August 14th, 2025 by Seward Folly Staff

If you walk past the Seward High School athletic fields these days, you’ll see a football team getting down to work. The Seward Seahawks, back-to-back State Champions, are rolling into a new season with high hopes, and this year, they’re practicing on a new astroturf field that’s already making a difference.

The mood at practice is robust. With sunshine overhead, a warm breeze blowing, and the turf shining a bold, bright green, the Seahawks look as ready as ever. Players and coaches alike can’t stop grinning. There’s a sense that this is a team comfortable with each other and confident.

Heading up the Seahawks for his fifth straight season is Head Coach Tyler Mallory, a familiar face who’s been with the program for nearly a decade. Alongside him are assistant coaches Cole Petersen, Nick Moseman, Chris Thompson, and Erik Lane, each bringing their own brand of energy and expertise to the sideline.

The Seahawks compete in the state’s only nine-man football conference, the Denali Conference, and they’re about to kick off a seven-game schedule that opens at Nikiski this Saturday. There’s even a new challenger on the block: the Student Wrestling Development Program, a private school out of Fairbanks, has joined the conference. It’s one more reason to keep an eye on this season.

“We have seven games this season, starting with Nikiski this coming Saturday. We’ll go out and compete to our best level in each game. We hope to repeat as State Champions. That’s the goal.”

Coach Mallory is clear about the mission.

The Seahawks are fielding a 20-man roster this year, right on par with seasons past. Four experienced seniors, all serving as team captains, anchor the squad. They credit Coach Mallory’s leadership and the team’s persistent work ethic for Seward’s ongoing success. But there’s something new fueling their excitement this time around: the astroturf.

Gone are the days of muddy, chewed-up grass slowing down their high-octane offense.

Quarterback and defensive end Emerson Cross can’t say enough about the upgrade: “The turf is amazing. It’s very soft, although the little black pellets get all over the place. We don’t have to deal with mud and tear up the field now. Before, it was difficult to run plays. It’s so nice.”

He’s aiming to help Seward bring home its third consecutive state championship.

Wide receiver and defensive back Lane Petersen remembers the bad old days of endless rain and a field that looked more like a swamp: “The new field is awesome. Everyone is a hard worker and puts in the work needed. We all get along.”

For Lane, football is all about the intensity and adrenaline, a high-energy game on a field finally worthy of their speed and running plays.

Micah Brueckner, a senior and four-year Seahawk veteran, laughs about the old divot in the center of the grass field: “If you were tackled in that area, your face would be underwater.” Now, as a track sprinter and hurdler, he calls the new turf “fast,” with just one complaint: “The turf pellets do get into the players’ socks.”

Micah’s confident Seward has what it takes to win State again: “We have a lot of skill coming back and we have what it takes to win. We just need to put in the work.”

Seahawk Football Schedule:

• Sat, Aug. 16: Nikiski (Away) 3:00 p.m.
• Sat, Aug. 23: Monroe (Away) TBA
• Sat, Aug. 30: Valdez (Home) 12:00 p.m.
• Sat, Sept. 6: SWDP (Away) TBA
• Sat, Sept. 13: BYE
• Sat, Sept. 20: Valdez (Away) TBA
• Fri, Sept. 26: Nikiski (Home) 5:00 p.m.
• Fri, Oct. 3: Monroe (Homecoming) 4:30 p.m.*
• Fri/Sat, Oct. 10-11: Playoffs Round 1 TBA
• Fri/Sat, Oct. 17-18: Playoff Finals TBA

(*Note: If referee coverage is unavailable for Saturday, the homecoming game will be held Friday.)

With a talented roster, a proven coaching staff, and a long-overdue new field, the Seward Seahawks are ready to chase another title. And if their smiles at practice are any indication, they just might pull it off.

2025 Seward Seahawks Roster:

Emerson Cross, Lane Petersen, Micah Brueckner, Camden Schrock, Cai Turner, Hunter Price, Hayden Campbell, Brock Barson, Ridge Conant, Jonas Moseman, Quinn Humbert, Kohana Albino, Avery Staggs, Atlin Ryan, Chiron Cross, Finn Bird, Robert Withrow, Kat Noll