Nikiski and Seward will face off for the nine-man football state championship Friday, Oct. 11, at 4 p.m. on Justin Maile Field at Soldotna High School.
The Bulldogs and Seahawks also were featured in the first nine-man state title game last season, with Seward winning 42-0 for its first undefeated season and first state football title in school history.
That game was played on a Saturday night at Colony High School. Nikiski coach Matt Trammell and Seward coach Tyler Mallory said this a game their teams would play anytime, anyplace, but having the game on the Kenai Peninsula this year does add to the excitement.
“Hopefully a lot of people in the community want to come see it,” Mallory said. “You’re going to see state championship level football.
“You’re going to see two teams that are a little bit of rivals and want to compete against each other, and they both want to win. And I don’t think there’s anything better than Friday night football in a small town.”
Trammell returns to his home field when he played football in high school.
“Hopefully there’s a lot of energy in the crowd, because it’s a 30-minute drive from Nikiski,” he said. “It puts less stress on the coaching side of things. You don’t have to deal with the travel and that kind of stuff.”
There are four schools in the state playing nine-man football. Seward earned the No. 1 seed by going 3-0 in the Denali Conference and 7-0 overall.
That includes a 74-0 victory over Kodiak, a Division III squad. Seward used nine players on offense, while Kodiak used 11 players on offense.
Getting the No. 1 seed meant the Seahawks had a bye in the first week of the playoffs. Mallory said the bye was needed after playing a big school like Kodiak.
“Some kids were banged up for the second half of the season,” Mallory said. “This gives us the ability to rest a little bit, lets the kids get back to the basics, and gives them a couple days off just to recuperate.”
Host Nikiski defeated Monroe Catholic 54-14 on Saturday in the semifinals of the nine-man football playoffs.
The Bulldogs (5-2 overall) were the No. 2 seed out of the Denali Conference while the Rams (1-6 overall) were the No. 3 seed.
Trammell wrote in a text message that senior quarterback Ethan Ellis was the player of the game. Ellis had three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns.
“We’re starting to play our best football of the year,” Trammell said. “When you’re coaching, that’s what you are looking for, right?”
Nikiski is 0-5 against Seward in these two years of nine-man football, most recently losing 36-14 on Sept. 13. In many of the games, the Bulldogs have taken an early lead only to watch the Seahawks storm back.
“They just don’t quit,” Trammell said of the Seahawks. “They almost enjoy getting punched in the mouth. We just have to be able to return fire.
“I know our kids are going to be up for it. They’re going to be motivated. But it’s about standing in the ring and eating punches.”
Mallory said his squad is not taking the Bulldogs lightly.
“We knew they’re physical, and they aren’t scared to hit,” he said. “They like playing football. They have some kids that are dangerous.
“We have to be ready to play.”
One of the reasons nine-man was created was so the small schools wouldn’t sustain a bunch of injuries playing against bigger schools. Both coaches said their teams are healthy going into the game.
Both coaches said this will be a great way for the seniors to go out. Seniors Brett Gilmore, Ronan Bickling, Hunter Forshee-Kurtz, Noah Price, Jack Gardner and Noah Bird have played all four years Mallory has been head coach. Martin Fink also will play his last game.
“It’s been a long haul of rebuilding over the last three to four years, of these kids coming in as freshmen and being expected to play varsity football against a bunch of big schools and big kids,” Mallory said. “They’ve stuck with it.”
Oliver Parrish, Lynn Deveer, Kevin Love, Everett Chamberlain, James Hemphill, Ellis, Wyatt Maguire, Jackson Wittmer and Zachariah Hockema will be on the field for the last time for Nikiski.
“For about half of the team, it’s the last week of football they’re probably ever going to play,” Trammell said. “That was the focus of practice.”
