Soldotna wins third straight DII state soccer title in dominant vogue

PALMER — As the ultimate seconds ticked down on his group’s 51-28 victory over Lathrop within the Alaska Faculty Actions Affiliation Division II state championship sport Friday night time at Colony Excessive in Palmer, Soldotna head soccer coach Galen Brantley Jr. walked up and down the house sideline handing out commemorative championship hats and bear-hugging seniors prefer it was his first rodeo.

It wasn’t. Not by an extended shot.

The state’s all-time teaching wins chief had simply helmed the Stars to a state-best fifteenth state title, however Brantley stated Friday’s win on a peaceful, crisp night time within the Mat-Su will rank amongst his favorites.

“I really like this sport,” stated Brantley, a 1993 Soldotna grad who now owns a mind-boggling 176-10 file as head coach since taking up the function in 2008. “I really like the whole lot about it, it’s been good to me, it helped me lots rising up and helped me get to the place I’m in the present day. So there’s by no means a situation the place it will get previous.”

The SoHi legend watched with satisfaction as his youngest son, Elias, suited up at middle for his last highschool sport. The second was poignant for the elder Brantley, who stated considered one of his major motivations in teaching has been to set a robust instance for his youngsters.

“One of many issues that has been essential to me is I all the time wished my sons to be pleased with me,” he stated. “I hope he loved his expertise on this program and he’s pleased with Dad.”

It’s secure to say he’s.

“Since I’ve been little, I’ve been following my dad round, watching my older brother play, so it simply felt actually cool to lastly do that,” stated Elias Brantley, who missed many of the earlier two SoHi seasons with accidents.

Lots of SoHi’s 19 seniors grew up taking part in within the native Pop Warner ranks, the place Brantley was their coach, too.

“To see these youngsters expertise that soccer journey from the start to the tip is fairly particular,” stated Brantley, whose groups have now gained three straight Division II state titles — throughout Lathrop.

Friday’s title bout marked the sixth consecutive time the 2 groups have met for the DII championship, with Lathrop successful in 2021 and 2022 and the Stars popping out on high in 2019, 2023 and 2024. There was no state match held in 2020.

The Stars had three gamers rush for greater than 100 yards and received 4 landing runs from junior Chase Corridor to wrap up their second undefeated season previously three years. The Stars used an amazing speeding assault to overpower the Malemutes, outgaining their Railbelt Convention rivals by greater than 400 yards on the bottom. Corridor had 155 yards on 15 carries, Andon Wolverton had a game-high 181 yards on 17 carries and Dax Walden added 109 yards on 10 carries for the Stars, who averaged 10 yards per run.

Soldotna began the sport in textbook SoHi fashion, going 60 yards on an eight-play (eight-run) opening drive punctuated by a 4-yard landing gallop by Corridor.

Lathrop counterpunched on its first possession by unleashing what could be the Malemutes’ largest weapon of the night time: Wilson Lawson. The superlative junior wideout hauled in a 56-yard bomb from quarterback Johnathan Scott on third-and-10, and two performs later the sport was tied following a 4-yard landing run by Tayven Sullivan.

The Stars had been unfazed. Soldotna answered virtually instantly when Dax Walden took a handoff from Owen Buckbee, put a transfer on the Lathrop security and broke unfastened for a 54-yard home name lower than a minute after Lathrop tied the sport.

Following a Lathrop turnover on downs, Soldotna gave the impression to be en path to a rout when — after 13 consecutive working performs to begin the sport — Buckbee hit Matthew Schilling with a play motion landing move that coated 26 yards and made it 21-7 to finish the quarter.

The Stars began to pour it on within the second quarter, pushing their result in 28-7 on Corridor’s second scoring run, this time a 17-yarder with 3:26 to go within the first half.

However as dominant because the Stars had been on offense, they had been at occasions defenseless towards Lawson, whose receiving brilliance had even people on the sidelines shaking their heads.

“Dude, No. 3 is nice,” a Soldotna assistant coach remarked to a different after the Lathrop star hauled in considered one of his 9 first-half receptions.

“Dude, No. 3 is REALLY good,” the opposite replied.

None of Lawson’s catches had been extra spectacular than an 18-yard highlight-reel seize wherein he leaped over a better-positioned Soldotna defender and got here down with an unbelievable landing lob from Scott that reduce the result in 28-14 heading into the half.

“He’s probably the greatest receivers within the state, by far,” Lathrop head coach Luke Balash stated of Lawson, who completed the sport with 201 receiving yards on 11 receptions.

Quarterback Jonathan Scott threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns, however the Malemutes’ aerial antics had been no match for SoHi’s ground-and-pound strategy.

“They couldn’t cease our offense,” stated the explosive Wolverton, who had eight carries that went for 11 or extra yards and 4 over 20.

The Malemutes opened the third quarter with a trick kickoff return that just about noticed Lawson go the gap because the junior took a backward move from Kenyon Pulgarin all the way in which to the Soldotna 46. Lathrop capitalized on the quick area seven performs later when a scrambling Scott discovered Luke Skinner for a 30-yard landing move on fourth down that reduce SoHi’s result in 28-21 and eight minutes nonetheless left within the third.

However Soldotna didn’t grow to be Alaska’s heavyweight champs by folding after a pair physique blows, and the Stars lastly delivered their signature knockout punch throughout a devastating last eight minutes that ended with the Malemutes looking at a 27-point deficit and questioning what may need been.

The onslaught began in the way in which so many such SoHi stunnings have over time — with a methodical, unstoppable march down the sector that includes speedy backs working behind a disciplined, veteran offensive line. When it wanted it most, Soldotna delivered a balanced, autumn-crisp 68-yard landing drive freed from penalties and that includes three optimistic runs from Walden and 4 every from Wolverton and Corridor, who accomplished the carousel with a 1-yard landing run that pushed the result in 35-21 with 3:20 left within the third.

The floodgates opened after a Lathrop punt try was blocked by Theo Huff with time winding down within the quarter. This time round, Wolverton didn’t want any assist from his pals because the senior broke a deal with and went 28 yards to paydirt on SoHi’s first play from scrimmage.

Soldotna’s protection created its subsequent rating with a play that started with the Stars trying like matadors to Sullivan’s bull and ended like all bullfights do — with the bullfighters victorious. The bruising junior working again broke a number of SoHi tackles and gave the impression to be on his method to an extended, momentum-changing run deep into Soldotna territory when Mason Bock appeared out of nowhere to pressure a fumble and return possession to the Stars.

Issues then actually turned bitter for the Fairbanks aspect when Corridor someway saved his toes on what gave the impression to be a sure-fire deal with, rolled off a Lathrop defender and scampered 68 yards to attain his fourth landing and successfully put the sport out of attain.

Lawson capped his silver-lining efficiency along with his second landing catch of the day halfway by the fourth quarter and Soldotna kicker Luke Hillyer added a late area objective to supply the ultimate margin.

Soldotna’s protection rallied within the second half to pressure two turnovers, together with a late interception by Zackary Kemp and a number of tackles for loss by the likes of bruising defenders Koda Lepule, Lukas Schiano and Logan Myers. Soldotna held Lathrop to simply 125 yards within the second half and restricted Lawson to simply two grabs after halftime. The Stars additionally held Lathrop to simply 49 speeding yards and restricted Malemutes star again Luke Skinner to simply 24 yards on 5 speeding makes an attempt.

Balash stated he was pleased with his group’s means to succeed in the title sport after knocking off favored Palmer within the semifinals. However Friday’s loss nonetheless stung.

“We weren’t even purported to be right here, for us to even get here’s a large deal,” he stated.

As for the group everybody anticipated to be within the last, Wolverton stated he is aware of precisely how he’ll be celebrating the group’s undefeated season.

“I’m most likely going to go house and fall asleep.”

Matt Tunseth is a contract author from Southcentral Alaska and former reporter for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, Peninsula Clarion and Anchorage Every day Information. Write to him at [email protected].

Soldotna 51, Lathrop 28

Friday, Colony Excessive Faculty

Soldotna 21 7 20 3 – 51

Lathrop 7 7 7 7 – 28

1st Quarter

Sol – Chase Corridor 4 run (Luke Hillyer kick), 8:55

Lat – Tayven Sullivan 4 run (Lucas Naber kick), 4:37

Sol – Dax Walden 54 run (Hillyer kick), 3:39

Sol – Matthew Schilling 26 move from Owen Buckbee (Hillyer kick), 1:18

2nd Quarter

Sol – Corridor 17 run (Hillyer kick), 3:26

Lat – Wilson Lawson 18 move from Jonathan Scott (Naber kick), 1:42

third Quarter

Lat – Luke Skinner 30 move from Scott (Naber kick), 8:01

Sol – Corridor 1 run (Hillyer kick), 3:20

Sol – Andon Wolverton 28 run (Hillyer kick), 1:40

Sol – Corridor 68 run (Kick failed), 0:30

4th Quarter

Lat – Lawson 10 move from Scott (Neber kick)

Sol – Hillyer 25 FG, 0:09

Soldotna Lathrop

First downs 25 16

Rushes-yds 46-463 26-49

Passing yards 26 314

Comp-att-int 1-3-1 18-37-1

Penalties-yds 6-65 10-95

Punt-avg 1-20.0 1-53.0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-1

Return yards 18 0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Soldotna speeding – Wolverton 17-181, Corridor 15-155, Walden 10-109, Buckbee 4-18. Lathrop speeding – Skinner 5-24, Balash 5-21, Sullivan 6-17, Brooks 2-(-1), Scott 8-(-12).

Soldotna passing – Buckbee 1-3-1–26. Lathrop passing – Scott 18-37-1–314.

Soldotna receiving – Schilling 1-26. Lathrop receiving – Lawson 11-201, Pulgarin 3-55, Skinner 2-51, Balash 2-7.