Jeff Helminiak

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Sutton McDonald eyes the puck in front of a Minnesota player Friday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Magicians take 2 from Brown Bears

It may have been a little unlucky for the Kenai River Brown Bears that, with 51 seconds left in overtime Friday at the Soldotna Regional… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Sutton McDonald eyes the puck in front of a Minnesota player Friday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Clouds roll over a mountain near Cooper Landing on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Bad weather, one step at a time

Especially for those eager to recreate on snow, the weather forecast for the next week is not pretty. Lots of clouds, rain and temperatures in… Continue reading

Clouds roll over a mountain near Cooper Landing on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Series preview: Brown Bears vs. Magicians

With 14 rookies on the roster, Kenai River Brown Bears head coach Josh Petrich expects to be a lot better in the second half of… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears defenseman Connor Scahill knocks away the puck during practice Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears’ Scahill flourishes in switch from forward to defense

Connor Scahill would not be playing for the Kenai River Brown Bears right now if the defensemen on his Little Caesers 18U team had not… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears defenseman Connor Scahill knocks away the puck during practice Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Homer senior Teddy Croft (8) pitches a handoff to a teammate with Utqiagvik’s Oneahi Talaiasi (52) pressuring him Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in the ASAA First National Bank Division III state championship at Machetanz Field in Palmer. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer’s Croft earns Division III Offensive Player of Year

The Homer football team capped the most successful season in school history by nabbing one of the major awards and collecting five first-team nods in… Continue reading

Homer senior Teddy Croft (8) pitches a handoff to a teammate with Utqiagvik’s Oneahi Talaiasi (52) pressuring him Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in the ASAA First National Bank Division III state championship at Machetanz Field in Palmer. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Furlong, Tuisaula, Pomerleau win major awards for SoHi

The Soldotna football program is famous for some impressive streaks — 59 straight games won, 12 straight Northern Lights Conference crowns and six straight Division… Continue reading

Kenai River’s Ross Hanson (14) and David Kaplan wrestle for puck control against Shreveport’s Cole Quisenberry (22) and Dominick Procopio Friday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Friday: Mudbugs spoil Brown Bears home opener

There was plenty of seafood on ice Friday. Just no Mudbugs. Kenai River fans showed joy at having their team back by raining salmon on… Continue reading

Kenai River’s Ross Hanson (14) and David Kaplan wrestle for puck control against Shreveport’s Cole Quisenberry (22) and Dominick Procopio Friday night at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna juniors Aliann Schmidt and Kodi McGillivray (4) team up to block Nikiski junior Bethany Carstens Tuesday evening at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

SoHi volleyball gets back at Nikiski in 4

The host Soldotna volleyball team handed Nikiski its first loss of the season Tuesday in nonconference volleyball action. Just as impressively, the Stars volleyball program… Continue reading

Soldotna juniors Aliann Schmidt and Kodi McGillivray (4) team up to block Nikiski junior Bethany Carstens Tuesday evening at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Season wrestling preview: Homer has new head coach, but same stack of talent

Bethel upped the ante last season at the Division II state wrestling tournament. This year, Homer appears ready to return the favor. In 2015, Homer… Continue reading

Nikiski’s Justin Cox controls Kenai Central’s Brandon Kroto on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, at the Luke Spruill Memorial Tournament at Kenai Central High School. Cox took a 13-1 major decision en route to winning first at 138 pounds. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer captures Luke Spruill tourney

The oddest feature of the prep sports calendar was on display Saturday at Kenai Central High School, when the Homer wrestling team accepted the team… Continue reading

Nikiski’s Justin Cox controls Kenai Central’s Brandon Kroto on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, at the Luke Spruill Memorial Tournament at Kenai Central High School. Cox took a 13-1 major decision en route to winning first at 138 pounds. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Bears get swept in Bismarck, ready to head home

The Kenai River Brown Bears are glad to be coming home. The Brown Bears were swept Friday and Saturday by the host Bismarck (North Dakota)… Continue reading

Nikiski High School athletic director Dylan Hooper strains to hold up Nikiski junior Justin Cox with his beard Tuesday at Nikiski High School. Hooper was attempting to set a world record for most weight pulled by a facial beard, and tentatively broke the standing record of 140 pounds by pulling 145.9 pounds, the body weight of Cox. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski’s Hooper sets world record for most weight pulled by beard

It was in 2005 in Dillingham that Nikiski athletic director Dylan Hooper discovered he had a special talent. After wrestling practice one day, someone got… Continue reading

Nikiski High School athletic director Dylan Hooper strains to hold up Nikiski junior Justin Cox with his beard Tuesday at Nikiski High School. Hooper was attempting to set a world record for most weight pulled by a facial beard, and tentatively broke the standing record of 140 pounds by pulling 145.9 pounds, the body weight of Cox. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski duo Rylee Jackson (10) and Jamie Yerkes (9) block a shot from Soldotna’s Ella Stenga, Tuesday at Nikiski High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski survives in 5 sets over SoHi

Dylan Hooper’s beard and the Nikiski volleyball team held strong when it counted. On a senior night when Hooper held enough weight from his beard… Continue reading

Nikiski duo Rylee Jackson (10) and Jamie Yerkes (9) block a shot from Soldotna’s Ella Stenga, Tuesday at Nikiski High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna’s Brenner Furlong turns upfield after eluding Kenai’s Jarett Wilson on a kickoff return Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna football defeats Kenai

Kenai Central had a few things go right, but not everything, and that’s what it would have taken to stage an audacious upset of the… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Brenner Furlong turns upfield after eluding Kenai’s Jarett Wilson on a kickoff return Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Brittani Blossom digs up a ball for Soldotna on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, at Kenai Central High School. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna volleyball sweeps Kenai

Kenai Central had more seniors, but Soldotna had more experience. The SoHi volleyball team scored a 3-0 sweep of the Kardinals on Cliff Massie Court… Continue reading

Brittani Blossom digs up a ball for Soldotna on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, at Kenai Central High School. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

State cross-country preview: Homer seeks another sweep

There’s easy cross-country spectating and hard cross-country spectating. Easy is figuring out the winner in the individual race. Hard, assuming it is relatively close, is… Continue reading

Nikiski volleyball sweeps Kenai

The Nikiski volleyball team has a rare talent for being able to turn it on when times are tough. Coach Stacey Segura likes it, and… Continue reading

Sondra Stonecipher runs in the Kenai River half-marathon on Sunday, Sept. 24 near Kenai.

Kenai River Marathon makes strides

One did it using a handcycle after breaking his back seven years ago. Others competed after coaching at — or even running in — the… Continue reading

Sondra Stonecipher runs in the Kenai River half-marathon on Sunday, Sept. 24 near Kenai.
Kenai Central’s Riana Boonstra follows right behind teammate Addison Gibson during the final meters of the Division I girls’ race of the Region III Championships Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, at the Government Peak Recreation Area near Palmer. Gibson held on to win the region title. Kenai also won the girls’ team title.

Kenai girls, Homer girls, Gibson win region titles

A pair of epic streaks came to an end Saturday at the Region III cross-country meet at the Government Peak Recreation Area near Palmer, but… Continue reading

Kenai Central’s Riana Boonstra follows right behind teammate Addison Gibson during the final meters of the Division I girls’ race of the Region III Championships Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, at the Government Peak Recreation Area near Palmer. Gibson held on to win the region title. Kenai also won the girls’ team title.
Kodiak’s Talon Lindquist competes in the 50-yard breaststroke Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, at the Soldotna Pentathlon at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kodiak’s Lindquist, Homer’s Story capture Pentathlon crowns

It was out with the relative old and in with the new Friday at the SoHi Pentathlon. Kodiak senior Talon Lindquist won his fourth Pentathlon… Continue reading

Kodiak’s Talon Lindquist competes in the 50-yard breaststroke Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, at the Soldotna Pentathlon at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)