The 2015 high school football season will see major changes to the classifications and conferences following approval of state-wide changes by the Alaska School Activities Association board in December 2014.
(reposting of KSRM Sports report from December 17, 2014)
The Medium School division in 2015 now includes Palmer High School and Eagle River High School, both previously played in the Large School division. Homer High School and Houston High School will both move to the Small School division, both have previously been in the Medium School division.
The change comes on the acceptance of a new, base enrollment number for both divisions.
The Medium School division will now include teams with enrollment up to 900 students. The Small School division’s top-end cut-off in 450 students.
Soldotna High School head football coach Galen Brantley on re-alignment.
Small School Division Football
The changes also re-align the conferences within the divisions. In the Small School division, the Greatland Conference will split into two conferences, Aurora and Peninsula. Both conferences will advance two teams into the Small School playoffs.
The Aurora Conference: Houston, Ben Eielson, Barrow, Monroe and Valdez
The Peninsula Conference: Nikiski, Homer, Seward and Voznesenka
Medium School Division Football
Medium School football will continue to qualify two teams from the Northern Lights Conference and two teams from the Southeast Conference. Eagle River and Palmer both move into the NLC, making a powerhouse conference with all Medium division champions (SoHi-3; Kenai 1) and perennial Large School state qualifier Palmer.
Northern Lights Conference: SoHi, Kenai, Palmer, Eagle River, and Kodiak
Southeast Conference: Juneau, North Pole, Ketchikan, Thunder Mountain
Coach Brantley describes attempt to form power conference.
Large School Division Football
The Railbelt Conference drops to four schools; Wasilla, Colony, Lathrop and West Valley, with three advancing to the playoffs. The Cook Inlet Conference holds all Anchorage teams with Bartlett, Chugiak, Dimond, East, Service, South, and West; with five teams qualifying to Large School playoffs.
