The Alaska School Activities Association Board of Directors chose status quo over change at the ASAA Winter Meetings on February 18th & 19th. electing to not institute major changes to classifications and conferences for the 2018-19 activities seasons; with the exception of football and hockey.
However, the change to the 3A classification for Kenai Central High School, which was approved in January of 2017, goes into affect in 2018-19 school year and has far-reaching effects on the athletic landscape of both the 3A and 4A classifications.
Re-Classification Alignments For Kenai Central High School: 2018-19
As approved in 2017, the Kenai Kardinals will compete in the 3A classification for high school basketball and volleyball and Kenai sports teams will be adjusted for other fall, winter and spring sports as necessary.
Fall Sports
Volleyball
Kenai Central High School was re-classified to 3A in 2017 to be effective in 2018-19 athletic season.
Class 3A Southcentral Conference: Two Divisions
South: Kenai, Nikiski, Homer and Seward North: Anchorage Christian Schools, Grace Christian, Houston and Redington.
Cross Country Running
Kenai Central High School moves to Region III, Division II
Early Winter & Late Winter Sports
Boys Wrestling & Girls Wrestling
Kenai Central High School moves to the Division II Kachemak Conference, with Homer, Nikiski, Seward and Voznesenka.
Nordic Skiing Classifications remain the same statewide
Kenai Central High School eligible for the first-place award for the top Class 1-2-3A team, and for the three medals for the top Class 1-2-3A finishers.
Basketball
Kenai Central High School was re-classified to 3A in 2017 to be effective in 2018-19 athletic season.
Class 3A Southcentral Conference: Two Divisions
South: Kenai, Nikiski, Homer and Seward North: Anchorage Christian Schools, Grace Christian, Houston and Redington. Each team plays in-division team twice and out-of-division team once.
Northern Lights Conference: Soldotna,Colony, Kodiak, Palmer and Wasilla
Spring Sports
Track & Field
Kenai Central High School moves to Region III, Division II
Soccer Two Divisions; Two state berths
Division II Peninsula schools: Kenai, Soldotna, Nikiski, Seward and Voznesenka
Baseball One classification: Two state berths
Southcentral Conference: Grace Christian (added) , Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Kodiak, Wasilla,Palmer,Houston and Colony
Football and Hockey Changes For 2018-19 (as posted in earlier articles)
Hockey
Reclassification to balance high school hockey based on school enrollment, geography, travel costs, traditional rivalries and competitive balance will mean a move from Division I (Large School) hockey to Division II hockey for programs at Soldotna High School, Kenai Central High School, Homer High School, Palmer High School, North Pole High School and Juneau High School.
SoHi, Kenai and Homer move from the Division I North Star Conference to the Division II Railbelt Conference.
For the Stars and Kardinals, the change takes both teams out of “large school” hockey; the division both have competed in since both programs began in the late 1970’s (Kenai) and 1980 (SoHi).
The newly formed Railbelt and Aurora conferences, after initial approval by the board, were adjusted for geography and travel concerns moving Juneau into the Railbelt conference and Glenallen/Kenny Lake into the Aurora conference.
At first consideration, the Railbelt appears to be the stronger of the two conferences with former Division I programs SoHi, Kenai, Homer, Palmer and Juneau all placed in the Railbelt. The Aurora houses 2018 Division II (Greatland) champion Monroe (champions in 2016, 2017 and 2018) and Houston (champions in 2015).
Berths to the ASAA Division II (Greatland) State Championship will be equally dispersed, with both conferences receiving four berths to the state tournament.
With the power structure built into the Railbelt, five former Division I schools and the perennial Division II powerhouse Houston will vie for four state tournament positions. North Pole, formerly of Division I, stands as the only large school transplant into the Aurora conference.
In another unprecedented move by the ASAA Board of Directors, the winner of the Division II State Hockey Tournament will also receive a berth into the Division I Hockey State Tournament.
The Divison II champion will be bracketed along with two teams from the Division I Mid-Alaska Conference and five teams from the Division I Cook Inlet Conference; allowing the “small school” champion an opportunity to test itself against the best from”large school” hockey.
Division II Hockey: Listed By Conference (including ASAA enrollment numbers**)
Railbelt Conference
School Enrollment
Homer 390
Houston 391
Juneau 595
Kenai* 474 *Kenai and Nikiski were allowed co-op status beginning in 2017 (Nikiski, 221)
Palmer 811
Soldotna 773
Aurora Conference
School Enrollment
Delta Junction 192
Glenallen/Kenny Lake* 123 combined enrollment
Hutchison 412
Monroe 126
North Pole 743
Tri-Valley 48
**Teams do have the option to request to “play up” and move to Division I hockey.
Division I Hockey: Listed By Conference
Mid-Alaska Conference
School
Colony
Lathrop
Wasilla
West Valley
Cook Inlet Conference
School
Bartlett
Chugiak
Dimond
East
Eagle River
Service
South
West
Football Classification & Divisions
Overview…
Football divisions will remain unchanged with three division: Division 1, Division II and Division III (formerly Large School, Medium School and Small School).
A combined Juneau/Thunder Mountain team will play in Division I.
Fairbanks schools Lathrop, West Valley and North Pole will play in Division II
New conference alignments within divisions…
Division I
Cook Inlet Conference: West, East, Dimond, Service and South
Railbelt Conference: Bartlett (defending Division I state champion), Chugiak, Colony, Wasilla and Juneau.
Eight of the 10 teams advance to the playoffs; four from each conference.
Division II
Northern Lights Conference: SoHi (defending Division II state champion), Kenai, Kodiak, Eagle River
Railbelt Conference: Palmer, Lathrop, West Valley and North Pole
Top two in each conference advance to the state playoffs.
Division III (remains relatively unchanged):
Division III (small schools)
Greatland Conference: Barrow (defending Division III state champion), Eielson, Houston, Monroe, Remington and Valdez
Peninsula Conference: Homer, Nikiski, Seward, Ketchikan, Vozneskenka
Top two from each conference advance to state playoffs.
