SHOWDOWN

WASILLA — As the Wasilla Warriors enter the sixth week of the prep football season, some things remain the same. The Warriors are sticking to their everyday practice routine, working through the same drills as the coaches drill the same messages.

But on the heels of a 55-33 upset over previously top-ranked Juneau-Douglas, there’s certainly something different about Warrior football.

“People are getting excited about the program. When you do something like what these young men did, they’re going to become very well-known, especially at school,” Wasilla head coach Kent Rilatos said Thursday. “They’re enjoying the notoriety. It’s a little bit of excitement. The community deserves a team that will compete and make them pound.”

Wasilla won its third straight with the victory over Juneau and jumped to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Railbelt Conference standings. The Warriors have become legitimate again in the conference, and after an 0-2 start Wasilla is now suddenly in the running for its first playoff berth since 2007.

But Rilatos and his bunch know the journey is far from complete. There are three more potential obstacles, starting with the Colony Knights, who host the Warriors tonight at 7 p.m. at Colony High School.

Colony has struggled this season, sitting at 0-5 overall, but Rilatos said the last thing the Warriors should do is overlook a rival.

“We’re preparing to play our best game against Colony. There can’t be any letdown,” Rilatos said.

The Valley rivals have pretty much swapped roles for tonight’s match. In recent years, Colony has been a top dog in the conference with Wasilla sitting behind in the pack.

“It’s the same as the past. If Wasilla had the chance to beat Colony (in the past), it’d be a big feather in their cap. This year it’s no different. If they can beat us, it really gets them rebounded,” Rilatos said.

Rilatos said this is where you bring out the clichés.

“It doesn’t matter what the record is in a Valley rivalry,” Rilatos said.

The Warriors have stormed to three straight wins, outscoring opponents 116-60. The Warriors have put together the yardage, finishing with 420 total yards during a 37-7 win over Lathrop in Fairbanks and 513 during the victory over Juneau.

Senior Devon Teeling is responsible for a pile of those yards, rushing for 167 yards or more during each of the three wins. He rushed for a career-high 200 against Lathrop.

“We feel we need to feed Devon Teeling the ball. We believe he can gain yards on any play,” Rilatos said.

The Teeling-led running game and the Wasilla passing attack has provided nice balance for the Warrior offense. Junior quarterback Ben Fielder is among state leaders with 976 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. Senior Tyler Anderson has emerged as one of the top receivers in the state, with 21 catches for 546 yards and nine scores.

While Colony remains winless at 0-5, head coach Brian McIntosh said he continues to see his team work and improve.

“They finally started to believe in their potential and ability,” McIntosh said after a loss to Chugiak last Saturday.

McIntosh said he liked what he saw, specifically on defense. He said the amount of gang tackling brings the Knights back to what fans have been accustomed to seeing over the years. He also noted the growth of his offensive line and work of junior running back Wyatt Peltier, who leads the Knights with 234 yards.

North Pole at Palmer

The Palmer Moose moved into the Railbelt win column last week, and while doing so the Moose took out all of their frustrations on the Lathrop Malemutes.

Two weeks ago, the Moose dropped to 0-2 in conference play with a 25-19 double-overtime loss to West Valley in Fairbanks. But last week, Palmer rebounded with a 70-6 shellacking of the Malemutes.

Sophomore James Nisbett enjoyed a career day with 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He caught another score. Senior Ian Ahrens added a game-best 117 yards and two scores. In all, seven different Palmer players reached the end zone.

Palmer will look to continue that success hosting Railbelt rival North Pole Saturday at 4 p.m. at Palmer High’s Machetanz Field.

The match falls within a timely three-game homestand for the Moose, and Saturday’s outcome will undoubtedly play a role in the Railbelt postseason seeding.

Both the Moose and the Patriots currently sit in a third-place tie at 1-2 in conference. West Valley (4-0), Juneau (3-1) and Wasilla (2-1) sit ahead of both teams. The top four squads in the conference reach the postseason.

North Pole’s lone conference win is also against Lathrop. The Pats blew past the Malemutes 62-18 earlier in the season.

North Pole’s only other victory came in nonconference against Kenai. The Patriots have dropped matches to Juneau, West and West Valley.

The Pats are led by quarterback Moo Rogers, one of the top running signal callers in the Railbelt.

Houston at Kenai

Houston’s season started rough, but the Hawks suddenly find themselves on a two-game winning streak.

The Hawks scored a 38-0 win over Seward in Seward last week. The Hawks also learned last week they’d received a forfeit victory over Skyview. The Panthers were forced to vacate a win over Houston after learning they used an ineligible player.

The combination puts the Hawks at 1-2 in conference play and 2-2 overall.

The Hawks also received another boost, with at least two key players returning from injury. Senior Russ Ruta, who had missed significant time, played against the Seahawks and scored. Junior Charlie Buzby, who missed three full games with an injury, made his season debut at Seward.

Houston head coach Norm Bouchard said the return of the players, Buzby in particular, is certainly key.

“Getting him back has helped a lot,” Bouchard said. “He’s an emotional leader.”

Bouchard said Buzby will also help as the Hawks try to contain Kenai senior quarterback AJ Hull as the Hawks face the Kardinals Saturday at 2 p.m. at Kenai Central High.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.