The Barrow High School Whalers

In this article, Garrison Gove will inform readers about the Barrow High School whalers, the only American football team with a home field above the Arctic Circle.

Football at the Top of the World

By Garrison Gove

High school football is something that is universally popular across the country. From California to Virginia, and Alabama to Ohio, citizens in small towns across the country flock to their local high school on Friday nights to cheer on their home team. Even the northernmost town in the country, which is inaccessible by roads and goes 66 days without sunlight, is not immune to the craze of high school football.

Uqtiavigk, Alaska, formerly and still commonly referred to as Barrow, is the northernmost city in the United States, located roughly 1,300 mi (2,100 km) south of the North Pole. Beginning in November and lasting until January, Uqtiavigk will experience ‘polar night’ and go 66 consecutive days without sunlight. Temperatures in Uqtiavigk are below freezing for 160 days out of the year. No roads connect Uqtiavigk to the rest of the state; goods are either flown in or shipped via a barge that arrives once a summer from Seattle. Because of this, the town has one of the highest costs of living in the country; a gallon of milk costs $14, according to Business Insider.

An ariel view of Uqtiavigk

Barrow High School during polar winter

Despite the isolation, high school football has maintained a presence in the town since 2006. The 44 players that make up the Barrow High School Whalers play on the only American football field north of the Arctic Circle-- a field that is little more than a gravel pit used to operate heavy machinery in the winter. The goalposts are made out of spray-painted sprinkler pipe, and sit above ground because the permafrost cannot handle a 1,000-pound structure. If a polar bear wanders onto the field during practice, the team will pile into a school bus and wait for the bear to leave before continuing practice, according to ESPN.

The decision to introduce football to America’s northernmost city was a controversial one. Because Uqtiavigk is inaccessible by road, every visiting team has to be flown in, and provided ground transportation, meals, and lodging. The opposite is true for the Whalers when they hit the road. It is a logistical and financial nightmare. However, some argue that the introduction of football will have a positive impact on the town’s youth. Without a movie theater or shopping mall to visit, many teenagers in the town turn to destructive activities. Substance abuse and dropout rates are sky-high. Many citizens, including superintendent Trent Blankenship, who introduced the program, hope it will motivate students to stay in school and improve their character.

The Whalers lost their first game 34-0, but celebrated their first victory two games later: 28-22. To celebrate, the entire team jumped into the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. Since then, the Whalers have qualified for the state finals three times, and secured the state championship in 2017. “Here are 44 kids who are on a team, who belong to each other, who belong to a school,” said Blankenship. “They’ve made football a part of their character. How valuable is that? Can you put a price tag on that? I don’t think so”.

The Whalers frolic in the Arctic Ocean after their first victory

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