Soldotna 64, Lathrop 14
Despite SOHI’s superiority throughout the season, where they amassed a staggering scoring differential of +477 points, the buildup to this game was a full year in the making. Since losing the championship to the Malamutes for the second consecutive year in 2022, the Stars went into the 2023 season with Lathrop in their sights. The Stars took care of business very early in the season, beating their rivals 56-20 on a neutral field in week 1. But they didn’t completely take care of their unfinished business with the Malamutes, that would only happen with a State title.
Whether or not the blood was bad between the two teams is an unknown. What is known, however, is that the blood was cold. Literally. Game time temperature was a frigid 25 degrees, meaning players weren’t just jumping up and down in anticipation prior to the opening kickoff. The below freezing air didn’t seem to have any effect on the Stars, however, who seemed plenty hot once the game got under way.
Lathrop received the opening kickoff, and quickly looked as though the week 1 loss to SOHI was firmly in the rearview mirror. The Malamutes engineered to two first downs in quick succession on their opening drive, but Soldotna looked to quickly catch on to Lathrop’s game plan, stalling the drive out in SOHI territory with a turnover on downs.
The Stars responded almost immediately, driving into the Lathrop red zone in barely a minute, then put the game’s first points o the board courtesy of a18 yard Zac Buckbee touchdown pass to Collin Peck.
Lathrop again appeared to have some gumption in the tank, and nearly reached midfield before turning the ball over on downs again. SOHI’s response was again swift — seven points at the end of a Peck 42 yard touchdown dash.
The game spiraled from there — up for the Stars; down for the Malamutes. Lathrop wouldn’t get another first down until the second half, and SOHI would take a 49-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Then, leading 64-0, Coach Galen Brantley turned the fourth quarter over to his second string.
The usual suspects showed up to put on a display. Zac Buckbee threw for a pair of touchdown passes as well as running for two more. He finished the game completing five of seven passes for 87 yards and the two scores. Gehret Medcoff ran nine times for a whopping 198 yards and two touchdowns, an 86 yard scamper up the middle. Wyatt Faircloth found the end zone twice as well on 14 carries for 112 yards.
The unsung heroes, though, really brought their A-game. The offensive and defensive lines for the Stars imposed their will on both sides of the ball. Led by seniors Hakoa Montoya and Ala Tuisaula, the trenches have belonged to the Stars all year. For Montoya, Tuisaula, along with all the other seniors, they finished their high school football careers as state champions for the first time.