Sports

Ranked teams will clash in Week 1 of prep football

The top four large-school teams in the Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network's preseason poll of high school football teams will be tested in season openers this weekend.

Top-ranked and defending state champion West of the Cook Inlet Conference opens Friday night at Anchorage Football Stadium against No. 4-ranked Palmer of the Railbelt Conference. And No. 2-ranked South of the CIC, the 2012 state champ, on Saturday faces No. 3-ranked Dimond of the CIC.

Service of the CIC, which fell 28-16 to West in last year's championship game, entertains unranked Wasilla on Saturday. Service has made the last four state championship games.

In other openers involving CIC teams, East starts the season Friday night at Colony in Palmer, Bartlett travels to Lathrop for a game Saturday in Fairbanks and Eagle River on Saturday entertains defending medium-school state champion Soldotna.

In the medium-small schools poll, Soldotna leads the way, followed by Juneau-Douglas, which Soldotna beat 56-49 in last season's title game.

North Pole debuts at No. 3, followed by Eielson at No. 4 and defending small-school state champion Nikiski at No. 5.

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