Ethan Falaniko, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards during his senior season with the Bartlett Golden Bears, is poised to become Alaska's first running back in Division I college football in 15 years.
Falaniko celebrated his 18th birthday Friday by signing a letter of intent with the University of South Dakota, a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
He'll be Alaska's first D-I running back since Service's Brandon Drumm at Colorado (1999-2002) and Chugiak's Yohance Humphrey at Montana (1998-2001).
Falaniko said his visit to the South Dakota campus in Vermillion — a small town that's big on the Coyotes — helped sell him on the team.
"Everywhere you went you saw those bumper stickers for the University of South Dakota. It just shows how much support they get," he said. "The people were very kind. It was pretty much like everyone knows everyone. It was that type of environment."
He said he picked South Dakota for several reasons: He has friends and family attending school in neighboring North Dakota and Iowa. His father is in the U.S. Army and is expected to get stationed at a nearby military base. He is impressed by the school's accredited business school and football facility.
"Playing D-I football has always been my dream growing up," Falaniko said. "But I'm also interested in business and I found out the University of South Dakota is really high on business."
During his senior season of high school football, Falaniko (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) rushed for 2,053 yards and 33 touchdowns in nine games. He scored four or more touchdowns in six games en route to winning honors as Alaska's Player of the Year in the large-school division and the Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year.
"He just works his butt off, and I think that's something that's going to help him at the next level," Bartlett coach Daniel Esparza said. "My experience with the players we've had go to college is that it's not necessarily the most talented kid that's the most successful. Most of the time it's the kid that's the toughest mentally and the toughest physically, and the kid that can handle and persevere and be tough."
Even opposing coaches speak highly of Falaniko, a church volunteer and member of the National Honor Society and Bartlett's swing choir.
"Not only is Ethan Falaniko an incredible player, he is also an excellent student and one of the best kids I have ever met," Chugiak coach Roger Spackman said. "He is the most complete and impressive student athlete I can remember for many years in our state."
Falaniko averaged 9.9 yards per carry and broke the 200-yard mark six times during his senior season. In a 50-31 victory over Dimond in September, he piled up a school-record 351 yards and five touchdowns.
He said he hopes to carry that success to South Dakota.
"Everywhere I go I play with a chip on my shoulder and I bring Alaska with me," he said. "The idea of Alaska not getting as much exposure as other states bothers me. I want to show everybody that we can do it too."
Van Williams is a correspondent for the Alaska School Activities Association.