ASAA football playoffs include trio of Valley teams

For decades, a typical season for the Palmer Moose included a trip to the playoffs.

Palmer started the 21st century with 15 straight trips to the postseason. From 1994-2014, the Moose missed the playoffs only once (1999). After missing again in 2015, the Moose returned to the postseason in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons. Palmer’s biggest playoff drought in the ASAA-sanctioned era of Alaska prep football is 2019-2024, when the Moose visited the playoffs only once (2023).

But the Moose are back.

Palmer is the No. seed in Division I and will host third-seeded Lathrop Friday night at 7 p.m. at Machetanz Field.

This will be a rematch of Palmer’s 40-24 win over the Malemutes Sept. 19 at Palmer High. Both the Moose and the Malemutes boast potent attacks on offense.

Lathrop is averaging 26 points per game on offense, has used multiple quarterbacks in 2025, and can run and throw the ball.

“You never know what you are going to get,” Palmer head coach Tim Popowski said of the Malemutes. “They’ve got a lot of good athletes.”

Palmer’s offense has been even better averaging nearly 38 points per game, outscoring opponents 302-195.

Palmer finished the regular season 7-1 overall and 6-1 in Division II play, and have won seven straight. The Malemutes were 5-3 and 5-2.

Palmer is looking for a win over Lathrop and a seventh trip to a state title game in school history, and first since 2017. The Moose are also in search of their first playoff win since a 28-7 victory over Thunder Mountain in the 2017 semifinals.

Lathrop and Soldotna have played in the last five Division II state championship games. The Malemutes won it all in 2021 and 2022.

The other Division II semifinal features top-seeded Soldotna (8-0, 7-0) and fourth-seeded West Valley (3-5, 3-4). SoHi is the two-time defending state champion, and has won 10 of the last 12 titles and 16 of the last 20.

Colony and Redington join Palmer in the ASAA postseason.

Colony is seeded eighth in Division I and opens against top-seeded West Anchorage Friday at 7 p.m. in Anchorage. The Knights finished the season 2-6 overall and 1-6 in Cook Inlet Conference play. West beat Colony 35-16 in the regular season meeting Sept. 5.

Colony opened its season with a 42-20 victory over East Anchorage, but have lost six straight conference games. Bartlett scored 15 unanswered points to beat the Knights 15-3 at CHS during the final week of the regular season.

Other first-round matchups include seventh-seeded Dimond at No. 2 Bartlett, No. 6 East at third-seeded Service and fifth-seeded Juneau-Douglas at No. 4 South Anchorage.

Colony is in search of its first playoff win since beating Juneau to win the 2022 Division I state championship.

The Redington Huskies returned to the Division III postseason for the second straight year, thanks in part to a 44-20 win over rival Houston.

The Huskies finished in third place, and will travel to Homer to meet the defending Division III state champion Mariners in the semifinals. Redington finished the regular season 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Top-seeded Barrow hosts fourth-seeded Kenai in the other semifinal.

Redington’s last playoff wins came in 2021 when the Huskies won the Division III state title.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.