ALAMEDA – After flying into San Francisco International Airport, spending the night in an Oakland hotel and enjoying a morning tour of Cal’s pristine campus, one thing stood out to junior running back Cooper Scherffius.
“It’s pretty sweet how it’s on the water, on the Bay,” he told the Bay Area News Group. “We never really see that stuff in Alaska, because it’s all surrounded by mountains.”
The star of the Chugiak football team, who had never visited California prior to the trip, was not alone in being impressed by the Bay Area.
Having made the journey from a town east of Anchorage, Scherffius and his team arrived in NorCal on Wednesday and stayed until Sunday night.
The main purpose of the visit, of course, was to play Encinal on Thursday night.
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Chugiak coach Roger Spackman said that one of his assistant coaches is from the region and was able to set up the game between teams some 3,000 miles apart.
The Mustangs throttled the Alameda team 45-6, with Scherffius rushing for three touchdowns and the team running for 270 yards in front of 15 away fans who made the trip to watch Chugiak win its first game of the season.
Roger Spackman, head coach of Chugiak High of Alaska, left, and Encinal head coach Derrick Lyons shake hands after their football game at Thompson Field in Alameda, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
One person in the traveling party remarked that Thursday night was the first time the Mustangs had played in darkness this season, as sunset does not occur until around 10 p.m. in Chugiak at this time of year.
And for a team accustomed to playing programs with names like North Pole and Eagle River, downing the Jets was a nice change of pace.
“We only have so many schools in Alaska, so it’s really, really cool to play people you’ve never played against,” cornerback Luke Poland said.
Touring the Bay Area also provided an opportunity for one of the team’s top players to visit one of his dream schools.
“Right now, I’m applying for colleges to go kick at, and Berkeley, I actually just emailed them a few days ago,” Landon Bobo said a few hours before making a 47-yard field goal. “It just seems like, everywhere I look, there’s an opportunity to be made.”
Landon Bobo (23) of Chugiak High of Alaska, follows the ball for a field goal against Encinal High during second half of a football game at Thompson Field in Alameda, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Chugiak also attended San Jose State’s football opener against Central Michigan, went to Great America amusement park in Santa Clara and saw the Golden Gate Bridge.
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But it was one of the lower-key events that stood out to both teams. On Wednesday night, Encinal hosted Chugiak for a team dinner, where the kids got to know one another as more than just assignments on the scouting report.
“It was wonderful. We were able to come together and talk about what’s going on in California and in Alaska,” Encinal coach Derrick Lyons said.
Lyons and his Jets were routed in the game, but they will have a chance at revenge. Encinal is planning on traveling to Alaska next season for a rematch.
Chugiak’s coach hoped that in 2026, the kids from Alameda will have just as much fun as his team had visiting a new place and experiencing a different part of the country.
“It’s a great experience for the boys,” Spackman said. “Coming from Alaska, they get exposed to a lot of cool, new things when they get to come down and do this.”
The Chugiak-Alaska football team poses for a photo at Cal (Photo courtesy of Roger Spackman/Chugiak Athletics)
Cooper Scherffius (1) of Chugiak of Alaska, runs with the ball to the end zone for a touchdown against the Encinal High during the first half of a football game at Thompson Field in Alameda, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Morgan Robinson (12) of Chugiak of Alaska, runs with the ball en route to the end zone for a touchdown during the first half of a football game at Thompson Field in Alameda, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Encinal head coach Derrick Lyons walks onto the field to shake hands with Roger Spackman, head coach of Chugiak High of Alaska, after their football game at Thompson Field in Alameda, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)