Football

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

New coaches raring to go at Bartlett and Eagle River

The start of the high school football season may seem a long way off, but Jason Brewer and Daniel Esparza are have already started preparing for next fall. Both men will become coaches in the Cook Inlet Conference, with Brewer replacing Kenny Ray at Eagle River and Esparza replacing John Jessen at Bartlett.

Service football coach retires after 19 years, championship

Jason Caldarera says it's just coincidence that he is retiring as Service High's football coach on such a good note, just months after guiding the Cougars to their second state championship in four years.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Top Alaska players will play in Tanoa Bowl

Some of Alaska's top high school football players will visit Auburn, Wash., this weekend to play in the Tanoa Bowl Classic at Auburn Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Alaskan's audition didn't go as hoped

Zack Bowman of Anchorage had a chance to solidify himself as one of the Bears' starting cornerbacks of the future. Instead, he might have to prove himself again in the regular-season finale at Minnesota.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Kenai's Hull honored

A.J. Hull, who was dominant on both sides of the ball while sparking Kenai to the state's first medium-schools football championship in October, has been named Gatorade's Alaska Football Player of the Year.

West quarterback tops ASBN all-state football team

West quarterback Conor Feckley, who set a state passing record with 2,559 yards this season, highlights the list of players on the Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network all-state team.

Aukusitino, Feckley top all-state football team

Service's Amu Aukusitino and West's Conor Feckley each broke the state passing record this season, so it's no surprise both were named first-team quarterbacks on the all state large-school football team.

Service wins state football championship

The Service Cougars capped an undefeated season with a 37-23 win over South in the First National Bowl large-school state championship at Chugiak's Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium. The win gave Service (10-0-1) its sixth championship and its second undefeated season, the first coming in 1999.

Service player makes good on second chance

Photos: Service wins state championship

Large schools state champions

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

South's multi-position system working well

When South High senior Michael Wilson was a sophomore, he kept noticing an impressive group of freshman football players on a nearby practice field and began to look forward to a day he could join forces with them.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Service's fiery leader inspired by his brother

Service High football player Stephen Ellis was smiling when he walked off a muddy practice field Wednesday, even though he isn't thrilled about the impending finish of his high school football career.

Mustangs rally around ousted kicker

Chugiak High football coach Duncan Shackelford didn't know what to make of the skinny little kid with the big, shy smile and confident brown eyes, but he was intrigued when Craig Lowe introduced himself with a brash proclamation in November.

Chugiak administrator blamed for football error transferred

Chugiak football season ends on ASAA, ASD rulings

Chugiak High to plead case on football ineligibility today

Kardinals claim mid-sized schools football title

New division, familiar champion. The Kenai Kardinals, winners of five small-school state football championships since 2002, won the inaugural medium-school title Saturday by defeating Homer 26-14 at Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium in Chugiak.

T-birds claim flag football crown

Defense came through on the final play Saturday for the East Thunderbirds, who sacked West's quarterback on a point-after conversion run in overtime to captured the Cook Inlet Conference championship with a 13-12 overtime victory at Dimond Alumni Field.

Service overwhelms Juneau 64-12

The undefeated Service Cougars performed like a wrecking crew Saturday afternoon in a 64-12 demolition of Juneau, a victory that sends Service to next week's state championship football game.

Nikiski beats Barrow to win championship

Photos: Service vs. Juneau-Douglas

Nikiski beats Barrow to win championship

Buoyed by an offense that was especially deadly in the first half, sparked by memories of a loss at Barrow earlier this season and reminded of the reward at stake by a bejeweled assistant coach, Nikiski again lords over the state's smallest football-playing schools.

Service overwhelms Juneau 64-12

Photos: Nikiski beats Barrow

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

Trio honored as CIC's best

The Dimond duo of Tara Thompson and Colleen Fairchild shared offensive player-of-the-year honors and East's Anna Woern was named the defensive player of the year by flag football coaches in the Cook Inlet Conference, which announced its all-conference selections Friday.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Wolverines block Eagles

With 26 seconds left and a trip to the state championship on the line, West High's Tom Troxel kicked the football into a leaping mob of South players. It all happened so quickly it was difficult to tell which of the Wolverines blocked the 37-yard field goal attempt to preserve a 30-28 win over the defending state champion Eagles in a First National Bowl semifinal game Friday night.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Big games fill weekend with excitement

Stadium lights will be shining tonight when a busy weekend of playoff football kicks off in Chugiak with a large-school semifinal game between South and West.

Far-flung high school football teams beat geographic odds

Way up north, whaling season is going head to head with Whalers football and both are faring well, judging by the two bowheads crews have landed and the limited number of seats left on weekend flights from Barrow to Anchorage.

More coverage of prep football

Defenses score 3 shutouts in flag football championships

There were three shutouts Tuesday in the first round of the Cook Inlet Conference flag football playoffs, but the one produced by South was the only real surprise.

Photos: South upsets Bartlett 7-0

Chugiak administrator blamed for football error transferred

The Chugiak High School assistant principal whose administrative error cost the school's football team three victories and a spot in the playoffs has been transferred to a non-administrative job at another high school, Anchorage School District superintendent Carol Comeau said Tuesday.