What you need to know about the 2020 high school football season in Alaska

Following Utah last week, Alaska will be one of several states set to begin the high school football season with a schedule that begins Aug. 21. As things stand, the postseason is set to begin Oct. 9 with championship games scheduled for Oct. 17 and 23.

Alaska is one of 35 states planning to play football this fall. Fifteen others plus the District of Columbia have moved their respective seasons to 2021.

In Alaska, a total of eight games are set to kick off on Friday.

In advance of season openers, here's a look at what you need to know about Alaska football in 2020.

Top 5 Games
East Anchorage (Anchorage) at West Anchorage (Anchorage), Sept. 4
Service (Anchorage) at Soldotna, Sept. 11
South Anchorage (Anchorage) at East Anchorage, Sept. 12
South Anchorage at Service, Sept. 25
East Anchorage at Service, Oct. 2

Top 5 Teams
1. Soldotna
2. South Anchorage
3. Service Anchorage
4. East Anchorage
5. West Anchorage



Defending Champions
Division I: South Anchorage
Division II: Soldotna
Division III: Houston (Big Lake)

Top 5 Recruits
Georgie Mageo, TE, East Anchorage
Quincy Heartwell, WR, South Anchorage
Jack Moore, DE, South Anchorage
Colton Lindquist, ATH, Wasilla
Lalo Sheck, LB, East Anchorage

Returning Stat Leaders
Passing
Jackson Harmon, South Anchorage, 140-264, 1,857 yards, 15 touchdowns
Rushing
Jackson Harmon, South Anchorage, 98 carries, 701 yards, 8 touchdowns
Antonio Kereti, Service, 113 carries, 659 yards, 2 touchdowns
Receiving
Quincy Heartwell, South Anchorage, 29 catches, 463 yards, 6 touchdowns