Valley teams face tough draws

PALMER — Someone from the Palmer and Wasilla football programs must have really ticked off the folks who put together the 2014 prep schedule.

This weekend, both Valley programs kickoff a brutal slate with back-to-back games against teams that played for a state championship last year. Palmer, without a doubt, has the state’s toughest draw during the first two weeks of the season. The Moose open against defending large-school champions West Anchorage at Anchorage Football Stadium tonight at 7 p.m. Next week, the Moose host Soldotna, the defending medium schools champs.

Wasilla doesn’t have it much easier, visiting 2013 large-schools runner-up Service Saturday at 5:30 p.m. before hosting 2013 medium-schools runner-up Juneau-Douglas Aug. 22 at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium.

Longtime head coach Rod Christiansen said the Moose have spent more time concentrating on their own game plan, rather than fixating on the schedule.

“This time of year we’re mostly working on ourselves,” Christiansen said. “It’s good to have a quality opponent to start out with. I expect them to be one of the best (teams).”

The game is also a rematch of a 2013 state semifinal won by West 26-23 in overtime.

And to make it even more interesting for Wasilla, the Warriors are playing Service on the day the Cougars are hosting the first home game on their new turf. Service had played its home games at Anchorage Football Stadium.

Wasilla head coach Kent Rilatos said he also expects a tough matchup for his team.

“They have amazing athletes, a good offensive line,” Rilatos said of Service, which has advanced to four straight large-schools title games. “They have a very aggressive defense.”

Colony is the lone Valley team with a home game this weekend, hosting East Anchorage tonight at 7 p.m. at Colony High. The Knights won three of its last four regular-season games of the season, and won the Railbelt Conference title. That stretch came after the Knights worked through a brutal 0-4 and 1-5 start in 2013.

Colony suffered a 38-17 loss to Dimond in the first round of the playoffs.

Houston, playing as a medium-schools independent this season, opens its 2014 season Saturday at Seward.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.