In Alaska, that is.

   Anchorage Service takes on cross-town rival West High to inaugurate the new season, with temperatures in the mid-50s and rain in the forecast as most of the state's 31 football-playing schools suit up for the first time in 2010. Classes don't begin for another two weeks.

   “It’s always a good time of year to be playing football,” Service coach Jason Caldarera told MaxPreps.com. “And it’s nice to lead the country in something.”

   For the record, practice in New York begins Aug. 16. Opening games are the first week in September. (Week-by-week schedule here.)

   More grid notes: As long as we're on the subject of out-of-state football, practice began today in Washington, D.C., where Coolidge High will be welcoming Natalie Randolph to the sideline as apparently the only female varsity head coach in the sport in the U.S.

   Randolph, a science teacher at the school, is a D.C. native and University of Virginia track star who played receiver for the D.C. Divas of the National Women's Football Association for six seasons. She was an assistant coach at H.D. Woodson from 2006-08.

   Farrell promotes Dunn: Monsignor Farrell stayed in-house to fill its varsity basketball job, promoting freshman coach Mike Dunn this week.

   "He's what a coach should be -- he teaches kids and makes them strive to be their best," Farrell principal Msgr. Edmund Whalen told The Advance. "He teaches lessons for both on the court and off it."

   Dunn, 44, was 44-19 at the freshman level. He replaces Jeff Franzreb, who was 15-58 in three seasons. Dunn played two seasons at Manhattan College under Steve Lappas.

   Staying closer to home: Guard Tyquan Goodlett, who played basketball at Bishop Loughlin as a freshman and then spent two seasons at St. Anthony's (N.J.), will play

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for Thomas Jefferson in the PSAL his senior season.

   Goodlett told The New York Post the St. Anthony's commute grind of 90 minutes was too much. Jefferson is just 20 minutes from his Brooklyn home, and head coach Bud Pollard and assistant Seldon Jefferson are long-time acquaintances.

   The 6-foot-3 Goodlett was picked this week for a team competing in Turkey before the FIBA World Championships this month. He's getting recruiting interest from Cincinnati, Marist, Rutgers, St. John’s and Siena.

   Extra points: Frontier League swimming has added Rome Free Academy, Utica Proctor, Sherburne-Earlville and Cooperstown to expand to a pair of eight-team divisions (girls) and a three-division format for boys. RFA and Proctor have become independents in most sports for the upcoming school year.

   Mount Vernon basketball point guard Jabarie Hinds has cut his list of prospective colleges to Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Miami, UConn, UNLV and West Virginia, Zagsblog.com reported.