Warriors knock Kards out of ASBN poll

WASILLA — Wasilla’s rally Friday night not only gave the Warriors their first victory of the season, but it knocked the team they beat, the Kenai Kardinals, right out of the latest Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network football poll.

Kenai, the 2010 Alaska small-schools runner-up, had been ranked second on ASBN’s small-schools list heading into the nonconference match with Wasilla, but tumbled out of the top 5 after the Warriors’ come-from-behind win.

Kenai led 20-6 in the contest, but Wasilla scored 18 answered to improve to 1-2 overall.

“We just stayed calm,” Wasilla senior Devon Teeling told the Peninsula Clarion after the victory. “We kept running the ball and wore them down.”

Teeling rushed for a game-high 167 yards in the win.

Soldotna (3-0), which beat Houston (0-2) 68-0 on Friday, remained at the top of the medium-schools list. Homer (3-0) climbed to second after its third straight lopsided win of the season. The Mariners have now scored 52 points in two different games and 84 in another.

Kodiak (2-0), which edged Skyview 12-6 in overtime, also moved up a spot to third. Barrow (3-0) and Nikiski (3-0) round out the small-schools top 5.

ASBN’s large-schools list appeared to set up a Week 3 showdown between top-ranked Service and No. 2 Chugiak over the weekend. But as it turned out, it wasn’t much of a showdown. Service (2-0-1) beat Chugiak 42-6 to stay on top of the large-schools poll. Juneau (3-0), which beat Palmer 29-13, is the new No. 2. After its win over East Anchorage, South Anchorage (2-10 is third. Bartlett (2-1) and West Valley (2-1) round out the top 5.

East Anchorage, West Anchorage, Chugiak and Palmer also received votes in the latest poll.

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