Alaska High School Football Elite 12 State Rankings (Oct. 12, 2026)

Lathrop holds the top spot in Alaska's Elite 12, but West Anchorage, three-time defending champion Soldotna and a competitive group of challengers are chasing a strong finish as the postseason heats up.

Soldotna, which has won 14 state championships in the past 18 seasons, is seeking its fourth consecutive Division II title. | Soldotna High School Athletics on X

The Alaska high school football postseason kicked off last weekend, and it already delivered a couple of surprises in Division III.

No. 4 seed Kenai Central won at top-seeded Barrow, 34-20, while No. 3 seed Homer defeated No. 2 Redington, 6-0. That means the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will meet Saturday for the Division III state championship.

But that only tells part of the story. Consider that Kenai Central opened the season with back-to-back wins over Homer and Redington by scores of 52-6 and 68-18, respectively, en route to a 4-1 start. Then, somehow, the Kardinals lost to both teams in late-season rematches, falling 24-19 to Redington and 7-6 to Homer.

To reiterate, Kenai Central lost to two teams it had beaten by a combined score of 120-24 in August. In the process, the Kardinals went from the top team in Division III to the No. 4 seed, while Barrow climbed to the No. 1 spot.

Homer, meanwhile, was flailing at 1-5 before upsetting Kenai Central in the regular-season finale to secure the No. 3 seed. Redington, which had also beaten Homer 16-0 on Sept. 11, climbed all the way to No. 2.

None of it makes much sense, but suffice it to say that both Homer and Kenai Central found a second wind when they needed it most. They'll play for the title at noon Alaska time Saturday in Wasilla, just ahead of the Division II championship game at 4 p.m. That matchup features the two teams that have occupied the top of the division all season: Alaska's No. 1 overall team, Lathrop, and the state's No. 3 team, Soldotna.

Lathrop won the regular-season meeting in a hard-fought 23-20 affair, making the rematch feel like a coin flip heading into the finale.

Finally, the Division I semifinals will be staged at campus sites, with top-seeded West Anchorage hosting No. 4 Colony and No. 2 South Anchorage welcoming No. 3 Juneau-Douglas. The championship game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, at Colony.

This is the weekly High School On SI Alaska Elite 12 Football State Rankings.

High School On SI

PREVIOUS: PRESEASON | WK1 | WK2 | WK3 | WK4 | WK5 | WK6 | WK7 | WK8

1. Lathrop

Record: 9-0

Previous Rank: 1

Last Week: Lathrop 57, Palmer 27

Loss(es): None

Lathrop continued its dominant run with a 57-27 victory over Palmer in the Division II semifinals, improving to 9-0 and moving one win away from a state championship. The Malemutes will face Soldotna in the title game, setting up a showdown between Alaska's top-ranked team and the state's all-time most successful program.

2. West Anchorage

Record: 8-1

Previous Rank: 2

Last Week: West Anchorage 49, Dimond 7

Loss(es): Heritage (Colo.), 38-16

West Anchorage opened the Division I playoffs in emphatic fashion, rolling past Dimond 49-7 to advance to the semifinals. The Eagles will face Colony next as they continue their push toward a state championship.

3. Soldotna

Record: 7-2

Previous Rank: 3

Last Week: Soldotna 46, Wasilla 8

Loss(es): Star Valley (Wyo.), 35-28; Lathrop, 23-20

Soldotna made a statement in the Division II semifinals, overwhelming Wasilla 46-8 to secure its place in the championship game. The Stars will face unbeaten Lathrop for the title in a matchup that promises to be one of the season's biggest tests.

4. South Anchorage

Record: 7-2

Previous Rank: 4

Last Week: South Anchorage 7, Bartlett 0

Loss(es): Lathrop, 27-16; West Anchorage, 21-14

South Anchorage advanced in the Division I playoffs with a hard-fought 7-0 shutout of Bartlett. The defending-champion Wolverines will meet Juneau-Douglas in the semifinals as they continue their bid to repeat.

5. Juneau-Douglas

Record: 6-3

Previous Rank: 5

Last Week: Juneau-Douglas 35, Bettye Davis East Anchorage 14

Loss(es): South Anchorage, 16-6; West Anchorage, 21-9; Dimond, 28-27

Juneau-Douglas punched its ticket to the Division I semifinals with a 35-14 victory over Bettye Davis East Anchorage. The Crimson Bears will face South Anchorage next in a high-stakes matchup with a spot in the state championship game on the line.

6. Wasilla

Record: 6-2

Previous Rank: 6

Last Week: Soldotna 46, Wasilla 8

Loss(es): Soldotna, 49-14; Lathrop, 41-14; Soldotna, 46-8

Wasilla's season took a hit in the Division II semifinals, as the Warriors fell 46-8 to Soldotna. Wasilla finishes its playoff run short of the championship game, but its place among Alaska's leading programs reflects another competitive season.

7. Palmer

Record: 5-4

Previous Rank: 7

Last Week: Lathrop 57, Palmer 27

Loss(es): Lathrop, 42-26; Soldotna, 47-14; Wasilla, 41-33; Lathrop, 57-27

Palmer couldn't keep pace with unbeaten Lathrop, falling 57-27 in the Division II semifinals. The Moose bow out of the playoff race after reaching the final four, while Lathrop advances to the state title game.

8. Colony

Record: 5-4

Previous Rank: 8

Last Week: Colony 22, Service 14

Loss(es): Palmer, 14-7; Juneau-Douglas, 41-27; South Anchorage, 20-0; West Anchorage, 45-7

Colony earned a valuable Division I playoff victory, defeating Service 22-14 to advance to the semifinals. The Knights will face top-seeded West Anchorage next in a challenging matchup with a championship-game berth at stake.

9. Service

Record: 4-5

Previous Rank: 9

Last Week: Colony 22, Service 14

Loss(es): Colony, 26-10; Juneau-Douglas, 47-12; West Anchorage, 20-0; South Anchorage, 24-0; Colony, 22-14

Service saw its Division I playoff run end with a 22-14 loss to Colony. The Cougars were unable to overcome the Knights in a close contest, leaving them to look ahead after a season in which they remained among Anchorage's notable contenders.

10. Kenai Central

Record: 5-3

Previous Rank: Unranked

Last Week: Kenai Central 34, Barrow 20

Loss(es): Wasilla, 21-14; Redington, 24-19; Homer, 7-6

Kenai Central pulled off one of the weekend's biggest surprises, knocking off top-seeded Barrow 34-20 in the Division III semifinals. The Kardinals advance to the state championship game against Homer with a chance to cap their season with a title.

11. North Pole

Record: 3-5

Previous Rank: 12

Last Week: Season has concluded

Loss(es): Lathrop, 49-0; Palmer, 32-26; Juneau-Douglas, 52-0; Soldotna, 33-6; Wasilla, 28-6

North Pole finished its regular season in convincing fashion, shutting out Eagle River 50-0 on Oct. 3.

12. Homer

Record: 3-5

Previous Rank: Unranked

Last Week: Homer 6, Redington 0

Loss(es): Kenai Central, 52-6; Barrow, 40-22; Dimond, 42-34; Redington, 16-0; Barrow, 36-6

Homer advanced to the Division III state championship game with a 6-0 shutout of Redington in the semifinals. The Mariners will face Kenai Central for the title after surviving a defensive battle to keep their championship hopes alive.

Final Analysis

Alaska's postseason will ultimately determine which teams can turn their place among the state's elite into a championship finish. Lathrop leads the way, but West Anchorage, and Soldotna stand ready to challenge or the top spot next week should the Malemutes stumble.