By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
Football: Kickoff in Alaska
The wait is nearly over. The 2006 high school football season kicks off Friday and Saturday in Alaska with a full slate of games.
Four teams can actually lay claim to playing the first game of the season, as East Anchorage meets North Pole, and Skyview tests Seward in contests slated to kickoff at 6 p.m. Friday.
The most intriguing contest on opening night, however, will be South High of Anchorage facing Chugiak. South is expected to contend for the Large School title, while Chugiak will be looking to get back into the postseason after an uncharacteristic 2-6 campaign a year ago.
The action continues Saturday with a monster week one game between Bartlett and Dimond. Bartlett, led by a pair of All-State running backs in Vernon Pennywell and Terrence Anthony, also has its eyes on the Large School crown, while Dimond is coming off a quarterfinal appearance in 2005.
Defending Large School champions, Juneau-Douglas, begins its quest for a repeat against Kenai Central. The Crimson Bears feature record-setting quarterback Chris Hinkley, Alaska's Player of the Year as a junior.
MaxPreps will provide a recap of Alaska's opening weekend of play Monday, Aug. 14.
August 11-12 Alaska Football Schedule
Before We Go: MaxPreps basketball All-American Eric Schiele of Waterloo High School in Ohio will take his game to Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia next season. Schiele, who was the nation's unofficial scoring leader in 2005-2006 at 39.5 points per night, is hoping to parlay a big season at Hargrave into attention from major Division I programs.MaxPreps' 2006 Football Preview will hit the site Friday. The in-depth glance at the 2006 season will include the Preseason National Top 25, All-Americans, and a list of top underclassmen from around the country, as well as additional features.
Jason Hickman: jason@maxpreps.com
Interested in becoming a MaxPreps contributor? We are looking for writers to help expand our coverage of high school sports nationwide. Contact Jason Hickman at jason@maxpreps.com.
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