Stars push past PHS

SOLDOTNA — Soldotna’s come-from-behind, 34-20 victory over Palmer on Friday at Justin Maile Field meant nothing in the conference.

It meant everything for confidence.

Soldotna senior Chris Nolden ran for two touchdowns and 180 yards as the small-schools Stars took a week off from Northern Lights Conference play to defeat the large-schools Moose on a sunny night in front of a crowd that nearly filled the bleachers.

The Stars, who have won the last three small-schools state championships, are now 4-2 overall. Those two losses came to large-schools opponents West and Colony.

“We’ve kind of been soul searching,” Soldotna head coach Galen Brantley Jr. said. “We were in two tough ballgames and didn’t make enough plays to win them.”

The Stars made the pivotal plays against the Moose. The biggest play came with 9:27 left in the game, with Soldotna holding a 27-20 lead. Palmer’s offense had only punted once at that point, and the Moose had not committed a turnover.

That changed when Palmer’s Coleman Ahrens fumbled and Soldotna’s Chase Jensen recovered on Palmer’s 35-yard line.

“After that, we knew we had to win this,” Nolden said.

The Stars quickly capitalized on the turnover when Nolden dashed into the end zone from 25 yards out for a 34-20 lead with 7:17 to play.

Down two scores late in the game, Palmer abandoned a running attack that had seen Brennan Bohman rush for 144 yards and two touchdowns and Ahrens rush for 74 yards and a score.

“I was hoping this would be one of those games where the last team to have the ball would win,” Palmer coach Rod Christiansen said.

Palmer failed to move the ball late in the game through the air, with quarterback Dustin Silva finishing 3-for-19 and throwing a fourth-quarter interception to SoHi’ Tate Syverson. Soldotna ran safe running plays and ran out the clock on a victory that had been no sure thing in the first half.

“We were worried a little,” Brantley Jr. said. “In the first half, it seemed like we were really working for our yards. They were ripping off big chunks.”

Soldotna began the game with a 21-play scoring drive that ate up just over 8 minutes off the clock. The drive culminated with a 1-yard run by quarterback Jake Jansen.

After Palmer answered with a 14-play drive that ended with a 10-yard jaunt by Bohman, Nolden answered right back with a 69-yard touchdown run. Bohman came right back with an 8-yard touchdown that gave the Moose a 13-12 lead.

After Palmer forced Soldotna’s first punt of the game, Palmer got the ball back on its 15 with 1:03 left in the half. The Moose advanced the ball to their 47 before Silva hit Bohman with a short pass that appeared to end the half with a short gain.

That was until Bohman tiptoed his way out of a cloud of Stars and made a clean break for the goal line. Only a lunging tackle by Braden Price at Soldotna’s 10 saved the touchdown.

“It kept them from getting the momentum,” Price said of his tackle. “That made it a 0-0 ballgame going into the second half.”

Plays like that also gave Brantley Jr. an appreciation for Bohman.

“He’s got to be the best back we’ve seen this year,” he said.

Soldotna started the second half by forcing a punt, then kept on rolling on offense with a nine-play drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown by Dylon Story.

After Palmer knotted the score at 20 on a 2-yard run by Ahrens, Soldotna took eight plays to push Price into the end zone on a 24-yard run.

In addition to taking encouragement from the defense shutting out Palmer in the fourth quarter, Brantley Jr. also liked all the long scoring drives, which kept nibbling off yards and avoiding drive-killing penalties and missed blocks.

“Palmer’s a good football team,” Brantley Jr. said. “They’re in the playoffs every year. To squeak out a win — it’s the best I’ve felt about this group of guys all year.”

While calling the triumph a classic team effort, Brantley Jr. gave special kudos to center Braden Lichty, who battled a tough nose tackle all game, and Tim Focht, who was forced to fill in on the line due to injuries.

Soldotna 34, Palmer 20

Friday, Soldotna High School

First quarter

Soldotna — Jansen 1 run (kick failed), 3:49

Palmer — Bohman 10 run (Zegzdryn kick), 9:29

Second quarter

Soldotna — Nolden 69 run (run failed), 8:43

Palmer — Bohman 8 run (run failed), 5:20

Third quarter

Soldotna — Story 2 run (Nolden run), 8:05

Palmer — Ahrens 2 run (Zegzdryn kick), 1:15

Fourth quarter

Soldotna — Price 24 run (Koch kick), 10:13

Soldotna — Nolden 41 run (Koch kick), 7:17

Rushing — Palmer: Bohman 25-144, Ahrens 15-74, Scoresby 1-(-6), Zegadryn 1-2, Silva 3-(-4). Soldotna: Price 14-70, Jansen 9-23, Nolden 25-180, Story 11-54, Smithwick 3-(-3).

Passing — Palmer: Silva 3-19-1—78. Soldotna: none.

Receiving — Palmer: Zegzdryn 1-27, Bohman 1-43, Ahrens 1-8.