Highlights of 2016 Soldotna championship team
The Stars outscored opponents last season 431-136.It wasn't exactly Friday Night Lights, but the start of the 2017 high school football season started with fireworks under wet, rainy skies late Friday afternoon in Anchorage, Alaska.
Though the squads weren't national ranked or renowned, the contest proved significant as Alaska's best,
Soldotna (Alaska), won its 50th consecutive game with a 21-0 win at
West (Anchorage, Alaska).
The game was a showdown of the state's two top ranked teams.
According to MaxPreps Soldotna reporter
Matt Tram, junior tailback
Aaron Faletoi-eli scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help the Stars pull away late.
Faletoi-eli scored on runs of 1 and 10 yards, and quarterback
Jersey Truesdell fired a 3-yard touchdown pass to
Cody Quelland late in the second quarter as Soldotna, the five-time defending state champions, tied Grand Meadow (MN) for the third longest current win streak in the nation.
Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula, is a town of less than 5,000 residents.
Under coach Galen Brantley Jr., the Stars are 98-5 since 2007. They traveled 145 miles for the game and will go for their 10th state title overall.

Soldotna has a large and enthusiastic following as seen during a victory last season.
File photo by Skip Hickey