The drive: Su-Valley senior makes a 90-mile commute for the chance to play football

What you need to know:

• Su-Valley Jr./Sr. High School senior Hunter Kirby goes the extra mile — literally — to serve as a captain of the Houston High School football team. Kirby drives 90 miles round trip each school day from August through October because Su-Valley does not offer the sport.
• In only his second year of organized football, Kirby is Houston’s starting center, earning praise from coaches for his dedication and leadership.
• Kirby also works in his family’s fishing charter business to earn gas money for the commute and plans to pursue his captain’s license, a commercial driver’s license and a career as a heavy equipment operator.
• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

Participation in high school athletics and activities requires a certain level of commitment. Hunter Kirby is willing to go the extra mile.

Actually, 90 extra miles.

Hunter is a senior at Su-Valley Jr./Sr. High School just outside Talkeetna. He’s also a captain of the Houston High School varsity football team. With no organized prep football program at Su-Valley, if Hunter wants to put on the pads and helmet and hit the field, he has to do it at Houston with the Hawks.

So, every school day from August through October, Hunter jumps in his 2001 Chevy Silverado and makes the 90-mile round trip to practice.

“He’s extremely dedicated. He’s enjoying himself and doing a great job,” Houston head coach John Jessen said.

This is Hunter’s second season with the Hawks and only his second year of organized football. Hunter said he’s always wanted to play football and follow in the footsteps of his dad, Bryan Kirby, who was an all-state offensive guard at Palmer High School during his playing days.

“I begged my parents to drive me down to play,” Hunter said.

That wasn’t possible at the time. But when Hunter got his driver’s license, things changed. Hunter also met former Houston head coach Norm Bouchard, a graduate of Su-Valley.

“I talked to Norm and I felt really invited,” Hunter said. “He understood my commute because he went to Su-Valley.”

Bryan said he is glad to see his son get his chance to play.

“I wish I could have gotten him down there for his freshman and sophomore years. But seeing how much he’s made of this opportunity and knowing he chose to work for it himself makes me incredibly proud,” Bryan said.

Hunter’s opportunity to play football at Houston as a Su-Valley student is made possible by the Alaska School Activities Association’s co-op rule, which allows students to participate in a sport at the nearest school if it is not offered at their own school.

Bryan is also the principal at Su-Valley and said this is something that does not happen often at his school, but it is nice to have that option for his students. A pair of brothers, Kai Kingery and Caymen Kingery, attended Su-Valley and played hockey at Houston. Kai graduated in 2018, and Caymen graduated in 2024.

Hunter said seeing the Kingerys play at Houston helped make it seem possible for him to play football.

“I knew that if someone played hockey, I could play another sport,” Hunter said.

Su-Valley staff helped all three commuting athletes build class schedules that also allowed them to make the daily trips to practice.

“I build a good connection with teachers and staff members as much as I can,” Hunter said. “They understand (football is) part of my life.”

The Kirbys also have a family business, Bottom Line Charters, a fishing operation in Ninilchik.

“He works with me all summer to earn gas money so he can drive to Houston every day just for the opportunity to play,” Bryan said. “He participates in all of their fundraisers, everything to support the team.”

Hunter said the drive itself isn’t that bad.

“Drive the speed limit and you’re gonna be fine in just less than an hour,” Hunter said.

He has a music playlist, “football drive,” with tracks from artists such as the Dirty Drifters and Warren Zeiders.

On the field, Hunter is Houston’s starting center on the offensive line.

“I’m glad they put me here. Every position has its own detail to it. To me, center is cool because it starts the play every time,” Hunter said.

Jessen, a longtime coach at Bartlett High School in Anchorage who is in his first season at the helm of the Hawks, said Hunter has brought a lot to the program.

“He’s really coachable and is a fantastic leader. He has a pretty level head and understands what is going on in our football program right now,” Jessen said.

Hunter is also a captain for the second straight year. He earned the “C” during his first year of football in 2025.

“It was great because I was not expecting it at all,” Hunter said. “Most first-year players don’t make captain. To me it was a very big accomplishment.”

Hunter also participates in Native Youth Olympics at Su-Valley, competing in the Eskimo stick pull and Indian stick pull events. He earned first place in the Eskimo stick pull at the region meet for three consecutive years.

Hunter will graduate in May and continue to work in the family fishing charter business his grandfather Ernie started in 1993. Bottom Line now has two boats. Ernie and Bryan are both captains, and Hunter is also pursuing his captain’s license. Hunter said he is planning to attend driving school to earn his commercial driver’s license. In the future, Hunter said he would like to become a heavy equipment operator.

Jeremiah Bartz is a longtime local journalist based in Palmer and has been a sportswriter in Alaska for nearly three decades. He writes about student activities for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, where he works full-time as a community relations coordinator.