From takedowns to tackling: How a wrestling academy rose to 9-man football prominence in Alaska
Student Wrestling Development Program senior Alex Kemp leads the team during introductions before the 9-man state football championship against Seward on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Redington High School. (Photo provided by Kayla Kaikala)
One of the fastest-growing sports on the Alaska high school scene is 9-man football.
The modified version of the popular American sport just wrapped up its third season Saturday and saw the Student Wrestling Development Program claim its first state championship, capping off a dominant inaugural campaign.
SWDP topped Seward 40-18 to take the title.
“It feels awesome and is a culmination of a lot of hard work from behind the scenes from (athletic director) Wes Bockert,” Archangels head coach Heath Martin said. “He had this vision two years ago.”
The first time he was approached with the idea of starting the school’s football team, Martin balked. His son, Braiden, was the starting quarterback at North Pole High School, and he wanted him to finish his career as a Patriot.
“This season, I was out of excuses, so I said I guess I better jump in and help bring this vision into a reality,” Martin said. “It’s fulfilling to see it all come true and see it showcase itself on the field in the state championship game. It was a special moment for the school and the team.”
Student Wrestling Development Program head coach Heath Martin talks to the team before the 9-man state football championship against Seward on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Redington High School. (Photo provided by Kayla Kaikala)
Four years ago, SWDP began in Fairbanks as a private school focused on developing the character and wrestling skills of its student-athletes. It quickly emerged as a powerhouse at the highest level of competition, winning a Division I state championship by a landslide in 2024.
“Knowing the guy Wes is, he was like, ‘Why not do it in football too?’ and I was like, ‘OK, let’s see how that translates,’ ” Martin recalled with a laugh. “Wrestlers definitely translate to great football players. They definitely have the mental and physical attributes to make a good football player.”
Of the 22 players on this year’s team, only four had previously played football at the high school or lower youth level. The rest of the team was so unfamiliar with the sport, they hadn’t even played the popular EA Sports video game “Madden NFL” before.
Student Wrestling Development Program quarterback Mana Lauaki-Hart makes a handoff during the 9-man state football championship against Seward on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Redington High School. (Photo provided by Kayla Kaikala)
Just trying to explain something as simple as a slant route was met with blank stares and shrugged shoulders.
“The first day of practice was interesting to say the least,” Martin said. “The one thing that you know you’re going to get with those kids is that they’re going to be coachable, hard-working and they have a hunger to be good. If you can make it through a wrestling season, football season is going to be a vacation in a way.”
He accepted the position under the condition that Bockert’s son, Westley Bockert III, who is the school’s wrestling coach and a former Division I football player, would join his staff as the defensive coordinator.
“He already had that bond with all the kids even before the season started, and he coached my son in wrestling and is a damn good coach,” Martin said.
The elder Bockert was inspired to create a football program because he wanted to continue building up the culture of the school and character of its students in multiple sports, not only wrestling.
“I just felt like with the kids spread all over the place in Fairbanks, we were kind of diluting that, so I wanted to build a football program and that’s where it led,” he said. “We had to maintain our culture and our standards.”
Student Wrestling Development Program tight end Gage Runnels tries to reel in a pass during the 9-man state football championship against Seward on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Redington High School. (Photo provided by Kayla Kaikala)
They began the process by looking at potential obstacles to facilitating a team and reducing the risk of athletes getting injured before wrestling season.
Given their small school size, the adaptive version of the game was “the easiest step forward” when it came to equipment and financing.
“I think we’re going to stay in 9-man because of the size of our school,” Bockert said. “We’re technically the size of a 1A school, but with wrestling we compete with large schools.”
Building from the ground up
Teaching the offensive scheme to the players was fun for Martin because he made it simplistic enough, where the players could just focus on playing “fast, physical and violent.”
“That’s what I preached to them and they answered the call,” he said.
Martin played at North Pole in the early 2000s for legendary Alaska high school football coach Buck Nystrom, who holds the state record for the most wins. He took one of Nystrom’s most famous principles to heart when coming up with an approach toward offense.
While they started off sticking with the K.I.S.S. method, as the season progressed, the players began to develop a deeper love and understanding for the game.
“We grew a whole different identity once you start getting your hands on the kids and seeing what their skill set is,” Martin said. “I really believe in matching the scheme to the kids and not try to force the kids into a scheme.”
Student Wrestling Development Program quarterback Mana Lauaki-Hart slaps hands with Archangels head coach Heath Martin during the 9-man state football championship against Seward on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Redington High School. (Photo provided by Kayla Kaikala)
The Archangels expanded their offense and found the right man to lead them at quarterback in sophomore Mana Lauaki-Hart.
“I would take him over any quarterback in the state,” Martin said. “He’s an intelligent kid and he’s got all the traits you want in a quarterback. Ultra-competitive but very level-headed and the moment is never too big.”
Lauaki-Hart’s 82-yard touchdown run on a bold fourth-down call deep in his team’s own territory on the first drive of the second half of the state title game helped SWDP take control and pull away from 9-man powerhouse Seward.
“I like our odds against anybody because I know the makeup of these kids,” Martin said. “They’re tough, there’s no quit and once we get to that second half, that wrestling conditioning kicks in. These guys could play four games in a row.”
Gauging interest and growing the game
When Bockert first proposed the possibility of starting a football program at the school, the feedback he received from the student-athletes was a mixed bag. Some kids enjoyed playing for other programs while some were more receptive to the idea.
“The spectrum ranged from super excited to curious to not really all that interested,” Martin said. “At the end of the season, every kid to a one came up to me and said, ‘This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing football,’ which meant that I was fulfilled because I really wanted them to have that experience.”
He hopes Alaska’s 9-man league will continue to grow and provide an avenue for some of the state’s smaller schools and communities to get in on the fun.
“Seward has done a great job setting the standard in this league,” Martin said. “I feel like 9-man football fits Alaska better than people realize.”
