Deuce Alailefaleula had a big senior season, winning Gatorade POY and Cook Inlet Conference Defensive POY honors as well as leading Bartlett to the ASAA First National Bowl. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
In the nearly 40-year history of the Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year award, a large majority of the winners played on both sides of the ball. Several winners played only on offense, but only a handful played primarily on defense.
It can be tough for nose tackles, edge rushers, linebackers and corners to steal the spotlight in a sport defined by touchdowns, but occasionally, a dominant defensive playmaker will make himself impossible to ignore.
In 2025, that player was Bartlett’s Deuce Alailefaleula.
The 6-foot-1, 290-pound senior lineman was a man among boys this season as he racked up 77 solo tackles, 14 sacks and eight blocked kicks in nine games to become the third Bartlett player to win Gatorade POY honors. Winners in each state were announced on Friday morning.
Alailefaleula was a menace and monkey wrench, a disruptive defensive stalwart who forced opponents to alter their game plan or abandon it altogether.
“When you have the answer on the best way to beat him, please let me know,” East coach Jeff Trotter said.
It was clear that if Alailefaleula didn’t win the Gatorade award this year, a defensive player would likely never win the award again. He wasn’t just a game changer, he was a nightmare for opposing coaches, the kind of one-man wrecking ball who was unstoppable even when defensive coordinators focused on stopping him.
At Boise State, Alailefaleula will play Division I football like his brother Niko (Southern Utah) and dad Tui (Washington). Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
The Boise State-bound big man averaged 13 tackles per game, with nearly half of them resulting in a loss of yards. The Cook Inlet Conference Defensive Player of the Year anchored a defense that allowed just 9.9 points per game.
“A monster on the field and in my mind one of the best to come out of Alaska,” said South coach John Lewis.
Before Alailefaleula, a primarily defensive player hadn’t won the Gatorade award since West linebacker Ryan Holmquist in 2004. Before that it was Service linebacker T.J. Gittins in 1998 and Dimond linebacker Brian Haas in 1987.
In terms of Bartlett history, he’s the school’s third winner, joining running back Ethan Falaniko (2015) and defensive back/wide receiver Zack Bowman (2002).
Alailefaleula delivers a bone-crushing hit on East’s Prince Siliato. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
