Service High football team claims Anchorage’s inaugural South Side Cup with first win of the season

The rivalry between the two high school football programs on the south side of Anchorage has been running hot since South Anchorage High opened its doors in 2004.

The Service Cougars didn’t need anymore fuel to add to the fire. But before their game against South on Saturday, the Cougars found out the newly minted South Side Cup would be awarded to the winning team after the game.

The Cougars dominated from start to finish on both sides of the ball on their way to a 34-7 victory and are now the proud owners of the inaugural South Side Cup.

“We just found out today that there was a cup and we just decided to go get it,” quarterback Jonathon Tautua said.

Both teams came into their annual regular season hillside matchup in search of their first win of the 2022 season after a couple of rough weeks to start the season.

“It feels good winning, playing Service football, flipping the switch,” Tautua said. “We’re going to try to win every game.”

Service capitalized on host South’s mistakes for most of the afternoon and got it started early by recovering the first of what would be several fumbled handoffs on routine plays by the Wolverines. A few plays later, running back R.J. Fine found the end zone on a short touchdown run for the first points of the game.

It was the first of a pair of rushing scores for him on the day. His second came at the 1:57 mark in the fourth quarter for the last points of the game when the two-point conversion failed.

Service’s offensive line not only paved the way for Fine to cross the goal line twice and pick up big gains throughout the game, it also gave Tautua ample time to throw.

“O-line played great, that’s the game right there,” Tautua said. “During practice they’re working on their details, fixing everything through game and watching film.”

He used his consistently clean pocket to attack the Wolverines defense over the middle and deep down the field. His favorite target on the perimeter was Chris Thompson, whom he connected with on long touchdowns of 25 and 55 yards.

The only Service touchdown that didn’t come as a result of Tautua’s arm or Fine’s legs was a 30-yard run from Mason Crosby, who sprinted past the second and third level of South’s defense.

His explosive score and successful two-point conversion run extended Service’s lead to 28-7 and killed the momentum that the Wolverines were beginning to build toward the end of the third quarter after Aaron Concepcion scored on a 35-yard run for the home team’s first and only points of the game.

“Our running backs were just going downhill, and that’s the way we teach in practice,” Tautua said.

He believes this win over their rivals will serve as a confidence- and momentum-building springboard that will carry the Cougars through the rest of the season.

“We needed this win, we got this win, and we’re just going to try to go forward,” Tautua said.