newsminer.com

Only the Eielson Ravens have a reason to smile when perusing the latest Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network football poll, which was released Tuesday.

The Ravens, who remained at No. 2 in the small schools poll, are the only Interior team that made the top five in either poll. Eielson defeated the Seward Seahawks 35-0 on Saturday in Seward, but didn't move up despite preseason No. 1 Soldotna dropping to No. 4 after a 34-21 defeat at the hands of West Anchorage.

Instead, the Kenai Kardinals, who handily beat the Lathrop Malemutes 47-0 on Friday in Kenai, took the top spot.

North Pole, the large schools preseason No. 1, dropped out of the top five after suffering a 17-7 loss to the Colony Knights on Saturday in Palmer. Colony jumped to No. 2.

In all, teams north of Denali went 2-5 in week one, with one victory guaranteed to go to an Interior team: the Monroe Catholic Rams' 42-0 win over the Delta Junction Huskies on Saturday in Delta Junction.

After the games, every Interior coach mentioned the effect of the recent cloud of wildfire smoke that settled in the Fairbanks area. North Pole coach Richard Henert noted his team looked less in shape than the Knights. Even Eielson coach David DeVaughn said the Ravens' offense struggled a bit before halftime, and diagnosed it as a symptom of lacking outdoor practice.

The top five in each category:

Large schools — 1. Bartlett, 2. Colony, 3. Service, 4. Juneau-Douglas, 5. Chugiak

Small schools — 1. Kenai, 2. Eielson, 3.Kodiak, 4. Soldotna, 5. Homer