MaxPreps.com Staff Report
Alaska may not be considered a hotbed for football, but it does have the distinction of setting the tone for the sport each and every fall.
High school teams in the "Last Frontier" will once again play the first meaningful games for any team at any level in 2007, opening the season across the state Friday and Saturday.
The featured contest is undoubtedly defending Large School champion South High School of Anchorage taking on Chugiak. The two teams were recently tabbed No. 1 and No. 2 in a statewide media poll, with South taking the top spot.
The Wolverines are about to embark on just their fourth season as a program, producing records of 2-6 in 2004 and 6-4 in 2005 before breaking through with an 11-0 championship effort a year ago.
No. 3 Palmer, No. 4 Juneau-Douglas, and No. 5 Service round out the top five of the Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network's preseason poll.
Soldotna, also coming off a state championship season, topped the Small School rankings.
Alaska's Weekend Slate
Friday, Aug. 10
Colony (Palmer) vs Eielson (Eielson AFB), 6 p.m.
Nikiski vs Skyview (Soldotna), 6 p.m.
North Pole vs Soldotna, 6 p.m.
Wasilla vs Eagle River, 7 p.m.
Sitka vs Juneau-Douglas (Juneau), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 11
Ketchikan vs Barrow
Seward vs Homer, 11 a.m.
Valdez vs Delta Junction, 11 a.m.
Palmer vs Dimond (Anchorage), 1 p.m.
South (Anchorage) vs Chugiak (Eagle River), 1 p.m.
West (Anchorage) vs West Valley (Fairbanks), 1 p.m.
Houston (Big Lake) vs Kenai Central (Kenai), 2 p.m.
Service (Anchorage) vs East (Anchorage), 7 p.m.
Bartlett (Anchorage) vs Lathrop (Fairbanks), 7 p.m.
Local Media Coverage
Cook Inlet Outlook, Anchorage Daily News
Cook Inlet Conference Capsules, Anchorage Daily News
South vs. Chugiak, Anchorage Daily News
South Head Coach John Lewis, Anchorage Daily News
Barrow's New Field, Anchorage Daily News
Statewide Media Poll, Juneau Empire