The Wiz of Odds

Barrow's Season Comes to a Close

Barrow High's program has come a long way since the team was formed in 2006. The Whalers played that first season on a gravelly field that had served as research facility for the U.S. Navy during the Cold War years. Barrow won only one of its six games, but the football bug took hold and considerable progress was made before season No. 2, highlighted by the installation of an artificial turf playing surface.

Fast forward to Saturday, and the Whalers were making their third consecutive appearance in the Alaska playoffs. The opponent was defending state small schools champion Kenai, and the visiting Whalers never got started, dropping a 25-0 decision.

Budd Goodyear, our guy in Alaska, sent along several photos of the game, which was played in a steady rain.

Barrow's Road to Playoffs Hits a Dead End

The prep season is winding to a close in Alaska, and the Barrow High Whalers traveled Saturday to Nikiski for a Greatland Conference game against the league-leading Bulldogs. The Whalers turned the ball over on their first three possessions and were steamrolled by the Bulldogs, 47-7.

Budd Goodyear, our man in Alaska, made the trip to Nikiski and sent along several photos. Conditions were ideal for football in the 49th state, with daytime highs in the 50s.

Barrow is 4-3 with a road game at Delta Junction next Saturday to close the season.

Barrow Is at Home in Victory

The Barrow High Whalers were back in their comfort zone Saturday, rolling to a 42-22 victory over the Valdez Buccaneers in the Pipeline Trophy game at Cathy Parker Field.

The trophy represents the Alaska prep teams at opposite ends of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which starts at the Arctic Ocean east of Barrow and ends at the Gulf of Alaska at Valdez.

According to Barrow resident Budd Goodyear, who supplied the Wiz with photos from the game, the temperature at kickoff was 37 with an east wind at 15 mph. There was a light drizzle and mist during much of the first half when visibility decreased to less than a quarter mile.

Barrow High Opens With a Special Victory

The season has officially started 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Barrow High needed late heroics from Eddie Benson to defeat the South Anchorage junior varsity, 14-8, in a nonconference game Saturday at Cathy Parker Field in Barrow, Alaska.

With the score tied, 8-8, Benson fielded a punt at the Wolverine 45 and returned it for the winning touchdown with 2:15 left in the fourth quarter.

"If it had gone over his head, we would have still been in good field position," Barrow coach Mark Voss told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. "It was just one of those things where we got the ball to bounce our way."

Barrow had tied the score at 8 with six minutes left by blocking a punt that went out the end zone for a safety.

A Sure Sign That Football Is Just Around the Corner

The start of the season for the Barrow High Whalers is just over a month away, but the North Slope Borough School District is making full use of Cathy Parker Field by playing host to the Top of the World Sports and Leadership Camp.

Barrow resident Budd Goodyear was kind enough to send two photos from the camp, which concludes today. If you're wondering what life is like 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle this time of the year, Budd sent along the following note:

Barrow Can't Get Started in a 48-13 Loss

Three games, three losses. Barrow High played host to the Eielson Ravens on Saturday, but it was more of the same for the Whalers, who were saddled with a 48-13 loss.

Budd Goodyear, our man in Barrow, once again sent us a photo package, including the image above of Raven running back Zech Ellingson avoiding two Whaler defenders during the second half.