South quarterback Cole Yarrington (right) shows love to an offensive lineman at the end of last week’s semifinal win. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
No matter what happens in Saturday night’s ASAA Division I First National Bowl, history will be made for one head coach.
South’s John Lewis and West’s Tim Davis each are shooting for a fourth state title, which would tie the record shared by Bruce Shearer and Byron Wilson.
Lewis and Davis have faced off 10 times since 2010, with Davis holding a 6-4 lead.
But Lewis holds a 2-1 edge in the playoffs, which includes a state title over Davis in 2014.
The head-to-head matchup brings out the best in these guys.
“If you’re afraid to compete against top programs and coaches, you’re in the wrong business,” Lewis said. “Tim has earned everything he has worked for, and for the kids.”
THIS SATURDAY!! The 2023 ASAA First National Bowl DI Championship… South Anchorage Wolverines vs. West Anchorage Eagles Saturday, 6:30pm at Service HS.
Purchase tickets before you arrive at https://t.co/Brr9AIwqTt! Same price as at the gate! #FNB23 @FNBAlaska pic.twitter.com/Hpb6TeXbp6— ASAA (@ASAA_org) October 19, 2023
Top-seeded West (9-2) has rolled over opponents in its nine games in Alaska with a 33-point average margin of victory.
Underdog South (5-5) used a late-season run to gain steam and ride that momentum in the playoffs to reach the title game as a No. 7 seed.
“Hats off to that coaching staff and those kids. They play so dang hard,” Davis said of South.
“They play hard football. They play hard for each other.”
Davis, who became coach at West in 2010, ranks seventh all-time in Alaska high school football history with 105 wins, tied with Bob Boudreaux, who coached 22 years at Soldotna, Kenai and Service.
Meanwhile, Lewis, who has been at South on and off since 2004, ranks fifth among Cook Inlet Conference coaches with 86 wins, three behind Duncan Shackelford, who coached 22 years at Chugiak and Dimond.
Getting back to Shearer and Wilson, they were among the best to ever do it in Alaska. A couple of old-school legends.
In addition to each coach having four state titles, they both led their squads to back-to-back-to-back championships with Shearer’s East T-birds winning in 1985, 1986 and 1987 and Wilson’s Service Cougars in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
ASAA DI First National Bowl
| YEAR | TITLE GAME | HEAD COACH |
| 2022 | Colony 14 Juneau 7 | Robbie Nash |
| 2021 | East 30 Juneau 17 | Jeff Trotter |
| 2020 | No Game | – |
| 2019 | South 27 Service 13 | Walter Harmon |
| 2018 | East 35 West 6 | Jeff Trotter |
| 2017 | Bartlett 40 West 33 | Jessen & Esparza |
| 2016 | East 13 West 7 | Jeff Trotter |
| 2015 | West 41 Chugiak 0 | Tim Davis |
| 2014 | South 20 West 6 | John Lewis |
| 2013 | West 28 Service 16 | Tim Davis |
| 2012 | South 28 Service 19 | John Lewis |
| 2011 | Service 37 South 23 | Jason Caldarera |
| 2010 | West 6 Service 0 | Tim Davis |
| 2009 | Bartlett 21 Chugiak 3 | John Jessen |
| 2008 | Service 22 Juneau 14 | Jason Caldarera |
| 2007 | Juneau 23 Palmer 13 | Bill Chalmers |
| 2006 | South 26 Colony 16 | John Lewis |
| 2005 | Juneau 49 Palmer 29 | Bill Chalmers |
| 2004 | North Pole 44 West 13 | Buck Nystrom |
| 2003 | East 33 Juneau 15 | Roger Spackman |
| 2002 | Bartlett 34 Chugiak 13 | John Jessen |
| 2001 | Dimond 16 Bartlett 0 | Duncan Shackelford |
| 2000 | Dimond 28 Colony 21 | Duncan Shackelford |
| 1999 | Service 49 Wasilla 0 | Byron Wilson |
| 1998 | Service 48 Dimond 20 | Byron Wilson |
| 1997 | Service 47 Chugiak 14 | Byron Wilson |
| 1996 | Chugiak 24 Palmer 19 | Bruce Shearer |
| 1995 | Palmer 12 Chugiak 7 | Rod Christiansen |
| 1994 | Service 16 Chugiak 14 | Byron Wilson |
| 1993 | Dimond 20 Eielson 19 | Danny Stevens |
| 1992 | Eielson 28 Soldotna 9 | Buck Nystrom |
| 1991 | Bartlett 27 Eielson 0 | Gary Beller |
| 1990 | East 36 Soldotna 7 | Mark Whitehurst |
| 1989 | Bartlett 14 West Valley 7 | Gary Beller |
| 1988 | Chugiak 20 Soldotna 18 | Tom Huffer Sr. |
| 1987 | East 41 North Pole 6 | Bruce Shearer |
| 1986 | East 29 Palmer 18 | Bruce Shearer |
| 1985 | East 26 Lathrop 0 | Bruce Shearer |
| 1984 | Chugiak 8 Lathrop 5 | Tom Huffer Sr. |
| 1983 | Dimond 21 Soldotna 0 | Bill Sterns |
West’s Azariah Atonio has passed for 2,096 yards this season. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
Title Game Records
PASSING
Completions
18 – Koa Bailey, Chugiak 1997
18 – Kevin Reilly, Service 2008
Touchdowns
3 – Derek Laws, East 2003
3 – Sean Duffy, West 2015
Yards
300 – Sean Duffy, West 2015
Longest TD
69 – Barrett Allen, Chugiak 1994
RUSHING
Touchdowns
4 – Mike Harms, East 1987
4 – Brandon Drumm, Service 1997
4 – Dominique Maddox, Service 1998
Yards
351 – Tres Saldivar, Juneau 2005
Longest TD
91 – Brandon Drumm, Service 1997
RECEIVING
Touchdowns
3 – Casey Flair, East 2003
Yards
185 – Shanai Leon, West 2015
Receptions
11 – Shanai Leon, West 2015
Longest TD
69 – John Rajek, Chugiak 1994
DEFENSE
Interceptions
4 – Mikah Boudreaux, Soldotna 1992
4 – Cory Wardrope, Chugiak 2002
Longest Interception Return TD
95 – Sylvester Johnson, Chugiak 1995
Longest Fumble Return TD
30 – Caadyn Stephen, West 2017
SPECIAL TEAMS
Longest Punt Return TD
65 – Jamal Hale, Bartlett 2009
Longest Kickoff Return TD
88 – Gabe Steele, South 2011
Longest Field Goal
38 – George Percak-Dennett, Colony 2006