The Homer Mariner football team seemed destined to battle for the program’s first Division III state championship in 2020.
Fate and the COVID -19 virus had a different plan.
According to Chris Perk, Homer athletic director, ” We (Mariner football) were informed today (Wednesday) by our superintendent that we will not be allowed to travel off the peninsula, so our season is now over.”
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, along with every football playing school district in Alaska, has banned travel outside of the district for all contests, except state. With the cancellation of all fall state championships by ASAA on Tuesday, Homer’s scheduled playoff game against Redington High School is cancelled.
The Mariners are currently serving a 14-day covid quarantine which, barring any additional positive cases, is due to expire on October 17th. Homer received permission from ASAA to play a Division III playoff game against Redington on Monday, October 19th when the Mariners’ quarantine overlapped a scheduled October 17th playoff date. The Mariners earned the #1 Peninsula berth to the Division III playoffs and a first-round bye.
The Homer football program finished as Division III runner-up in 2017 to the Barrow Whalers. Homer finished runner-up in the Medium School Division in 2011 and 2012 to the Kenai Kardinals and Soldotna Stars, respectively.
