Homer, Soldotna Headed to Football Playoffs

Homer running back Mark McGregor gains some tough yards in a Sept. 8th game vs. Soldotna (photo by Shaylon Cochran)

     The high school football regular season wrapped up over the weekend and a trio of Kenai Peninsula teams will once again be headed to the playoffs, which begin Friday.

     Soldotna has been the team to beat in the “medium schools” division all year long. The Stars closed out their season with a 35-13 win over Kenai Saturday and finish with a 7-1 record. The Stars will face Kodiak in the first round of the playoffs Saturday.

     Homer solidified its spot as the second-best team in the division with a 38-7 homecoming victory over Houston Saturday at Mariner Field. Homer finishes the regular season with a 5-2 record and will travel to Juneau Friday to face Thunder Mountain in the first round.

    In the “small schools” division, the Nikiski Bulldogs will represent the Kenai Peninsula after closing out their season with a 57-0 win over Barrow that featured snowfall in the second half. The Bulldogs finish with a 6-2 record and will play Monroe in the playoffs.

     Noticeably absent from the playoffs will be the defending state champion Kenai Kardinals, who played a tough game against powerhouse Soldotna Saturday but couldn’t shake off a rough season. The Kardinals finished with a 2-6 overall record.