Football season begins in Alaska

UPDATE: For the second straight year, West upset Service 38-35 Friday night at Anchorage Football Stadium. See more on this game and others at the bottom. 

It doesn’t matter that this isn’t football in Texas or Florida or California or that the two teams facing off are ranked No. 1,167 and No. 2,192, respectively.

It doesn’t matter that Iowa just completed their baseball season or that most gridirons around the nation don’t get warm for another month.

It doesn’t matter that it’s already rainy and cold (55 degrees) already in this region – known by locals as “1,000 shades of gray” – or that school doesn’t even start for two weeks for either team.



All that matters is this is a high school football game – a conference showdown between Anchorage (Ala.) and conference rivals Service and West – and it’s the very first night of the 2010 season throughout the land.

“It’s always a good time of year to be playing football,” Service coach Jason Caldarera said. “And it’s nice to lead the country in something.”

That’s what Caldarera said last season too when his team helped open national play with an 18-15 win over South as star then-sophomore quarterback J.J. Christy threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 62 yards.

It was the first win over its arch-rival since 2004, when South opened and took away many of Services’ students – leaving the once dominant football program scrambling for players.

That was one of the storylines in last year’s opener along with the absence of long vital long time assistant coach and offensive coordinator Fenumiai “Numi” Ilalio, a fulltime member of the Army National Guard.

Ilalio was still deployed for combat in Afghanistan by last year’s season opener, but returned to the team by Week 3.



Service had a pedestrian 5-3 season but was just thrilled to get their popular coach back, voted the state’s top assistant in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

“He came back safe and strong and we’re just happy for that," Caldarera said. "To have him back full-time should be a big plus this season." 

Another former Service assistant Tim Davis is the headliner in today’s opener.

He’s the second-year head coach at West, which upset Service 20-16 last season en route to an 8-1 season and a conference title.

Davis not only coached seven seasons under Caldarera – now in his 18th year – but he played for him as an over-achieving 5-foot-11, 190-pound defensive tackle.

“He played with a great big heart,” Caldarera said. “He showed it immediately after graduating. He wanted to give back and did a super job as an assistant. We’re very happy he moved his way up, earned a full-time teaching job and got the position (at West).”



But Davis’ West squad broke Service’s heart last season, setting off a whirlwind of emotions for the former Cougars’ student, player and coach.

“On one end we’re elated and jumping around,” Davis said. “Then I look over at all those kids who I won a state championship with the year before and they’re all broken up. It definitely brought on some mixed emotions.

"At the same time to be involved in a game like that with all these kids and coaches I was so close to was pretty remarkable.”

Which is kind of the point to all high school athletics, whether first game or last game, football or field hockey, Alaska or Texas, there are always strong emotions. Always deep-rooted ties and storylines.

Today you can add payback to the equation. Service, led by Christy, whom Davis called “probably the best quarterback in the state," and a pair of talented transfers, wide receiver/safety La'Michael Fernandez and running back Michael McCrae, would love nothing more than to hand back a bitter defeat.

West, led by Army All-American Bowl nominees Jake Eisses and Lyndon Tulimasealii, along with explosive offensive threat J’vonte Buster, are looking to build off of last year’s success.



“We lost a lot of seniors,” Davis said. “It’s an untested group and the kids are hungry. It’s a brand new year.”

MORE GAMES: There are two other games in Alaska tonight – Wasilla (Wasilla, Alaska) at Soldotna (Soldotna, Alaska) and Monroe at Seward (Seward, Alaska) – and 13 slated for Saturday. … Other ranked teams in the state according to a ABSN preseason poll: Large school: 1. Service; 2. Chugiak (Eagle River, Alaska); 3. Juneau-Douglas (Juneau, Alaska); 4. Colony; 5. Bartlett. Small school: 1. Kenai; 2. Soldotna; 3. Eielson; 4. Kodiak; 5. Homer. … Defending state champions: Large school: Bartlett. Small school: Kenai.

FRIDAY RESULTS: According to the Anchorage Daily News, sophomore Conor Feckley passed for 358 yards and three touchdowns, including a 32-yarder to Conor Feckley with one minute, 32 seconds remaining, lifting West to a wild 38-35 win over Service at Anchorage Football Stadium. ... The game featured 25 penalties and eight turnovers and loads of excitement. ... Service's two transfers Fernandez and McCrae made big impacts in losing efforts. Fernandez had early TD receptions of 29 and 25 yards from Christy, but then sat out most of the rest of the game with a knee injury. McCrae rushed 11 times for 131 yards. ... Dahmir Bell had seven catches for 170 yards for the winners. ... In other opening-night results, according to the Daily News, Brian Schmidt rushed for two touchdowns in Seward's 27-0 win over Monroe Catholic and Phil Bennett rushed for two scores as Soldotna defeated Wisilla 15-7.