ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – When Seward played in the Mid-Alaska Conference two years ago, the Seahawks couldn’t really do much.
They gave up at least 30 points in all but two games and finished their 1-6 season with a familiar lopsided loss.
However, since then, the Seahawks have yet to lose a single game. In four matchups, the Seahawks scored a whopping 60 points or more. They capped off this year with a 36-6 victory over Nikiski to claim back-to-back state championships.
So what changed? Was it adding new talent or changing the coaching staff? Those are great guesses. But as it turns out, all it took was removing some players from the turf.
For two years, Seward, Nikiski, Valdez and Monroe Catholic have played nine-man football. Before closing its doors last year, Ben Eielson was also a part of the league. It’s a version of the sport that’s helped alleviate previous roster issues. Due to a combination of lower enrollment and youth participation, it can be a struggle for some schools to field a standard team.
“We have 17 kids, and they have 19 or 20 kids,” Seward coach Tyler Mallory said after Friday’s state championship. “When we play teams like Kenai or Homer or all these other teams that have 60, 70, 80 kids in their program. There’s just a point where it’s not feasible to do anymore. We don’t have subs. We don’t have those kids. I’m asking freshmen to go play varsity football game, and that’s not the right way.”
So, when it comes to the differences, where does nine-man break from your standard 11 on 11?
Aside from two less players, the biggest change comes on the offensive side of the ball, specifically in the trenches. In 11-man football, the edges of the offensive line are reserved for left and right tackles. Typically, these are the two largest linemen and best outright blockers.
In nine-man however, those positions are replaced with either tight ends or wide receivers. In essence, nine-man football is exactly what people watch on Sundays, only this time, linemen become eligible receivers.
On defense, things remain remotely the same. The typical formation will consist of three linemen, three linebackers and three defensive backs. One of which is usually a safety, or “lurker,” hovering over the top.
“Numbers don’t matter anymore,” Mallory said. “You got to make sure your kids know, online, offline, all that stuff.”
“It was definitely hard to adjust having tackles or tight ends being eligible receivers and figuring out different blocking assignments,” Seward running back Ronan Bickling said. “It’s a lot more open space.”
The open space enhances the skill sets of players like Bickling.
“I’m pretty fast, and so it kind of suits my playing style,” Bickling said.
“I didn’t know what to think about it ‘til we hopped in it,” wide receiver Emerson Cross said. “It just felt great.
For some, it’s a transition on the competitive level.
From 2017 to 2022, Seward won no more than two games in a single season. In that same span, Nikiski’s highest total was four. But for Valdez and Monroe Catholic, this change has not just helped them on the field, it’s practically saved their programs.
The Bucs didn’t field a team in 2022, while the Rams hadn’t competed in football for the last two years.
“I run track with these guys. I play football with these guys,” Bickling said. “To be able to play here with everyone and have this moment and win with them, I’m just so grateful for my brothers and to have them here today.”
Seward will look to add a third trophy to its case when the nine-man season resumes in 2025.
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