High school football rankings: Bettye Davis East Anchorage finishes No. 1 in final Alaska MaxPreps Top 25

The high school football season in Alaska came to a close over the weekend with Bettye Davis East Anchorage (Anchorage) beating Juneau-Douglas/Thunder Mountain (Juneau) in the Division I state championship game. That victory helped propel the Thunderbirds to the No. 1 ranking in the final Alaska MaxPreps Top 25.

East finished 10-1 and avenged its only loss of the season in the title game. Juneau-Douglas/Thunder Mountain knocked off the Thunderbirds 39-28 back on Sept. 4 only to fall 30-17 in the rematch. Quarterback Kyler Johnson earned 2021 MaxPreps Alaska Player of the Year honors.

Under head coach Jeff Trotter, Bettye Davis East Anchorage (known as just East Anchorage prior to the 2021 season) has won four state titles in the past six seasons, compiling a 50-8 record during that span.

Lathrop (Fairbanks) dethroned eight-time defending champion Soldotna to win the Division II state title and finish No. 3 in the rankings. The only unbeaten team in the state was Division III state champ Redington (Wasilla), who checks in at No. 8 after beating Houston (Big Lake) 46-12 in the title game.