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This year's Juneau-Douglas High School Crimson Bears football team is less inexperienced, but there are still high expectations for the defending state champs that finished with a perfect 11-0 record last year.

The Crimson Bears were ranked first in a preseason high school football poll by the Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network. The poll is voted on by sports writers from around the state.

However, head coach Bill Chalmers didn't even know his team was ranked No. 1, and he will wait to see how his team performs this Saturday against the West Valley Wolf Pack in Fairbanks.

"This is going to be a real test for us because West Valley has everybody back from last year, and they picked up some (top) athletes from other places in the state. They have a new coaching staff, and they are primed to have the best season they've ever had," Chalmers said.

Juneau lost 12 players to graduation and will be less experienced than last year's team.

"Virtually everyone on the team will be playing a different position than they played last year. We are going to be an inexperienced team in a lot of positions" Chalmers said.

This year's team has 16 seniors but nine of them have never played varsity football. Seniors Joe Slagle and Victor Wilson, both JDHS soccer players, will take up kicking duties for the Bears this year; senior Cory Mahar, a JDHS baseball and basketball player, will play wide receiver and defensive back.

Juneau will get some more help from two new seniors who are transfer students from Tonga. Cousins Enoch Fifita (5'10" and 230 pounds) and Siasosi Maake (5'10" and 183 pounds) have the bodies of football players but remain untested on the football field. They played rugby in Tonga and this will be their first time playing American football.

Alex Fagerstrom, who played wide receiver last year, is expected to play quarterback this year. Fagerstrom has a shoulder injury and is expected to be the starting quarterback when his shoulder injury heals. JDHS senior Dakotah Smith will start at quarterback for Saturday's game against West Valley. Chalmers said Smith is a smart kid with quarterback experience at the junior varsity level.

During last season, Fagerstrom was selected as offensive player of the year for the state of Alaska, with 24 receptions, 587 receiving yards, and nine touch downs. Chalmers said that Fagerstrom will travel with the team this week but whether he plays will be depend on how he feels at game time.

JDHS was successful last year partly because they had a stifling pressure defense that held opposing teams in check. The Crimson Bear's defensive coach Eddie Brakes has high expectations for this year's team. Last season, Brakes was voted as assistant coach of the year by other coaches from around the state. Brakes helped engineer a stingy defense that was the best in the state and allowed an average of only 7.2 points per game.

"We lost several key players, but I think we just have high expectations every year with this program ... Different kids step up in the offseason (and) when the season starts. We usually have a real competitive team and we plan for nothing different this year," Brakes said.

Lincoln Maka, who was primarily a defensive specialist last year, will start tomorrow at running back. Maka was an all-state first team defensive back last year.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Bears former starting running back Silver Maake, who rushed for 1,200 yards last year, will sit out a one-game suspension for disciplinary reasons. Chalmers hopes Maake will make his return to the team but said it will depend on him showing that he wants to be there.

The Crimson Bears start their quest to defend the state title at 1 p.m. Saturday against the West Valley Wolf Pack in Fairbanks. The Bears will play their first home game the following week on Aug. 16 against Wasilla.

• Erik Stimpfle is a writer living in Juneau. He can be contacted at stimpfle@gci.net.

2008 Varsity Schedule

Aug. 9 JDHS @ West Valley

Aug. 16 Wasilla @ JDHS

Aug. 23 Blackfoot @ JDHS

Aug. 29 JDHS @ Palmer

Sept. 6 JDHS @ Lake Oswego

Sept. 12 North Pole @ JDHS

Sept. 19 Lathrop @ JDHS

Sept. 27 JDHS @ Colony

Playoffs

Oct. 3-4 Quarterfinals

Oct. 10-11 Semi-finals

Oct. 18 State Championship

2008 Junior Varsity Schedule

Aug. 9 JDHS @ West Valley

Aug. 16 Wasilla @ JDHS

Aug. 23 Sitka/Ketchikan @ JDHS

Aug. 29 JDHS @ Palmer

Sept. 6 JDHS @ Sitka

Sept. 12 North Pole @ JDHS

Sept. 19 Lathrop @ JDHS

Sept. 27 JDHS @ Colony

Pre-season AlaskaHigh School Football poll

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Juneau-Douglas (8)

2. South (2)

3. Bartlett

4. Service (1)

5. Colony

• Other schools receiving votes were Palmer and East

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Kodiak (7)

2. Sohi (2)

3. Eielson (2)

4. Kenai

5. Skyview

• Others Receiving votes wereNikiski, Homer and Houston

•• Parentheses denote first-place votes