East keeps the Boot, Palmer makes a statement: Alaska high school Week 6 roundup

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - With two weeks to go before the state playoffs begin, Week 6 of the Alaska high school football season was full of high-leverage matchups with playoff implications - and the games themselves had a playoff feel as well.

For the second straight week, every team in the state but one was active, with Nikiski taking an off week due to 9-man’s odd number of teams. From a tight Juneau home win in front of NBC Sports’ cameras to a massive Barrow-over-Homer upset on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, Alaska was buzzing top to bottom with football action.

West 17 - Service 16

Even after a Bartlett upset win over Service last week revoked this game’s status as a matchup of undefeated squads, two of the three top teams in Division I squaring off under the Friday night lights still made for appointment viewing, especially for the home West fans.

The Eagles answered an opening Cougars touchdown with 17 unanswered points, and withstood a late rally that included a bizarre Service safety resulting from an offensive holding call in West’s own end zone to remain as D-I’s lone unbeaten team with two weeks to go.

East 7 - Bartlett 6

In the latest installment of East Anchorage and Bartlett’s yearly Boot Game tradition, the Thunderbirds retained the trophy by taking down the Golden Bears to notch their first win of the season in front of a raucous Senior Day crowd.

While it didn’t bring quite as many fireworks as last year’s 50-48 6OT classic, East running back Prince Siliato delivered a massive spark when he took the first play from scrimmage 70 yards to notch what would end up as the game-winning score.

Palmer 40 - Lathrop 24

Up in the valley, Division II’s two contenders for best team not named Soldotna went head to head, and Palmer emerged with a statement win over Lathrop to put themselves in pole position for a top-two D-II seed and home playoff game come October.

A scoreless first frame gave way to a wild second quarter that featured six lead changes, but the Moose pulled away in the second half to run their winning streak to five.

WEEK 6 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES

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