Under a full moon sat close to a thousand of fans for two rival teams, West and Bartlett. Everyone sat on cold metal-steel inside the Anchorage Football Stadium. Yet aside from the chills within their breaths they await. With only their anticipation for the football game heating them, both fans waited for the teams to start.

With a simple team walk towards their sidelines, a burst of excitement arose from both sides of the stadium. It was not only a football game, not only the semi-finals, nor a rematch, it was rivalry night between the two most diverse schools in the state. West Eagles against Bartlett Bears; a close and volatile game.

With West tying their score with Bartlett from the regular game, they came home with a 28-27 win. West held the Bears off with barely a couple seconds left on the clock at AFS.

When the battle for the finals was thought to be over with West coming home with a win, during the handshake line players had no sympathy for their opposing team. Two players from both sides shoved and pushed, and as true teammates from school others joined in. This caused an enormous fistfight with fans quickly jumping in. Coaches were forced to throw players to the side to try to stop the ruckus.

With West winning the game, Bartlett won the fight as one of the West players was beaten down to a broken rib causing the end of his season. Nate Geonson openly said, “I wasn’t playing that game I was on the bleachers supporting. Once the fight broke out everyone pitched in. In my opinion, there will always be bad blood between these teams.”

“Aside from the fight, we were a great team, which helped us grab the dub,” West’s Fia Faalata commented.

West had won seven games total this year with three losses, which included Bartlett and East. West has tied their score with Bartlett By grasping a win during the semi final match, They now face yet another team that they lost to during their regular season, the seemingly indestructible East Thunderbirds.

East only lost once during their opening season game against Soldotna High School. After that they seemed to be unstoppable beating every team in their path to states. They will be West opponent this year’s fight for Title as East stomps down Service Cougars for the spot at the state game at Service High field. Now all that remains is the great Bird Match between West Eagles and East Thunderbirds. Which bird will prevail in the sky after this year’s state finalist? All will be clear during the night of the Championships at the AFS (Anchorage Football Stadium) this Friday at 7 P.M. sharp.