Joey Klecka

Homer volleyball plans on scrappy play at state

After reclaiming control of the Homer volleyball team this season, Mariners coach Pam Rugloski has her squad back right where she wants them.Fourteen years after… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna's Cody Watkins competes in the 100-yard butterfly Saturday at the state swimming and diving meet at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

SoHi’s Watkins gets pair of 2nds at state swim meet

The range of emotions on display Saturday at the Alaska Schools Activities Association state swimming and diving championships could have made for a nice Hollywood… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna's Cody Watkins competes in the 100-yard butterfly Saturday at the state swimming and diving meet at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

Southcentral Conference volleyball tournament preview

This weekend’s Southcentral Conference volleyball tournament will end Saturday at 4 p.m. with the championship final, but that may not even be the most intense… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna volleyball player Sylvia Tuisaula spikes the ball past Wasilla's Lindsey Cizek during a game against Wasilla on Thursday Nov. 5 at Kenai Central High School.

SoHi volleyball punches ticket to state; Kenai splits on opening day

The Soldotna volleyball team did it all Thursday night at the Northern Lights Conference tournament — swift attacking, stingy blocking, crafty defense and tough serving.… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna volleyball player Sylvia Tuisaula spikes the ball past Wasilla's Lindsey Cizek during a game against Wasilla on Thursday Nov. 5 at Kenai Central High School.

SoHi, Kenai begin fight for NLC supremacy

With a quick glance at the Northern Lights Conference volleyball season rankings, it doesn’t appear too difficult to see who stands above the rest and… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Kenai volleyball players Jacey Ross (left) and Emily Koziczkowski tip the ball towards Soldotna's Anna Aley during a game at Soldotna High School on Friday, Oct. 30.

Kenai volleyball topples Soldotna

The Soldotna volleyball squad beat Kenai Central on the Kardinals home floor earlier in the season, so naturally, the Kards were seeking retribution. They got… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Kenai volleyball players Jacey Ross (left) and Emily Koziczkowski tip the ball towards Soldotna's Anna Aley during a game at Soldotna High School on Friday, Oct. 30.

Kenai netters get win against SoHi

The Soldotna volleyball squad beat Kenai Central on the Kardinals home floor earlier in the season, so naturally, the Kards were seeking retribution. They got… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion In this Sept. 26 file photo Soldotna swimmer Jacob Creglow swims in the Soldotna Pentathlon at Soldotna High School.

Region III swim preview: Could Kodiak girls be dethroned?

In the world of high school swimming and diving in Alaska, the season-ending state meet typically takes on the usual qualities of high-intensity, high-stakes competition… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion In this Sept. 26 file photo Soldotna swimmer Jacob Creglow swims in the Soldotna Pentathlon at Soldotna High School.
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion In this Nov. 7, 2014 file photo, Kenai Central High School Kardinal Matt Hegel skates to his bench after the Homer High School Mariners score a goal during their game in Sodotna, Alaska.

Hockey preview: Peninsula squads look to take state spots from Valley

Six teams in the Alaska high school hockey’s North Star Conference will begin their quest for supremacy within the week, but some of them might… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion In this Nov. 7, 2014 file photo, Kenai Central High School Kardinal Matt Hegel skates to his bench after the Homer High School Mariners score a goal during their game in Sodotna, Alaska.
Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Kenai hockey player Jeffrey Fasegha reaches for control of the puck, soon to be contested by  Brendan Jaquay, during a game on Friday Oct. 23 at the Soldotna Sports Center.

Friday: Brown Bears fall to Tomahawks

After a prolonged road trip that finally brought the Kenai River Brown Bears home for the first time since Sept. 12, hopes of snapping a… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Kenai hockey player Jeffrey Fasegha reaches for control of the puck, soon to be contested by  Brendan Jaquay, during a game on Friday Oct. 23 at the Soldotna Sports Center.

Saturday: Tomahawks finish sweep of Brown Bears

The Kenai River Brown Bears continued their longest pointless streak in team history Saturday night with an 11th straight loss, coming at the hands of… Continue reading

Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion In this Nov. 25, 2014 file photo, Nikiski Bulldog TJ Cox tries to pin Homer Mariner Jared Brant in the 120-pound weight class match during the Luke Spruill Memorial Wrestling Tournament at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska.

2015 wrestling preview: Class 1-2-3A, 4A finals are back under same roof

Don’t book your ticket quite yet for high school state championship wrestling in February. Instead, go for December, when you can see all the sights… Continue reading

Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion In this Nov. 25, 2014 file photo, Nikiski Bulldog TJ Cox tries to pin Homer Mariner Jared Brant in the 120-pound weight class match during the Luke Spruill Memorial Wrestling Tournament at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska.
Soldotna's Mason Prior runs for a touchdown vs. Thunder Mountain.   Photo for the Empire by Michael Dinneen

SoHi, Kenai set to face off in medium-schools title game

Two teams that are well familiar with each other will step onto the turf at Anchorage’s Dimond Alumni Field to settle a championship.Undefeated Soldotna takes… Continue reading

Soldotna's Mason Prior runs for a touchdown vs. Thunder Mountain.   Photo for the Empire by Michael Dinneen

Nikiski, Eielson set to battle for small-schools crown

The Nikiski football team may have history and numbers on its side, but that will not do much to slow the roll of the Eielson… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central running back Draiden McMinn (34) dives into the endzone for a touchdown against North Pole, Saturday at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.

Kenai routs North Pole to reach final

Since winning the inaugural medium-schools football championship in 2011, Kenai Central has failed to make it back to the big stage, suffering through one bad… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central running back Draiden McMinn (34) dives into the endzone for a touchdown against North Pole, Saturday at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna running back Mason Prior (33) shakes off a Thunder Mountain defender during Saturday's state medium-schools semifinal at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.

Stars beat Thunder Mountain to advance to medium-schools championship

The Soldotna Stars football team does not endure many uneasy moments, but when they do, their ability to shake off the nerves is uncanny.The Stars… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna running back Mason Prior (33) shakes off a Thunder Mountain defender during Saturday's state medium-schools semifinal at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.

Area squads ready for state football semis

All that remains between four football teams and the chance to play for a state championship is 48 minutes. Put in the time and the… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central sophomore Riana Boonstra closes in on the finish line to take second place in Saturday's Class 4A girls state championship race at Bartlett High School in Anchorage. The Kenai girls won their first cross-country team championship in school history.

Kenai girls, Homer girls take state cross-country titles

The shadow of one of the nation’s preeminent female high school runners may be gone from the Alaska cross-country scene, but the seedlings that were… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central sophomore Riana Boonstra closes in on the finish line to take second place in Saturday's Class 4A girls state championship race at Bartlett High School in Anchorage. The Kenai girls won their first cross-country team championship in school history.

Nikiski beats Seward, clinches berth in playoffs

One of Nikiski football coach Ted Riddall’s key messages he tells his team every game is to grab a three-possession lead before the other team… Continue reading

Brown Bears open weekend with loss to Wilderness

The nightmare start to the season continued Friday night for the Kenai River Brown Bears, who suffered a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wilderness in… Continue reading