Kenai 39, Homer 8
Heading into the Division III State Playoffs, the Kenai Kardinals locked up the #3 overall playoff seed with a big win over the Homer Mariners on a chilly, windy, and rainy Friday evening last weekend.
The stakes going into the game on Homer’s field were high, considering the loser would fall to the #4 seed and have to travel to Barrow for the first round of the playoffs. The Whaler’s field in Barrow is a notoriously difficult field for visiting teams as it sits directly adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, complete with all the frigid winds and cold temperatures that entails.
Of the two squads, Homer appeared to have the greater difficulty with the inclement weather, fumbling the ball six times in the first quarter alone, losing four of those. The Kardinals Bobby Hayes capitalized on one of the early fumbles for a 10-yard scoop and score to put the Kardinals on top early.
The Mariners’ fumbling woes provided Kenai with two more quick scoring opportunities in the first half, which they converted to a 42-yard Buz Vann field goal, and a 1-yard touchdown run by Aasen Campanella. Tony Perez also connected with Zane James on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
In the second half, the Kardinals kept their foot on the gas pedal. Tony Perez added touchdown passes to James and Vann to finish with three touchdown passes on the night.
Mac Marion and Cole Langham had outstanding defensive games. Langham recovered two Homer fumbles and recorded several tackles as well. Marion consistently pressured Homer quarterback CJ Burns and also recorded several tackles.
Next up, the Kardinals travel back to Redington for a semi-final matchup with the Huskies this Friday at 7:00 p.m. The winner advances to the DIII State Championship. Listen to the game on ESPN 1140 AM, 96.9 FM, or stream it live at radiokenai.com. Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 p.m.
Lathrop 35, Soldotna 28
Over the weekend, the Soldotna Stars found themselves in what would normally be considered an unfamiliar situation: a deficit, if not for their opponent, the Lathrop Malamutes.
The Malamutes have been the lone team to topple the Stars since 2021. Lathrop won two of two games against Soldotna in 2021–including the State Championship–and one game in 2022, again, the championship. Soldotna regained the upper hand in 2023 with a season-opening win over the Malamutes and a decisive 64-14 win over Lathrop in the 2023 State Title game. Considering the Malamutes’ start to the 2024 season (3-4), another win for the Stars seemed well within reach, but the team from the interior was playing for their playoff lives.
Lathrop needed a win over Soldotna to hang onto a shot at the Division II playoffs.
Trailing by 7 in the first quarter, the Stars equalized with a 57-yard touchdown run by Jacob Kemp. However, the Malamutes impressively sized offensive line (six players over 300 pounds) brought pressure upon pressure against the Stars’ offense, creating two Soldotna fumbles in the first quarter, which they converted into two touchdowns.
Soldotna went into halftime trailing 28-7, its largest deficit since the 2021 State Championship against the Malamutes, when it trailed 27-12 at halftime.
The Stars mounted a comeback in the second half, forcing back-to-back 3 & outs against Lathrop’s offense and scoring on three consecutive drives, including one that was extended by a 4th & 5 fake punt in their own territory. A Wyatt Fairlotch TD run up the middle leveled the game at 28 apiece with 8:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Lathrop swapped out their starting quarterback, Devin Emmit, on their final drive with the much smaller Jaycee Brooks to create more evasive running opportunities. The switch worked, and the Malamutes drove down the field and scored to take the lead.
Soldotna’s last chance to tie things up ended on the Lathrop 8-yard line with less than 30 seconds to play when an Owen Buckbee pass was ruled incomplete.
The loss snaps a string of 17 straight wins by the Stars, who play the North Pole this weekend, to decide who will take the top seed in the Division II playoffs.
Next up: Soldotna travels to North Pole to take on the Patriots. Listen to the game live on ESPN 1140 AM, 96.9 FM, or stream it live at radiokenai.com.
Nikiski 54, Monroe Catholic 14
Recap provided by Bob Bird
The Nikiski Bulldogs demonstrated on Saturday, October 5 that the opposition deserves respect by defeating the visiting Monroe Rams 54-14 in the 9-man playoff game for the right to face the Seward Seahawks. Both teams demonstrated pluck, perseverance and sportsmanship during and after the game. The schools want to keep their football programs alive and know that there is no contest without an opponent.
The 54-14 score was decided in a long first half, filled with penalty flags and long conferences by the officials, but the ‘Dogs managed to take a 46-0 lead. It began with an Oliver Parrish 4-yard run, but then player-of-the-game QB Ethan Ellis took over command, running for 3 TDs and passing for 2 others. His longest run was 35 yds, and his longest pass went for 50 yds. The Parrish brothers Kaiden and Oliver were the receivers.
A 35-yd TD was scored by the Nikiski defense when James Hemphill went 35 yards in the 3rd quarter, for the Bulldogs only score in the 2nd half.
A patient Monroe offense was led by one of the more remarkable players in the state, Talon Loving. Switching off with Ryan Mavencamp at QB, Loving’s never-say-die runs would frequently break tackles, reverse his field, and keep the Nikiski defense in zig-zag chases. The runs often led to deep sacks but also to incredible gains by Loving.
Most remarkable was an 82-yard TD run that was called back for a holding penalty, but shortly afterward, the play of the game occurred when, deep in his own territory, a high snap was fumbled in shotgun formation. As the ball bounced in a way only a football can do, Loving, perchance, grabbed it at his own 10, then ran 90-some yards for the Rams’ first score.
It was soon followed by a deceptive formation where Jackson Gilbertson received the snap and ran untouched for a 22-yard Monroe TD.
At game’s end, with many having peeled off their shoulder pads and helmets, both teams greeted each other with hugs, high-fives, and fist-bumps.
Next up: the Nikiski Bulldogs face the Seward Seahawks for the second straight year in the 9-man championship. The game will be played at Soldotna High School at 4:00 p.m. Listen live on ESPN 1140 AM, 96.9 FM, or stream it at radiokenai.com.