Valley teams unranked in latest poll

MAT-SU — Valley teams were left off the latest Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network prep football polls.

Palmer, which had been ranked No. 4 on the ASBN’s large-schools list for the first two weeks of the season, dropped out of the top 5 following a 29-28 nonconference loss to Soldotna last Saturday.

The Stars (2-0) stopped Palmer (1-1) on a 2-point conversion attempt with 2:04 left in regulation to help preserve the win. Soldotna also stayed on top of the medium-schools poll for the third straight week.

Palmer fullback Luke Heun scored a 37-yard touchdown on fourth down late in the game, and that score pulled the Moose within a point. Rather than kicking the extra point, Palmer opted to bring its offense back out on the field.

“We weren’t going for the tie tonight,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said Saturday night. “You go for the win in a nonconference game.”

The Moose are among three teams outside the top 5 that did receive votes.

Service (1-0-1) cruised to the top of the large-schools poll for the first time this season after a 42-7 win over the Dimond Lynx. Dimond (1-1) had been ranked fifth.

Chugiak (2-0) moved into the second spot following a 35-14 win over Eagle River (0-2). Juneau-Douglas (2-0) is back in the top 5 after a 57-0 dismantling of North Pole (0-2).

South Anchorage (1-1) also returned to the poll, after a week hiatus, with a 36-35 win over Bartlett (1-1). The Golden Bears dropped from first to fifth after the loss to the Wolverines.

East Anchorage (1-1) and Wasilla (1-1), like Palmer, received votes.

The top 4 teams in the medium-schools list are all off to a 2-0 start. Behind Soldotna, is second-ranked Kenai, which improved to 2-0 with a 48-7 win over Skyview. Third-ranked Homer trashed Thunder Mountain 84-20. Fourth-ranked Nikiski downed Sitka 36-0.

Kodiak (1-0) dropped one spot to fifth after a bye in Week 2.

Three of the Valley’s four teams are in action on Friday this week. Wasilla (0-2) travels to Kenai to face the Kardinals at 6:30 p.m. Houston (0-1) hosts Soldotna at 7 p.m. Palmer hits Juneau to play the Crimson Bears at 8 p.m.

Colony and West Valley meet Saturday at 4 p.m. in Fairbanks.

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