J's World: Hawks fly to the top of DIII football; Bears, Stars continue to cruise

During the first few days of the season, the Houston Hawks had only a handful of kids on the practice field. After a 42-12 loss to Eagle River, Houston head coach Glenn Nelson believed his team could be the smallest and most inexperienced in the state.

But some how, some way, the Hawks have flown to the top of Alaska Division III football.

It’s not often small-schools football draws top attention. But Houston’s 22-20 win at Ketchikan last week was one of the most intriguing games of Alaska’s Week 5 slate. Ketchikan went from zero to hero. The Kings, winless as a Division II team in 2017, opened this season averaging more than 60 points per game during the first half of the season as Alaska’s newest Division III squad.

After the rough start against Division II Eagle River, Houston flew to Ketchikan riding a three-game winning streak.

Extend that streak to four after the win at Ketchikan. And now, at 4-1, Houston has the best record in Division III football. Three of Houston’s four wins have come against top-5 teams at the Division III level. The Hawks have also beaten the defending state champion Barrow Whalers and Homer, the squad Barrow edged to win the 2017 crown.

Basically, I’m saying Houston is legit.

And the Hawks are doing it with only six seniors, and just one returning starter, senior offensive lineman Shawn Graham.

Houston continues its season, and Peninsula Conference schedule, in Seward Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Two wins in 24 hours

The Wasilla Warriors scored a pair of varsity wins in 24 hours.

How is that possible?

Wasilla notched a 15-0 shutout over Juneau Saturday afternoon. Late Friday, the Anchorage School District announced Chugiak would have to forfeit its 17-14 victory over the Warriors in Week 4 due to the use of an ineligible player. So, Wasilla started the week 0-1 in Chugach Conference play and ended it 2-0.

That’s quite the improvement.

As odd as it is, this is the second time this has happened to a Valley team this year. Earlier this season, Palmer beat Kenai Central in Kenai. Later that evening, the Moose were informed that Dimond had to forfeit a scheduled game against Palmer. Dimond was forced to forfeit two games because of an ongoing investigation involving allegations of misconduct during an early-season road trip to Fairbanks.

Colony also earned a forfeit victory because of the situation at Dimond.

Statement games

Houston was not the only team to make a statement in Week 5.

South Anchorage upset rival Service 49-45. The Cougars jumped into the conversation last week after back-to-back shutouts against Wasilla and West Anchorage. The Wolverines, who were a combined 5-19 in the previous three years since winning a state title in 2014, improved to 2-3 with the victory. The win was South’s first over Service since 2015.

Bartlett and Soldotna continue to make the same statement.

Score a lot. Win big.

Bartlett (5-0) beat Chugiak 73-13, and the Bears are now averaging 59.6 points per game. Let’s put that in perspective. Last season, the Bartlett boys’ basketball team averaged 67.5 points per game.

Soldotna also won big, hammering Eagle River 55-19. Since falling to Division I West Anchorage in the season opener, a loss that snapped SoHi’s state record 59-game winning streak, the six-time defending Division II state champion has scored at least 50 points in four straight wins.

Palmer also scored a lopsided victory, beating North Pole 43-6 in its Railbelt Conference opener. In Palmer’s three on-the-field wins, the Moose outscored opponents 110-20. Palmer (4-1) also has the forfeit victory over Dimond. Palmer led Colony 7-0 late in its lone loss, but the Knights scored 21 unanswered points.

Looking ahead

The battle for the East Side Boot tops the Week 6 Alaska football schedule Bartlett (5-0) makes the short trip to East Anchorage (4-1) and the rivals clash Saturday at 2 p.m.

It’s a nonconference game for the first time in series history. Bartlett was moved from the Division I Cook Inlet Conference to the new Chugach during ASAA’s latest reclassification of prep football during the offseason.

But the teams still have the boot to play for. The game is played in the honor of former East all-state defensive lineman Auno Filoialli, who died in a car accident in 2002. The trophy features a bronzed cleat of Filoialli’s.

A pair of Valley rivals will also meet. Wasilla is at Colony Friday at 7 p.m. The Warriors are now 2-0 in conference. Colony is 4-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.