Soldotna football tops Lathrop, captures 20th straight conference title

Published 9:01 pm Friday, September 26, 2025

The Soldotna football team defeated Lathrop 27-14 on Friday in Railbelt Conference action in Fairbanks.

The Stars improved to 6-0 in the league and 7-0 overall. Soldotna clinches its 20th straight conference title, including a conference title in each of head coach Galen Brantley Jr.’s 19 seasons at the helm.

Lathrop falls to 4-2 in the league and 4-3 overall, in third place behind 5-1 and 6-1 Palmer.

West Valley and North Pole are both 3-3 in the league and 3-4 overall.

Brantley Jr. securing the top seed by winning the battle of the teams that have played for the past five Division II state championships is key.

Soldotna closes by hosting North Pole on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m.

“You want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs and right now we’re just so banged up,” the coach said. “It feels really good to know that no matter what happens next week, we’re still in control of our own destiny.”

Brantley Jr. liked the way his squad started the game. Dax Walden got started on a three-touchdown, one-interception evening with a 3-yard run with 2:45 left in the first quarter.

“He’s been getting better and better the last few weeks,” the coach said. “Running the ball for us, then rock-solid on the defensive side.”

Lathrop tied the game on a 34-yard run from Tank Sullivan. Then, when Soldotna fumbled the kickoff, Luke Skinner put the Malemutes ahead with a 15-yard run with 0:10 left in the quarter.

That would end Lathrop’s scoring on the night even though the Stars lost three starters on defense. Brantley Jr. credited coaches Eric Pomerleau and Trevor Walden with a great plan.

“It really kind of became a war of attrition,” Brantley Jr. said. “We had some other kids that rotated in and played pretty well.”

Andon Wolverton had the lone score of the second quarter on a 15-yard run for a 14-all game at half. Near the end of the half, a big hit by Koda Lepule and fumble recovery by Ethan Cooper stopped a Lathrop drive.

Brantley Jr. said the radio broadcast on 1140 AM had Wolverton for about 28 carries and 170 yards. The coach said it was a great team victory, but Walden and Wolverton definitely stood out.

“I thought from an offensive standpoint we just kind of put it on him and said, ‘Hey, go win it for us,’” Brantley Jr. said of Wolverton. “He didn’t disappoint.”

There were only five possessions in the second half. Walden scored on the first after a Lathrop offside penalty gave the Stars a first down after they had lined up for a 35-yard field goal.

Lathrop then turned the ball over on downs.

Walden then scored on fourth-and-two with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter for a 27-14 lead, getting a key block from Carter Hillyer. Owen Buckbee prolonged that drive with his only completion of the night — a 15-yard pass to Bryan Berg to the Lathrop 4-yard line on third-and-long.

Walden then iced the game with an interception with 5:30 to play. SoHi’s next drive ended with Buckbee taking a knee.