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Top rated Eagles flying to Crimson Bears den
West Anchorage football team coming to JDHS’ Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park turf
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé football team is facing their toughest opponent yet as the Cook Inlet Conference-leading West Anchorage Eagles leave their “Nest on Hillcrest” to play the Crimson Bears at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park at 4 p.m. Friday.
“It has been a tough road against West,” JDHS head coach Rich Sjoroos said. “We have only beat them once in the last 25 years. They have kind of had Juneau’s number going back even before my time.”
Last season, West defended their home stadium with a 44-8 win over the Crimson Bears in the final game of the regular season. In 2024, West came to Juneau for the fifth game of the season and eeked out a 28-27 win, then opened the state playoffs at home with a 20-13 win over the Crimson Bears that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. In 2023, West won at home 59-21 against the Juneau Huskies and in 2019 won at Juneau 43-14. The assorted years for Juneau include a 21-18 playoff loss in 2010 and a 21-7 playoff loss in 2003.
“It was like, 7-7 heading into the fourth quarter,” Sjoroos said of 2003. “And then they got a couple scores and pulled away and, so, it has just been a tough matchup over the years. We beat them 14-0 here in 2022…The kids understand, regardless of that, it is still the 2026 version. You don’t get extra points or extra credit for winning games in the past. So I think our guys are getting ready to go and we are just going to play our best football and hope everything works out in our favor.”
West features 28 seniors on their 48-man roster.
“They have a lot of options to turn to,” Sjoroos said. “We don’t have that same depth, but you can only put 11 out there at a time. I think our guys are embracing the next-man-up mentality and that somebody has got to make plays. It is going to be tough sledding in the lines, there is a reason they have only given up a couple scores. Their front group is pretty solid, everybody on the Eagles defense looks like a willing tackler.”
West’s defense is led by senior linebacker Truss Irwin and their offense by senior quarterback Parker Grimm and senior running back (and linebacker) Manny Maga. Among returners are 2025 first-team all-state senior linebacker (and running back) Jesekaiah Tufue. Returning senior second-team selection JJ Chanhtaseng, wide receiver/defensive back, had 81 tackles last season. Preseason all-state junior offensive lineman Gideon Makihele is in the trenches and senior kicker Elias Sandberg has West’s school record for longest field goal at 40-plus yards. Also back is last season’s Alaska Punter of the Year, senior Gideon Plikat.
“First off, we are super excited for the challenge ahead,” West head coach Brown Faaaliga said. “Juneau is a well-coached team and they have a ton of playmakers on both sides of the ball. We expect a tough game from start to finish.”
Faaaliga was selected the 2025 Division I Coach of the Year.
“Football is the ultimate team sport,” Faaaliga said. “Our message this week is very simple, know your role and do your job. This will be a great test for our team…It is us versus us week in, week out. We are not competing against another team’s record, reputation or expectations. We are competing against our own standard.”
West is historically known for their fierce defensive play and have been called the “Westside Sack Exchange” as they rely on relentless pressure in the opponent’s backfield. Their offense is explosive, averaging 40 points per game against Cook Inlet opponents while giving up just 14 total points in their four wins inside Alaska.
JDHS has risen to every test this season. The Crimson Bears average 32.6 PPG and allow just 13.8. This is largely a credit to the offensive and defensive lines.
“The most impressive thing to me on both sides of the ball is how we have gelled,” JDHS lineman coach Jeff Hedges said. “We have four new starters on offense, one had never played OL before. On defense, two new starters, neither had played DL before.”
Among the many talented JDHS linemen are seniors Jake Chambers, Isaiah Galletes-Fale and Tyler Oudekerk, juniors Logan Womack, Helaman Aitaoto-Tele’a, Sean Fairchild, Liam Fenumiai, Leonidas Taualo-Tasi and Malik Shepperd and sophomore Tayt Whiteley (TE/DE). Their influence is showing on sophomores Soren Young, Byron Jack III and freshmen Vance Tupou, Channer Maki, Drake Paul, Cole Whiting, Tierney Bible and Kolten Hay, which helps JV defensive coordinator Zach Starboard.
“Coach Starboard has done a good job with continuity of message with the JV lines,” Hedges said. “That makes it easier to get Soren, Vance, Channer and Tierney into some opportunities on varsity…On offense, I emphasize playing as a unit. The analogy I use is we cannot be five fingers doing their own thing, we need to be a fist providing a punch for the run game. On defense, it is all about discipline. Line play is not the most glamorous, but it is essential. If we do our job we maintain gap integrity and keep the linebackers clean so they can make plays. If we stay disciplined the opportunity to make a play presents itself, and these guys have been making plays.”
Returning senior running back/defensive back all-state selection Ethan Van Kirk, senior quarterback and DB Krew Ridle, junior RB/DB/kicker Sonny Mazon, senior wide receiver/DB Sylvion Washington, senior WR/DB Avei Tuvaifale and junior WR/DB’s Beckham Kasler and Andrew Sanders have all prospered behind the line’s work. More importantly, the lines have allowed senior RB/LB Jaxin Jim, senior tight end/LB Chambers, junior RB/LB Jarry Maghinay, junior RB/LB Caleb Aube, and sophomore LB Carter Day, among others, to hit holes hard and fast and Mazon to have the time needed to put the pigskin wherever he desires.
“I have liked our ability to compete on the road and what we have learned from that,” Sjoroos said. “That has been a trouble spot for us for the last several years. These kids have found a formula that they are able to go into these tough environments and win a couple of football games, and that has put us in a good spot in the standings and to be playing our best football at the end of the year. And knowing that you've got to play some of these teams again, hopefully we can just continue to improve in certain areas and get ourselves ready for the playoffs starting in October. Obviously, this will be an unbelievable test Friday night, and we will kind of see where we stand. I am sure West is excited.”
Last week’s 41-27 win at Colony featured Ridle scoring five touchdowns off of 31 rushes for 177 yards, Van Kirk rushing 14 times for 66 yards, Washington, Jim and Aube also getting plays. Ridle only needed to pitch the ball three times for 40 yards and Washington earned two catches for 29 yards and Van Kirk one for 11 yards. Van Kirk’s pick-six highlighted the many times JDHS got their hands defensively on passes, which led to extra Crimson Bears possessions. Once again the line pressure by JDHS was key.
“I have got to credit our kids for not getting fazed early in games,” Sjoroos said. “Such as Service breaking off that big first-play scoring run and when South ran the opening kickoff in for a score. We just settled in there, made some plays and did a nice job after that... And the way they settled down in the fourth quarter last week, when Colony came back. We are a pretty resilient group. They recognize these games have a lot of momentum swings, and they know they have to stick together and find something that works and can be built on. A lot of times you can’t stop that bleeding, but this team isn’t like that. They settled in and played a great fourth quarter.”
The travel and weather elements of the game are finally in favor of the Crimson Bears. While JDHS has boarded early morning flights to play and adjust to unaccustomed weather, now the Eagles must try to fly in southeast Alaska’s unpredictable elements, which can act as Juneau’s “12th Man.”
“It looks like they are predicting rain,” Sjoroos said. “I don’t know what to make of that necessarily, if that is good or bad. I think the kids will be prepared to play whatever challenge is put in front of them.”
Whoever controls the ball should control the tempo of the game.
“Field position is also a big factor,” Sjoroos said. “In our games, we have spent a lot of time playing football on the opponent’s side of the field, and it is easier to drive 30 or 40 yards then it is to drive 90. Special teams will be a big fact and theirs has been really good. We are just trying to see where we can match up and not leave any hidden yards out there, so field position will be a big focal point, I’m sure, for both teams. If you can pick up some possessions where you are starting in the plus territory or in a good spot it definitely makes your offense usually flow a little better.”
Friday’s game against West is also “Flannel Friday” and fans are encouraged to find their best red and black flannel gear to wear.
At 1 p.m. Saturday, the Crimson Bears JV will play Sitka. During the Saturday JV game the Juneau Youth Football League cheerleaders with join the JDHS cheerleaders on the cheer line and cheer for the Crimson Bears during the entire second quarter.
ALL ALASKA POLL (Cook Inlet, Railbelt, Mid Alaska)
1. Lathrop (Fairbanks - RBC) 5-0; 2. West (Anchorage - CIC) 4-1; 3. Soldotna (Soldotna - RBC) 3-2; 4. South (Anchorage - CIC) 4-1; 5. Juneau-Douglas (Juneau - CIC) 4-1; 6. Palmer (Palmer - RBC) 4-1; 7. Wasilla (Wasilla - RBC) 4-1; 8. Kenai (Kenai - MAC) 3-1; 9. Colony (Palmer - CIC) 3-2; 10. Barrow (Utqiagvik - MAC) 3-1; 11. Chugiak (Chugiak - RBC) 3-2; 12. Redington (Wasilla - MAC) 2-3; 13. Bartlett (Anchorage - CIC) 2-3; 14. Service (Anchorage - CIC) 2-3; 15. North Pole (North Pole - RBC) 1-4; 16. Bettye Davis East (Anchorage - CIC) 1-4; 17. Dimond (Anchorage - CIC) 1-4; 18. West Valley (Fairbanks - RBC) 0-5; 19. Eagle River (Eagle River - RBC) 0-5; 20. Homer (Homer - MAC) 1-4; 21. Houston (Big Lake - MAC) 0-3.
(The Juneau Independent bases their standings on local readership knowledge, MaxPreps, ASBN, Sports Illustrated, ASAA, Alaska Sports Report, ASHOF, national state ranking polls and opinionated interviews).
STANDINGS/ WEEK 5 SCORES / WEEK 6 GAMES
DI COOK INLET
BIG HITS - JDHS’ 41-27 dismantling of Colony knocked the Knights back two steps and JDHS up one in the state’s toughest division. West retains their top spot and South moves up as both won but South travels to Colony this week and West flies south to Juneau. A win by either of the underdogs, if the lower seeds could be called that, will clinch a home playoff berth. Service travels to Bartlett with each needing this win to stay in the home playoff hunt.
1. West (4-0, 4-1); 2. South (3-1, 3-2); 3. JDHS (3-1, 4-1); 4. Colony (3-1, 3-2); 5. Service (1-3, 2-3); 6. East (1-3, 1-4); 7. Bartlett (1-3, 2-3); 8 - Dimond (0-3, 1-3).
Week 5 Scores:
West 20, Service 0
Juneau 41, Colony 27
South 52, Dimond 14
East 14, Bartlett 8
Week 6 Games:
Fri: Juneau 4-1 vs West 3-1 / West 53 Percent Chance To Win, Projected Score 28-27
Fri: Colony 3-1 vs South 3-2 / South 72% CTW, PS 22-14
Sat: East 1-4 vs Dimond 1-4 / East 95% CTW, PS 42-17
Sat: Bartlett 2-3 vs Service 2-3 / Service 60% CTW, PS 21-17
DII RAILBELT
BIG HITS - Four teams are battling in the Railbelt, trying to reach the second or third playoff spot in the standings so as not to face powerhouse Lathrop until the finals. Good luck. Chugiak has defeated the red lanterns of the conference and fallen to Wasilla and Palmer; Palmer did the same but added wins over Colony and Chugiak and, of course, fell to Lathrop; Soldotna did the same but also defeated Wasilla and fell to Lathrop; two 3-2 teams and two 4-1 teams are battling for three spots while Lathrop continues to roll.
1. Lathrop (4-0, 5-0); 2. Soldotna (3-1, 3-2); 3. Palmer (3-1, 4-1); 4. Wasilla (3-1, 4-1); 5. Chugiak (2-2, 3-2); 6. North Pole (1-3, 1-4); 7. West Valley (0-4, 0-5); 8. Eagle River (0-4, 0-5).
Week 5 Scores:
Lathrop 42, Palmer 26
Wasilla 35, West Valley 0
Soldotna 33, North Pole 6
Chugiak 21, Eagle River 0
Week 6 Games:
Fri: Chugiak 3-2 vs Lathrop 5-0 / Lathrop 99% CTW, PS 42-3
Fri: Palmer 4-1 vs West Valley 0-5 / Palmer 96% CTW, PS 35-7
Fri: North Pole 1-4 vs Wasilla 4-1 / Wasilla 84% CTW, PS 28-13
Sat: Eagle River 0-5 vs Soldotna 3-2 / Soldotna 99% CTW, PS 52-3
DIII MID ALASKA
BIG HITS - Kenai booted Barrow out of the undefeated ranks and out of third position in the combined DII-DIII poll. The Kardinals topped the Whalers 20-18 but remain in the fifth spot of the poll. The two teams do, however, flip-flop the top position in their Mid Alaska Conference ranking.
1. Kenai (3-0, 3-1); 2. Barrow (3-1, 3-1); 3. Redington (2-2, 2-3); 4. Homer (1-3, 1-4); 5. Houston (0-3, 0-3).
Week 5 Scores:
Kenai 20, Barrow 18
Redington 16, Homer 0
Week 6 Games:
Sat: Barrow 3-1 vs Homer 1-4 / Barrow 93% CTW, PS 35-12
Sat: Houston 0-3 vs Kenai 3-1 / Kenai 99% CTW, PS 64-3
D2-D3 Poll:
1. Laathrop 5-0 vs Palmer
2. Palmer 4-1 at Lathrop
3. Kenai 3-1 vs Houston (Big Lake)
4. Soldotna 3-2 vs Eagle River
5. Chugiak 3-2 vs Lathrop
DENALI 9-MAN
1. Student Wrestler Development Program (5-0); 2. Kodiak (4-1); 3. Seward (3-2); 4. Nikiski (2-3); 5. Monroe (1-4); 6. Valdez (0-5).
Week 5 Scores:
SWDP 78, Seward 6
Monroe 64, Valdez 6
Kodiak 46, Nikiski 20
Week 6 Games:
Fri: Kodiak 4-1 vs Seward 3-2 / Kodiak 74% CTW, PS 31-21
Sat: Monroe 1-4 vs SWDP 5-0 / SWDP 99% CTW, PS 48-3
ALASKA SPORTS REPORT - Athlete of the Week
Ethan Yarrington - The South football player ran for three touchdowns in the first half alone and finished with 11 carries for 133 yards. He also had an interception, a sack, and multiple tackles defensively in South’s win 52-14 win over Dimond on Friday. 1st runner-up - Samantha Bosco. Bosco won the women’s time trial at the World Para Road Cycling Championships in Huntsville, Alabama in the C4 category for lower limb impairment. Bosco, 39, who lived in Anchorage until moving to California at 11 years old, won a paralympic gold medal in the time trial in Paris in 2024. 2nd runner-up - Rosie Conway. The University of Montana freshman finished 15th overall and second on the Grizzlies team with a time of 18:20.6 in her collegiate debut at the WSU Cougar Classic in Pullman, WA. The time was a personal best for the former East High standout.
NOTE: Alaska Sports Hall of Fame executive director Harlow Robinson and Alaska sports journalists and photographers, including Beth Bragg, Matt Nevala, Van Williams, Kathleen Navarre, Arielle Himelbloom, Stephanie Burgoon, Doyle Woody, Jason Metrokin and Juneau Independent sports editor Klas Stolpe vote each week for athletes to be chosen for publishing in the Alaska Sports Report.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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