The battle of the birds

Since ASAA expanded prep football to three divisions prior to the 2011 season, the Eielson Ravens have been the team to beat.

Eielson, the defending Division III champions, have won five state titles since 2011 and have not missed the playoffs since ASAA added the third class. Friday, the Houston Hawks will work to knock the Ravens off their perch.

Houston hosts Eielson in the Division III semifinals at 7 p.m. There are a number of storylines with this one.

The biggest?

Houston is looking for its first win against the Ravens in program history. The Houston senior class would also like a second shot at the state crown with the win over the team that axed its first chance. In 2016, when the current cast of seniors were freshman, Eielson beat Houston in the DIII title game. That was Houston’s first appearance in a state football championship in school history.

And this could be the Houston team to make history.

The Hawks have spent the 2019 regular season putting together numbers that we’ve seen from state powers in recent years. The Hawks finished undefeated during the regular season for the first time in school history. The Hawks earned their second straight conference title, are in the playoffs for the third time in four years and are a win away from their second trip to the title game since 2016. The Hawks are also in their fourth straight winning season, and are 27-8 during that span.

The Hawks have also scored 316 points, which leads all Division III programs. That’s an average of 39.5 points per game. Houston has the top scoring defense, allowing only 42 total points. That’s only 5.25 per game. It’s by far a state best at any level in Alaska. There are only three teams total in all three levels to allow less than 100 total points.

Prior to Houston’s win over Redington last week, Hawks head coach Glenn Nelson said the Hawks are simply enjoying the experiences.

“Every week seems to be a lot of fun,” Nelson said. “The kids are having a lot of fun. They don’t feel much pressure. They are already looking forward to the next game.”

Nelson said Houston’s squad this year is similar to the 2016 team that finished as the runner-up.

“We have a great amount of leadership from the senior class, similar to 2016,” Nelson said.

Twins Gavin Mulhaney and Owen Mulhaney have been stars on both sides of the ball, in the offensive backfield and at linebacker. But it goes beyond that, Nelson said.

Kennedy Fono. Tucker Croghan. Jack Allison.

This list goes on.

With that team effort the Hawks beat an Eagle River program that finished as the Division II runner-up last year. The Wolves are also back in the playoffs this season. Houston also scored its first road win against Barrow in school history.

You have to beat the best to be the best. As we enter the postseason, Eielson is still officially the defending state champs. But with a win over the Ravens Friday, the Hawks will have a great opportunity to be the best.

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