The Division II football championship for the state of Alaska will be decided on Saturday with the 2017 ASAA First National Bowl scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Palmer High School.
The Soldotna Stars and Palmer Moose football teams have built reputations for football excellence throughout Alaska and both programs are lead by head coaches who have established themselves among the all-time elite in Alaska football coaching history.
Galen Brantley-Soldotna High School 11 seasons
Soldotna head football coach Galen Brantley leads the Stars to a sixth-straight Division II (Medium School) football championship game, with the opportunity for a sixth-straight championship.
Brantley has guided the Stars to 58 consecutive victories, an Alaska record and currently the second, longest active win streak in America for high school football (Kimberly, Wis. 64 wins).
SoHi has won eight state football championships since 2007 and has qualified to the championship game every year except 2011 (Small School 2007-2010; Medium School 2012-2017).
Coach Brantley has an overall coaching record of 106 wins and five losses through 11 seasons at Soldotna High School.
Brantley’s SoHi football teams have a winning percentage of 95%.
Soldotna’s last defeat came on week one of the 2012 regular season to the Palmer Moose.
Coach Brantley currently stands in 5th overall on the Alaska All-Time Winningest Football Coaches list with 106 victories.
Rod Christiansen-Palmer High School 27 seasons
Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen has been at the helm of the Palmer football program for 27 seasons and has recorded 153 victories; Christiansen is the winningest high school football coach in Alaska.
Christiansen’s Moose football team has qualified to the Division II (Medium School) football championship game for a second, straight year having finished as runner-up in 2016. Palmer was re-classified into the Medium School division in 2015.
Palmer High School , under coach Christiansen, qualified to the Large School football playoffs 20 times from 1994-2014. The Moose won the state championship in 1995 and finished as runner-up in 1996 and 2005.
2017 Division II Championship
The Stars face the Moose in the Division II football championship game on Saturday, October 14th at Palmer High School. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Follow the championship game on ESPN 1140AM and www.radiokenai.com with the Sweeney’s Pregame Show beginning at 2:45 p.m.
Current Alaska Football Winningest Coaches (wins as of Oct. 12)
#1 Rod Christiansen, 27 seasons (Palmer) 153 wins*
#2 Buck Nystrum, 31 seasons (Eielson and North Pole) 150 wins
#3 Bruce Shearer, 21 seasons (Kenai, Chugiak and East) 130 wins
#4 David DeVaughn, 17 seasons (Eielson) 119 wins*
#5 Galen Brantley, currently in 11th season (SoHi) 106 wins*
#5 Bob Boudreaux, 22 seasons (SoHi, Kenai and Service) 105 wins
#6 Jim Beeson, 19 seasons (Kenai) 103 wins
* active Alaska coaches