Previous to manning the Empire sports desk, I had worked nine summers on salmon fishing boats. When football season started, I\u2019d be on a break in Ketchikan or Sitka, whiling away my off days over pints at the Pioneer Bar or the Asylum, when the alien-green turf of an NFL preseason game would blindside me. I\u2019d rub my unbelieving and welling peepers as the beautiful truth dawned on me in HD: It\u2019s football season in America.<\/p>\n
Beer tasted better and my work became easier as I diverted myself with thoughts of the NFC West outlook and the best draft strategy to dominate my fantasy league (FYI, the Taku Cutthroats are coming for a repeat title in the Southeast Superstar League). This year, off the boat and covering local sports professionally, the possibilities of yet another football season could not get me more excited.<\/p>\n
The beginning of the prep sports season marks a return to what we do best at the Empire sports desk. With Saturday\u2019s football opener at Adair-Kennedy Field, we\u2019re kicking it off with an interesting one, a Juneau sport where there are currently more questions than answers.<\/p>\n
Juneau-Douglas High School is fielding only 22 players this year but they\u2019re experienced with 15 juniors and a returning all-conference quarterback in Bubba Stults. Thunder Mountain High School is coming off a banner year, but the Falcons graduated their do-it-all, Adrian Peterson-like running back and winner of the 2015 Best Name in Juneau Sports Award Q\u2019on Bear-Clark (sorry, Ulyx Bohulano, you\u2019ll have your moment).<\/p>\n
Bear-Clark set the Juneau single-season rushing record last year, eclipsing Brian Felix\u2019 2003 record of 1,975 yards with 2,071 in 2015. In returning Stults from a broken back (!!!), JDHS will look to continue their pass-happy attack and contain opponents with a speedy defense.<\/p>\n
I have no idea who is going to take the Glacier Bowl this year. What I do know is that the rivalry will be fun to watch. Check out our full season previews at the Empire online for detailed outlooks on both teams.<\/p>\n
Covering high school sports is our first priority, so during the school year expect us to focus our energies on highlighting the exceptional prep athletes Thunder Mountain and Juneau-Douglas are known for.<\/p>\n
There will be pro, college and prep football games every month for the next seven months. I feel like my sports life has meaning again.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact Sports and Outdoors reporter Kevin Gullufsen at 523-2228 or kevin.gullufsen@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"