would ensure Palmer has the tiebreakers over North Pole and Colony, which means at least the fourth playoff spot in the conference.

For Palmer to make that push into the playoffs, the Moose will look to leadership from a strong senior class.

Senior running back Devin Konkler and senior quarterback Conrad Smith are the fuel for the Moose running game, with a combined 11 rushing touchdowns. Senior linemen Everest Moore and Drew Frohling have helped pave the way for those runners.

Konkler is currently the top running back in the Valley, with 639 yards on 76 carries.

Palmer is led defensively by senior linebacker Shannon Sawyer, a player who records countless tackles for PHS.

The Moose scored a lop-sided 52-6 win over West Valley in Fairbanks last week.

Palmer ran for 331 yards, while allowing only 30 yards on the ground to West Valley.

Konkler and fellow senior Justin Draughon each scored twice in the win.

North Pole improved to 3-3 overall with a 43-7 win over Interior-rival Eielson in a nonconference game in the Fairbanks area last week.

Patriot senior Todd McCormick rushed for 296 yards and six touchdowns in the win. He ran for three touchdowns in the first half, including a 75-yarder for a score.

The last time the Patriots were in the Valley, Sept. 1, McCormick burned the Wasilla Warriors for 253 yards in a 28-14 win over WHS.

Houston at Seward, tonight 5:30 p.m.

The Railbelt is not the only conference with a mess of teams still alive in the playoff hunt. The Greatland Conference also features a heap of team looking to lock up a spot.

But the difference here is there are six teams looking for just two spots.

Houston is one of four Greatland teams with identical records — 2-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Tonight the Hawks face one of the three teams they are tied with —Seward — at 5:30 p.m. at Seward High School.

Houston, Seward, Valdez and Nikiski are all tied at 2-2 in conference play. Eielson is in the driver’s seat with a 4-0 record, and can clinch the conference title with a win over Nikiski on Saturday.

At 3-2, Barrow is in second place and in search of the first playoff berth in the history of the young Whaler program. BHS travels to Valdez to face the 2-2 Buccaneers tonight.

With wins over Seward tonight and Valdez next week, Houston could improve to 4-2 and have tiebreakers over Barrow, Seward and Valdez.

Prior to Houston’s 23-20 loss to Nikiski last week, the Hawks made a concerted effort to boost their success in the running game. Although the Hawks were tagged with the loss, Houston did enjoy its best game on the ground of the season.

Senior Brandon Parks rumbled for 232 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. He now has a team-best 390 for the year.

This week, Houston could sport the balanced attack, thanks to the return of junior wide receiver Bryan Mason to the lineup. Mason was easily the top receiver in the small-schools class during the first half of the season, grabbing 25 catches for 420 yards and six touchdowns.

Mason has missed the last two weeks with an injury.

Seward is a team that is the epitome of the parody seen in the Greatland this year. The Seahawks were upset by Barrow earlier this year, but last week scored a double-digit win over Valdez, a squad that was ranked fifth in the state media poll at that time.