ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – With only one week to go before the playoffs, the standings are fluid from top to bottom across Alaska high school football, thanks in part to a few surprising results during Week 7.
With every team but Interior Grappling Academy in action from Division I to 9-Man, there were opportunities for playoff jockeying available in just about every game.
Bartlett 20 – West 12
The packed Senior Night crowd at Bartlett High School saw a rollicking upset win for their Golden Bears, who shocked previously-undefeated West just one week after falling to winless East.
Sophomore Bartlett quarterback Tatum Pogtis turned in a breakout performance with 216 passing yards and a trio of passing touchdowns, while star defender Deuce Alailefaleula added a safety, the second allowed by the Eagles in as many weeks.
Palmer 35 – Chugiak 21
The Moose continue to maul all comers, running their winning streak to six in a home rout of the visiting Mustangs.
Palmer has scored at least 30 points in every game this season, and its initially shaky defense hasn’t allowed that many in nearly a month. The extension of those streaks was perhaps the second most interesting thing that happened Friday night at Machetanz Field.
South 37 – Dimond 6
Needing a win to remain in contention for Division I’s best record, the Wolverines got one and then some in a rainy road trouncing of the Lynx.
The other contender alongside Palmer for Alaska’s hottest team ran wild against the Dimond defensive front, scoring all five of its touchdowns on the ground.
WHO’S IN?
DIVISION I: West will be in one of the top two spots. The Eagles need a win or a South loss in Week 8 to clinch the top seed. In the latter scenario, South would drop to third behind Service, against whom the Wolverines play next week. Bartlett can finish no better than third and no worse than fourth, pending the above. Juneau is locked into the 5-seed and a first-round road matchup. Below that, Dimond, Colony, and East are currently tied at 1-5. The Lynx have a head-to-head win over the Knights, but have yet to play the Thunderbirds, so an East win in that matchup next week coupled with Colony, who has beaten East already, upsetting Bartlett would result in a three-way tie at the bottom of the D-I standings, with each team having head-to-head wins over the other. The ASAA website currently does not list its tiebreaker procedure for such a scenario, so the hypothetical outcome of that unlikely series of events is presently unclear. This would also only impact first-round opponents for the top three teams, as all eight teams make the postseason in Division I. Alaska’s News Source reached out to ASAA for clarification on three-way tiebreaker procedures, but did not immediately hear back.
DIVISION II: Soldotna clinched the 1-seed in D-II with this week’s win over Eagle River. Palmer has also clinched its spot in second place. Lathrop and West Valley have a high-stakes clash next week, with the Wolfpack able to jump up to third place with a win but at risk of missing out entirely otherwise. A Lathrop win would clinch that seed for the Malemutes, who have already ensured a playoff berth, and would also throw the race for the final D-II playoff spot into chaos. Heading into the week, North Pole and West Valley sit at 3-3, with Eagle River a game back at 2-4. If the Patriots and Wolfpack both lose and the Wolves get a win, all three will finish in the exact same three-way-tie scenario as the one described above for the final playoff bid, with this one having a much higher likelihood of occurring. West Valley owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over North Pole, North Pole has one over Eagle River, and Eagle River defeated West Valley in Week 1. Chugiak and Wasilla are out of contention.
DIVISION III: Barrow will officially host a playoff game on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, having locked up the top seed in D-III with a win over Houston on Saturday. The other semifinal game will take place about 1,000 miles away in Homer, as the Mariners have clinched the 2-seed. Redington and Kenai need only to win their respective games to fill out the remaining two spots. If they don’t, they open up the chance of a familiar sight: a Kenai loss to Barrow and Houston victory over Redington would leave those three teams locked at 2-3, each with head-to-head tiebreakers over the other. If the Kardinals win, that Huskies/Hawks matchup becomes a do-or-die game for both teams with a playoff spot on the line. Winless Kodiak is out of contention.
9-MAN: Interior Grappling Academy has sown up the 1-seed in its maiden season in 9-Man football. Seward and Monroe Catholic go at it next week with the winner locking down the second spot. Nikiski, though winless, owns the tiebreaker over Valdez due to the latter’s forfeit in their scheduled matchup.
WEEK 7 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES
High school football scores from around Alaska.(KTUU)
High school football scores from around Alaska.(KTUU)
High school football scores from around Alaska.(KTUU)
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