The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears secured a home playoff game, but came in second as leaders of the Railbelt Football Conference in this weekend’s closing game of the regular season.
The Bears beat the Lathrop Malemutes 53 to 8 Friday night in Fairbanks. It was the win they needed to clinch a quarterfinal contest in Juneau.
But the Bears were tied with Wasilla for number one seed in the Railbelt. When Wasilla beat Palmer by one point Friday night – 23 to 22 – it put Wasilla at the top and Juneau second. As the clock expired, the Warriors kicked a 30-yard field goal to take out the Moose.
The Crimson Bears finished the regular season with seven wins and one loss – to Wasilla. For the season the Bears accumulated a total of 373 points, more than any other team in the Railbelt, and allowed only 95 points by opposing teams.
They play the East Anchorage High School Thunderbirds next weekend in the capital city in the state championship quarterfinals for large schools. The Cook Inlet Conference team finished the regular season with four wins and four losses.
The Railbelt’s West Valley and Wasilla are also in the quarterfinal contests.
The Thunder Mountain Falcons on Friday lost to the Renton High School Indians, on a score of 42 to 6.
The Renton, Washington team traveled to Juneau for the non-conference game.
The Falcons are now three wins and five losses for the season. But they’re at the top of the small Southeast Conference and will host the Homer Mariners from the Northern Lights Conference next weekend in the first-ever playoff game on Falcon’s field. Earlier this season the Falcons lost to the Mariners by a score of 84 to 20.
