Wolfpack rally to beat Palmer

PALMER — The West Valley Wolfpack stayed alive in the playoff race and denied Palmer its first conference victory in the process.

The Wolfpack used a pair of touchdowns in both the second and third quarters to rally to a 35-28 win over the Moose Friday at Machetanz Field in Palmer.

“We are a strong-minded team,” West Valley senior Charles Sudduth said after the win. “We can overcome adversity.”

West Valley overcame a fast Palmer start to earn its first win of the season. Palmer led 14-0 by the five-minute mark of the first and 21-6 early in the second. Facing potential playoff elimination, West Valley used two scores to cut Palmer’s lead to 21-20 at halftime. West Valley took the lead with 15 third-quarter points.

West Valley improved to 1-2 in Railbelt play and 1-4 overall. Palmer dropped to 0-1 in the conference and 1-4 overall.

Led by junior running back Chase Ferris and sophomore fullback Austin Farris, Palmer sprinted to an early lead. Palmer needed only four plays to take its first lead of the game. Ferris broke free for a 30-yard score to give the Moose the 7-0 advantage. Less than four minutes later, on Palmer’s second possession, Farris busted through the middle of the line and went 34 yards for a score. Palmer led 14-0 at the 5:36 mark of the first quarter.

Ferris scored his second touchdown of the game, a 7-yard run, on the first play of the second quarter.

Palmer amassed 232 yards of total offense in the first half. Ferris rushed for 163 yards and two scores during the first two quarters. Ferris finished with 221 yards in the loss, and now has 788 through five games this season. Ferris also caught two passes for 24 yards.

Despite trailing 14-0 early and 21-20 at halftime, the Wolfpack used a monster third-quarter to take the lead for the first time.

West Valley opened the second half with an 11-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped by Joshua Cummings’ 4-yard scoring run. The touchdown gave West Valley’s its first lead of the game, and West Valley notched the 2-point conversion to take the 28-21 advantage.

After Palmer turned the ball over on downs following four plays, West Valley scored on a 7-play, 50-yard drive. Suddeth caught a 10-yard Zach Lester touchdown pass to give the Wolfpack the 35-21 lead.

Palmer was held to only nine offense plays and 24 total yards in the third quarter.

West Valley started its rally in the second quarter.

Ferris gave Palmer the 21-6 lead with his second touchdown six seconds into the second quarter. But the Wolfpack answered with an 8-yard Lester touchdown pass to Dv’nn Cooks. Later in the quarter, West Valley took advantage of a lucky bounce to pull within a point.

Facing 1st-and-goal at the 7, Cummings rumbled toward the end zone but was hit near the goal line. The ball popped loose, but right into the hands of Sudduth, who took it the final yard for the score.

Cummings and Sudduth each finished with a pair of touchdowns. Cummings led the Wolfpack with 107 yards on the ground. Sudduth caught two passes for 19 yards. Cooks snagged seven catches for a game-best 124 yards and a score.

Wayne Hershman rumbled for a 15-yard score in the fourth quarter to cut West Valley’s lead to 35-28. Palmer had two more possessions in the fourth quarter. The first stalled with the Moose facing 4th-and-7 at the West Valley 36. Palmer’s final possession ended with an interception.

The Moose will spend the next two weeks on the road. Palmer travels north to face Lathrop (2-0, 4-1) Friday, and stays on the road to make the short trip to Colony (1-1, 4-1) in Week 7. Palmer caps its regular season hosting Wasilla in the Potato Bowl.

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

West Valley 35, Palmer 28

Friday, Machetanz Field

First quarter:

Palmer — Ferris 30 run (Clark kick) 9:23.

Palmer — Farris 34 run (Clark kick) 5:36.

West Valley — Cummings 2 run (kick blocked) 2:42.

Second quarter:

Palmer — Ferris 7 run (Clark kick) 11:54.

West Valley — Cooks 8 pass from Lester (Cummings run) 9:26.

West Valley — Sudduth 1 run (kick failed) 4:06.

Third quarter:

West Valley — Cummings 4 run (Martines pass from Lester) 6:41.

West Valley — Sudduth 10 pass from Lester (kick good) 1:48.

Fourth quarter:

Palmer — Hershman 15 run (Clark kick) 10:43.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS:

RUSHING — West Valley: Cummings 21-107, Lester 9-7, Jones 5-30, Sudduth 1-1, Cooks 1-(-2); Palmer: Ferris 23-221, Roth 5-(-9), Farris 4-47, Hershman 3-28, Angol 1-0.

PASSINIG — West Valley: Lester 12-14-0—150; Palmer: Roth 5-17-1—58.

RECEIVING — West Valley: Cooks 7-124, Suddeth 2-19, Joyner 1-5, Jones 1-0, Damario 1-0; Palmer: Angol 3-34, Ferris 2-24.