ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – After eight rollicking weeks, the postseason field for high school football in the Last Frontier is officially set. Sixteen teams between Division-I, D-II and D-III will have a chance to claim their respective crowns when the playoffs begin on Friday October 10.
DIVISION I(1) West Anchorage vs (8) Colony
The West Eagles open up their playoff run at the Nest at Hillcrest, ready to play host to the invading Colony Knights. The defending state runners-up have authored a strong season in head coach Brown Faaaliga’s first year at the helm, finishing one chaotic loss to Bartlett away from undefeated.
Colony had a hopeful start to the season in a runaway road victory over East, but that would be the only Division-I win for the Knights in 2025. It’s still an improvement from last year’s winless campaign, but the Mat-Su Valley’s lone D-I representative still has its work cut out for it in trying to silence the raucous Westside fans and pulling off what would be a sizeable upset.
(4) South Anchorage vs (5) Juneau-Douglas
South’s season started off inauspiciously with a back-breaking loss to West, but the Wolverines caught fire after that. They seemed to be in pole position for D-I’s second seed before dropping their finale in a bizarre South-side duel with Service that was postponed due to power issues. Still, the “4″ next to their name certainly won’t lull opponents into underestimating the power of Darkside football.
Juneau-Douglas authored what was essentially two entirely distinct seasons separated by 600 miles. At home, the Crimson Bears were one of Division I’s best teams, going 3-1 and coming within a single point of a massive upset over these same Wolverines and locking in a perfect Southeast record. On the road, they dropped all four of their contests by a combined 91 points. Unfortunately for Juneau’s players and fans alike, that one-point loss to South proved costly, as this matchup will be in Anchorage.
(3) Service vs (6) East Anchorage
The Cougars were one of the last two remaining undefeated teams in D-I before dropping two straight against what would end up being the two teams ahead of them in the final standings, West and Bartlett. Against the rest of the field, the Cougars have cruised, albeit not always by the largest of margins – something East fans can attest to, having been on the losing end of a 6-3 Service win in Week 7.
The Thunderbirds have had an interesting season, losing their first five contests before upending Bartlett in the always-exciting Boot Game. Wins in two of their last three games have them locked into this matchup, which is certainly winnable considering the above result in East and Service’s prior encounter.
(2) Bartlett vs (7) Dimond
To call Bartlett’s 2025 regular season a roller-coaster would be an understatement. In one particularly vertigo-inducing three-game span, the Golden Bears went from beating then-undefeated Service, to losing to then-winless East, to triumphing over then-undefeated West in their Senior Day contest. Strong play to finish the season and a South loss to Service boosted the Golden Bears all the way up to the 2-seed and a side of the bracket they surely appreciate being on. Besides, having arguably Alaska’s most dominant player gives Bartlett a chance against any opponent.
Dimond’s high from winning last year’s state title didn’t last, as the absence of quarterback Cayden Pili headlined a very different roster from last year, and led to a very different season. The Lynx overcame Colony in a torrential downpour to secure the tiebreaker over the Knights and dodge what would have been a first-round title rematch, but Bartlett is formidable in its own right, and Dimond dropped their previous encounter in a 12-0 season-opening loss.
DIVISION II(1) Soldotna vs (4) West Valley
In perhaps the least surprising standings result of the season at any level, Soldotna once again is the team to beat in Division II. The Stars come in riding an 11-game winning streak dating back to last season that includes the 2024 D-II title game, and this year has been arguably even more dominant. Just one of Soldotna’s eight games this season was decided by a single possession. Interestingly, their opponent then was the same West Valley squad against whom they spar on Saturday.
West Valley had to scrap and claw to get to this game. The Wolves succumbed to an Eagle River comeback in their season opener, and endured undoubtedly the most brutal three-game stretch of any team’s schedule this season, dropping three straight one-possession games (two by just a single point) to the likes of West Anchorage, Palmer, and Soldotna, arguably three of the top four teams in Alaska. But luck turned the Wolfpack’s way when they needed it, and they come into this first-round matchup worthy of some upset consideration.
(2) Palmer vs (3) Lathrop
The 2025 Palmer High School football renaissance has been a sight to behold. The Moose authored their best regular season in a decade, finishing with their first winning record since 2019 and, at 6-1 in D-II, with more divisional wins than any campaign since 2014. Quarterback Nolan Garner and running back Corbin Gerkin spearhead Alaska’s most dynamic offense. Unfortunately, getting Palmer back to the top of Alaskan high school football will require overcoming a frisky Lathrop squad, as well as an undoing of a season-opening 77-41 boat-racing at the hands of Soldotna.
Lathrop has had a successful season overall, notching wins over all but the top two of D-II. The Malemutes are still licking their wounds from last season’s deflating loss to Soldotna in the state title game, but they remain the last squad to hand the Stars a loss of any kind, albeit one that came one calendar year and a day ago. To end that drought, however, they first need to make it there, which first requires undoing a 40-24 road defeat to the Moose that was actually closer for most of the contest than the final score would indicate.
DIVISION III(1) Barrow vs (4) Kenai Central
The Barrow Whalers secured Division-III’s top seed for the second year running, ensuring that one unlucky soul will have to venture to the shores of the Arctic Ocean to brave the cold, polar bears, and a stingy Whaler defense that allowed opponents to surpass 20 points just twice. Barrow hasn’t lost a game on the fabled blue turf since the first round of last year’s D-III playoffs, and they are certainly equipped to ensure that fate won’t be repeated.
Kenai Central has as good a chance as any of figuring that defense out, given the two squads faced off just two days ago. However, a Kardinals team that finished the season with back-to-back blowout losses will need to adapt to the change in elements quickly if it looks to stand a chance against the Whalers.
(2) Homer vs (3) Redington
While Barrow finished the season atop the D-III standings, the team that plays its home games over 800 miles away in Homer has a reasonable case that it was in fact the division’s best team. The Mariners largely annihilated all comers this season, pitching three straight shutouts, including a home beatdown of Barrow, and allowing more than 8 points just once all year. Unfortunately, that occasion was a loss to the Whalers that, due to D-III scheduling quirks, overrode their earlier victory. Also included in that shutout streak was a 26-0 decision over these Huskies.
Redington, on the other hand, is clearly D-III’s third best team – a step below the top two, but certainly worth taking seriously. The Huskies’ wins have been dominant: 50-14 over Kenai Central, 47-6 over Kodiak, and 44-20 over Houston to clinch their playoff berth last week. In a common theme for D-III’s contenders, their defense has been rock-solid, while the offense has come and gone. Redington needs to come out of the gates firing for any shot at an upset over the defending D-III champs.
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