Gridiron logjam about to burst

With three games to go in the high school football season, something has to give.

In the Northern Lights Conference, Soldotna and Kenai are both 1-0 with three conference games to go while Skyview and Homer are 1-1 in conference play with a pair of NLC games left on the schedule.

At 0-2, Ketchikan has an outside shot at best to earn one of the conferences two playoffs berths, but the Kings still could spoil somebody's season.

Nikiski has the jump on the rest of the Great Land Conference with it's perfect 3-0 conference mark and appears to have the inside track on a playoff berth.

Sitka and Houston are both 1-1 in the GLC and Seward is 0-1, opening the door to plenty of playoff scenarios depending on how things go this weekend.

Skyview visits Nikiski Friday for a non-conference tilt with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

In NLC action, Kenai heads to Homer and Soldotna hosts Ketchikan. Both games are scheduled for 2 p.m.

In the GLC, ACS kicks off at Seward at 2 p.m., while Houston makes the trip down to the panhandle to play Sitka.

The Panthers shifted their offense into high gear a week ago against Homer, platooning quarterbacks Wayne Maxwell and Ely Evanson. Both quarterbacks responded well to the situation and Skyview was able to effectively balance its running game with its aerial attack.

Until proven otherwise, the Bulldogs are the team to beat on the Peninsula -- their 4-0 record speaks for itself. Head coach Scott Anderson won't let his players think about an undefeated season. In fact, the Bulldogs don't take even one game at a time -- the focus is on each individual aspect of each play.

Nikiski sweats the small stuff, and lets the big picture develop on its own.

The Kardinals won their only NLC game of the season, trouncing Ketchikan in week two. After trying their luck big game hunting for Golden Bears last week, Kenai will look to go 2-0 in the NLC against the Mariners.

The Mariners were forced to use their third-string quarterback last week at Skyview after injuries thinned the roster. Aaron Smith had just started learning the position a day before the game, so a week of practice should make him feel like a seasoned veteran.

The Soldotna Stars are beginning to gather some momentum with an NLC win over Skyview and a non-conference win over a tough Houston team. With the running game clicking, the Stars have been able to add some passing plays to their double-wing offense, forcing opposing defenses to take some players off the line of scrimmage to defend the pass.