The first step toward a state championship playoff in all three divisions of high school football, possibly the easiest step, was taken on Wednesday by the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) with the ASAA Board of Directors supporting a playoff system for 2020 and establishing a revised schedule for the football playoffs.
The next steps may prove more difficult.
ASAA Executive Director Billy Strickland, speaking through a ZOOM meeting of the board Wednesday stated, “ I think it gives us the opportunity to have some sort of state ending experience for the students. We need to be able to host an event that will lessen the chance of the number of people coming together,”
The ASAA board approved a playoff schedule which will begin on October 17-18 and conclude on October 31st. The Division II and Division III championships traditionally consist of two rounds with four teams qualifying; the Division I playoffs contain three rounds of games with eight qualifiers.
The next two steps toward crowning state champions will involve school districts relaxing restrictions and somebody figuring-out who qualifies to the playoffs.
The regular season for high school football moves into its final two weekends with teams playing the regular season entirely within each schools, school district.
Alaska’s school districts will have to lift the restriction on out-of-district travel and inter-district competition to develop a playoff format.
Selecting the teams to advance to a playoff format may be the most difficult of the tasks ahead.
In Division II football, the reigning, eight-time state champion Soldotna Stars remain undefeated; however, the Stars will only play one DII school, Kenai, in the regular season. The Eagle River Wolves, unbeaten in 2020, have played only DI schools in the Anchorage School District. Mat-Su’s Palmer High has no Division II opponents in the Valley and Fairbanks schools have been on and off with covid restrictions.
In Division III, 2019 champion Houston is completing a schedule in a district which contains Division I Wasilla and Colony; Division II Palmer and Division III Redington. Homer is the Division III power on the Kenai Peninsula with victories over Seward and Nikiski and Division II Kenai.
A process for selecting teams to advance to the playoffs and then selecting playoff sites which conform to ASAA guidelines, all still to come.
Proposed selection process for Division II and Division III football playoffs (provided by Jesse Settlemyer, KCHS Athletic Director)
Division II Football Playoffs
One berth will be allocated to Mat-Su, Kenai Peninsula, Fairbanks and Anchorage
Each district will determine their qualifier with two rounds of playoffs: Oct 16/17 and Oct. 23/24
Round one will feature Kenai # 1 vs ASD #1 and Matsu # 1 vs Fairbanks #1
Committees from each district will determine seeds and host with consideration for the risk level of the schools involved.
Division III Football Playoffs
Quarter Final Round Oct. 9/10: Redington vs Aurora #2, Houston vs Peninsula # 2
Aurora #1 and Peninsula # 1 draw a first-round bye
Committees from each district will determine seeds and host with consideration for the risk level of the schools involved.