Local youth football state champs earn chance to compete in regional event

The Mat-Su 49ers proved to be the mightiest of the mites in Alaska during the youth football season. This week, the Palmer-based 9U squad will have a chance to line up against one of the top teams in the Pacific Northwest.

The 49ers mitey mite squad, Alaska’s undefeated state champion at the level, will face Reno, Nevada, in the Pop Warner Pacific Northwest Regional Championships Nov. 22 in Reno. A win in Reno would give the 49ers a chance to go to the national tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jason Pruett has served as the 49ers mitey mites head coach since the inception of the 49ers youth football program three years ago. The squad — which features 7-,8- and 9-year-olds — was 5-3 in its first season, missing the postseason by a mere point in a three-team tiebreaker. Since, the 49ers have won back-to-back state titles and are currently riding a 17-game winning streak. Mat-Su finished 9-0 in 2025, and outscored opponents 396-0.

Pruett said he has three players from the 2023 team and returned 17 from the 2024 state champs.

“We knew we would be good. But we had no idea we would be as good as we are. You never know what someone else is going to have,” Pruett said.

Pruett said the organization reached out to Northwest Pop Warner to see if there was an opportunity to travel to a postseason event.

“We wanted to put it on their radar,” he said.

The 49ers would need to win a state title to even be considered, and they prevailed.

The 49ers feature teams at five different levels, ages 5 to 13. It’s the third Pop Warner organization in the Mat-Su, joining the Mat-Su Steelers and Mat-Su Seahawks.

The 49ers have been raising funds for the team's trip to Reno. Those interested in donating can find the link on the Mat-Su 49ers Youth Football Facebook page or zeffy.com.

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