East High Football

[10/18/21]   After almost 24 hours I’m still in awe of the epic game we played yesterday. The back and forth game that both teams were deserving of winning had crazy play after crazy play. In the end your Tbirds with a 34-32 overtime win earned the right to play for their 3rd Alaska State Championship (yes, we know it’s really their 4th since last season should count) in the last 6 years. The game is set for 7 pm this Friday (10/22) at Service. Since we are playing Juneau who earned the #1 seed, we will be the visitors and in white. Let’s fill those stands, be loud, and turn it into a home game. We’ll see you all Friday. We’re heading to the ‘Ship! Go Tbirds!!

Game time is finalized. Let’s fill the stands and get loud. See you out there. Go Tbirds!

[10/11/21]   Onto the State Semi’s! The program started out slow, but finished strong to beat Service 48-14 on Saturday. I say the program, because while varsity players who have been there all year made highlight reel plays, we also the highest number of lower level players get into a playoff game and play significant time and make plays after just coming up from JV last Monday. We saw Sophomores step into a playoff game and make huge tackles on special teams and defense, and solid blocks on offense. The highlight being a diving interception by a defensive lineman playing in his first varsity game. No matter what happens the rest of these playoffs, East Football is secure and in good hands going forward with the group coming up.

Now that being said, we are not ready to be done yet. Our goal has always been another state championship. We now meet back up with West Saturday, October 16th. Game time will be finalized tomorrow, but it’s sounding like 3 pm. We will confirm that as soon as we hear. It seems like this match up always happens this time of year. We will need everyone to be there, and be loud. The game should be exciting with the winner heading to the AK State Championship. Time to battle. See you Saturday. Go Tbirds!

[10/07/21]   Well we were again blessed to have a lot of our players honored during All Conference selections. We have always felt each player fully deserves recognition for their performance throughout the year. However, these awards are also a great indication of the team we have and how each member contributes to the success of the others. There are many players who don't get mentioned here or at the level we/they would have liked, that are integral to the success and ability of our players to reach these goals. So that being said, here's your 2021 All Conference Award winners:

1st Team

Deuce Zimmerman: WR
Deuce Zimmerman: DB
Damarion Delaney: WR
Damarion Delaney: DB
Elijah Reed: RB
Kyler Johnson: QB
Calvin Aioso-Patea: ILB
Buster Stubbs: OLB
Jeremiah Adams: DL (DE)
TJ Poe: OL
Matthew Theriault: OL

2nd Team

RJ Letuli-Ropati: OL
Emil Hoeft: OL
Riley White: FB
Austin Johnson: DB
Dougie Samuele: DL
Peter Mataia: DL (DE)
Puni Pa’u: ILB

Honorable Mention

Markeitte Henry: WR
Josh Padilla: OLB
Puni Pa’u: RB
Mathias VaiVai: OL
Stanford Sheck: OL
Amosa Sou: RB
Su’a Timoteo: TE

CIC Offensive Lineman of the Year: Matthew Theriault
CIC Utility Player of the Year: Damarion Delaney
CIC Offensive Player of the Year: Elijah Reed

All players who were named 1st Team All CIC are eligible at the end of the season to be considered for selection to the Alaska All State Team and Player of the Year awards. Congratulations to all the players listed here and our entire team. You should all be proud of what this group has accomplished. Now let's finish the job and bring home the biggest award. Go Tbirds!

[10/06/21]   Good Evening Everyone. I apologize for the delay in getting the post out. There's always a ton of things going on this time of year. As we all obviously know, we have reached the end of the 2021 regular season. Given all the challenges that our families have gone through the past year, it amazes me the season we were able to have at all 3 levels.

C Team did not lose to another Freshmen only C team. The job by Coach BJ and Coach Tarini, and the players was really incredible. They ended the season with an epic win against a Bartlett Team where over 100 combined points were scored. This allowed C Team to win their 6th straight CIC Championship.

JV rebounded from an extremely tough loss earlier in the season to have some of the most dominating wins I've seen at that level to finish strong and earn the CIC Championship.

Varsity continues to have an incredible season. Even with graduating 31 seniors in 2020, these players stepped up and have improved every week and earned the #2 seed, and home playoff games, through the first 2 rounds of the playoffs as long as we win. This group has fought through family losses, Covid, and other challenges to get here. We're excited to see if they can reach their final goal and battle for another championship. Please be there this Saturday at 4 pm to energize us against Service.

Our program's future continues to be bright. Go Tbirds!

[09/29/21]   Quick update: East JV game against Dimond is now at 1 pm (previously scheduled at 11 am) at East this Saturday (10/2).

Also don’t forget to try to get over to Bartlett tomorrow (Wednesday, 9/29) at 4 pm to support our C Team in their final game of the 2021 season.

Go Tbirds!

[09/26/21]   Great weekend of football. Even with losing practice time all week due to bizarre weather, we were able to have another program sweep of Bartlett.

C Team stays undefeated against C only competition by dominating for the 3rd game in a row. Up next for C is their final game of the season, a rematch with Bartlett (Dimond has no C Team), Wednesday (9/29) at 4 pm but at Bartlett this time.

JV played outstanding. They were up huge early and never looked back earning a shutout. Next up Dimond JV on Saturday (10/2) for their final game of the season. Currently scheduled at 11 am. Attempting to shift it to 1 pm to roll into the Varsity game like this weekend. We will confirm the time as soon as we hear.

*A couple important things for C/JV:
1. A team picture will be taken by Life Touch prior to the C team leaving for Bartlett, and for the JV immediately after C and before the JV practice. Individual pics for both teams can be done when Varsity has their picture day on 10/11 if a family wants any.
2. Please be patient after the games. All C and JV players will be checking in gear (gear bags, helmets, shoulder pads, knee pads, practice pants, belts) once their games are finished. Please have practice pants clean. Practice Jersey, girdles, chin strap can be kept by the player. Game jerseys will be turned in. The game jerseys will be handed out at the banquet (date to be announced soon).

Varsity jumped to a 26-0 lead in a hard hitting battle, and held onto the Boot for the 5th straight year. Up next Homecoming & Senior Day against Dimond on Saturday (10/2) at 4 pm. Senior recognition will occur before the game. Senior parents please be there early per booster info. This is the final game of the 2021 regular season. Playoff schedule information will post next week after all seeding and game pairings are finalized.

Thanks again for the support. We’ve had big, loud crowds all season. It definitely helps pick up the team throughout the game. Looking forward to finishing this crazy season season strong at all 3 levels. See you at the games. Go Tbirds!

[09/24/21]   I hope you all either got to stay home today or safely got where you needed to drive to this morning. As most probably have seen, asd announced practices are cancelled for today. So no need to try to get your player to East later. Tomorrow/Saturday games and practices will be as scheduled barring any new craziness with the weather.

Schedule for Saturday, Sept 25th:

C Team: Practice 11 am to 1 pm. Dress for the weather.

JV: Meet for pre-game walk through at the lower gym no later than 10:45 am. Have shoes that can go on the gym floor and a mask. Kickoff for East JV vs Bartlett JV 1 pm.

Varsity: Meet for pre-game walk through at the lower gym no later than 11:45 am. Have shoes that can go on the gym floor and a mask. Kickoff for The Boot Game 4 pm.

Look forward to seeing you all out there. We’ll be ready to battle no matter the weather. Please be safe on the roads. Go Tbirds!

[09/24/21]   Hey Everyone, wanted to let you know the JV game against Bartlett is now at 1 pm Saturday at East instead of 11 am that the schedule had shown. Please help us spread the word since it’s short notice. Look forward to seeing you all there for Battle for the Boot. Go Tbirds!

[09/20/21]   We just had a really big weekend and a program sweep of West. All 3 levels played well during very tough and competitive games. All the games were intense and our teams showed great progress in their wins.

Now onto The Boot Week. Obviously this week means a lot to our program and our annual rivalry game with Bartlett. More importantly, we play the game to celebrate the life Aanooali "Auno" Filoialli. All 3 levels play at East again for the first time in 3 weeks. C Team has a short turn around and plays at 4 pm on Wednesday. JV (11 am) and Varsity (4 pm) play on Saturday. We’re excited to be home again. We hope to see all of you there to watch the games and help us honor Auno and his family. Take care and Go Tbirds!

[09/13/21]   Challenging weekend overall. We played a tough, well-coached Colony program. C Team finally got to play another C Team and dominated in their win. It seemed like playing JV and combined teams the previous weeks has prepared them well for the rest of the season.

I’m super proud of our JV. Struggling some and down 24 points at half time, they mounted a massive comeback. While they fell 2 points short, it demonstrated their toughness and will not to fold when there’s major adversity. I think this game showed more about them and their character than the games they won.

Varsity had a battle on their hands. Players stepped up to fill in for starters out and while our play was not always perfect, this team came out different in the 2nd half. We outscored Colony 20-3 in the half and won a big game that should determine playoff seedlings.

This week is always an exciting one. The East/West rivalry is a battle. These games are always hard fought, and can go a long way toward determining who wins the conference championship at all 3 levels. We’ll need our fans to show up on Friday for Varsity, and on Saturday for both C and JV at The Nest in force. We need it to feel like a home game. This last part of the season has some really huge games. Look forward to this weekend. Go Tbirds!

Good Evening Everyone. Well the weekend did not go as planned for all levels. Varsity hasn't loss since Oct, 2019, and it stings as badly as we all remember. The players and coaches were disappointed with their performance, and are determined to work harder and get back on track.

C Team battled their 3rd combo JV/C team out of the 4 games they've played. Our players go hard and are happy to get games given the challenges that have come up week to week. We're really proud of their effort and that they are ready to compete with anyone. They actually will get to play actual C Teams the next 4 weeks. We're excited to see how they do.

The JV has been dominating and is setting up our Varsity to continue to be a force in the future. They won again in convincing fashion this weekend to remain undefeated. They're exciting to watch, so try to make it our to cheer them on.

We've reached the half way point of the regular season. I've attached another calendar showing all practice and game days and times for September and the first few days of October. Please remember we try to stay as close to the schedule as possible. However, given the times we live, it can change quickly so we do our best to adapt when necessary. Please notice some C games are earlier on Wednesdays to finish the season.

This time of year every game becomes more important as playoff seeding begins to take shape. Our program we'll keep working to improve. We look forward to battling Colony this week. Those are always competitive games. Should be exciting to watch. We'll see you Thursday for C Team and Friday for JV and Varsity. Go Tbirds!

Good Evening Everyone. Well the weekend did not go as planned for all levels. Varsity hasn't loss since Oct, 2019, and it stings as badly as we all remember. The players and coaches were disappointed with their performance, and are determined to work harder and get back on track.

C Team battled their 3rd combo JV/C team out of the 4 games they've played. Our players go hard and are happy to get games given the challenges that have come up week to week. We're really proud of their effort and that they are ready to compete with anyone. They actually will get to play actual C Teams the next 4 weeks. We're excited to see how they do.

The JV has been dominating and is setting up our Varsity to continue to be a force in the future. They won again in convincing fashion this weekend to remain undefeated. They're exciting to watch, so try to make it our to cheer them on.

We've reached the half way point of the regular season. I've attached another calendar showing all practice and game days and times for September and the first few days of October. Please remember we try to stay as close to the schedule as possible. However, given the times we live, it can change quickly so we do our best to adapt when necessary. Please notice some C games are earlier on Wednesdays to finish the season.

This time of year every game becomes more important as playoff seeding begins to take shape. Our program we'll keep working to improve. We look forward to battling Colony this week. Those are always competitive games. Should be exciting to watch. We'll see you Thursday for C Team and Friday for JV and Varsity. Go Tbirds!

[09/01/21]   We just heard we were able to get our C Team a game. It will be this Saturday (9/4) at 11am at Chugiak High School. We’re really glad these guys were able to get a game. Please go support them. Go Tbirds!

[08/30/21]   Well the Tbirds battled Lathrop and darkness to win 50-26. All teams will be on the road the next 3 weeks including the JV and Varsity flying to Juneau Saturday. Information and permission slips went home last week. Permission must be in by Tuesday or risk that plane ticket being cancelled.

Thank you everyone for the support. Our crowds have been large and loud. It always helps lift us up. See you back in 3 weeks. Go Tbirds!

[08/27/21]   Good evening everyone, we apologize for the short notice but games and times kept changing. The game schedule for this weekend has had some significant changes due to unforeseen circumstances. The schedule is as follows for Friday, August 27th:

4 pm East C Team vs Lathrop C Team

6:30 pm East Varsity vs Lathrop

JV had to be cancelled unfortunately as Lathrop did not have enough players at that level available to play. Both programs were really disappointed, but safety of all players has to be each program’s first priority. We attempted multiple times to secure another game for our JV. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t possible to make it happen. The JV will be back in action against Juneau next Saturday along with the Varsity when they fly down to the Capital City.

Please come out tomorrow to support the C Team and Varsity. Atmosphere at the games has been incredible. We appreciate all the cheers and support. Go Tbirds!

[08/22/21]   Big weekend at home this weekend. C Team down most of the game dug deep and came back to win late in the 4th 22-20 over West’s C Team.

JV dominated from start to finish resulting in a running clock much of the 2nd half and a 50-0 shutout over South’s JV.

Varsity also dominated with a balanced attack and forcing turnovers for 59-22 win over South’s Varsity. The entire team committed to blocking for our running backs resulting in 417 yards rushing and 7 TD’s. That was combined with another 184 yards and 1 TD passing. 601 yards of offense especially with a running clock in the 4th quarter is insane. Defense came up with 4 turnovers and multiple 4th down stops that continually swung momentum back to us. It’ll be scary to see what this young team can achieve if we ever play a clean game.

Big games against Lathrop on Friday and Saturday coming up next. They’re coming off 2 huge wins, including beating SoHi this weekend, which only 2 other teams have done in the past decade. Should be more great games at East next weekend.

Thank you for the support at all 3 games. Nice to see and hear fans back in the stands again. Let’s keep this all going. Go Tbirds!

Get your gear for the games this weekend. We’ve been getting a ton of of requests for merch so grab it before it’s gone. You can buy online or at the game. Go Tbirds!

1st home games of the season. 1st home games in a really long time that there’s no limit on fans. Please come and support all the players. Fans were loud last weekend as the visitors. We’ll need to dial it up even more for these huge games. See you out there. Go Tbirds!