East High football players garner several top postseason awards

The East Thunderbirds, who won the Anchorage football championship with a blowout victory last Saturday, scored a bit of a blowout Wednesday when the all-city football awards were announced.

East players earned three of the four top awards in the Cook Inlet Conference’s North Division, which includes East, Bartlett, Chugiak and Eagle River.

East quarterback Ja’Sem Atonio was named offensive player of the year, defensive end Georgie Mageo was named defensive player of the year and tackle Pedro Timoteo was named lineman of the year.

Preventing an East sweep was defensive end Lotomama Manogiamanu of Bartlett, who was honored as the defensive lineman of the year. Manogiamanu and his teammates lost the city championship to East 41-0.

In the CIC’s South Division, Service and South each won two of the top player awards. The division includes those two teams plus West and Dimond.

For Service, Damien Johnson was the offensive player of the year and Jackson Eschenlohr was the defensive lineman of the year. For South, Kellen Curtis was the defensive player of the year and Landen Maloney was the offensive lineman of the year.

Top coaching awards went to East assistant Fred Slone and South assistant Brian Houston. No head coaching honors were bestowed, a decision made by coaches “out of a spirit of cooperation against COVID,” according to the Anchorage School District, which announced the awards.

Flag football’s top honors went to Dimond quarterback Skyler Coleman, a senior who led the Lynx to their eighth CIC championship with a 22-0 shutout of the West Eagles.

Two players shared the top defensive award -- Ariana Harris of West and Hannah Kragt of South. Both are senior defensive ends.

Coaching honors in flag football went to West head coach Antonio Wyche and East assistant coach Jeremy Fox.

FLAG FOOTBALL

Offensive Player of the Year -- Skyler Coleman, Dimond

Defensive Player of the Year -- tie, Ariana Harris, West; Hannah Kragt, South

Coach of the Year -- Antonio Wyche, West

Assistant coach of the Year -- Jeremy Fox, East

CIC SOUTH DIVISION

Offensive Player of the Year -- Damien Johnson, Service

Defensive Player of the Year -- Kellen Curtis, South

Offensive lineman of the Year -- Landen Maloney, South

Defensive lineman of the Year -- Jackson Eschenlohr, Service

Assistant coach of the Year -- Brian Houston, South

CIC NORTH DIVISION

Offensive Player of the Year -- Ja’Sem Atonio, East

Defensive Player of the Year -- Georgie Mageo, East

Offensive lineman of the Year -- Pedro Timoteo, East

Defensive lineman of the Year -- Lotomama Manogiamanu, Bartlett

Assistant coach of the year -- Fred Slone, East