AOTW: North Pole sisters silence Patriot doubters over a packed football weekend

NORTH POLE, Alaska (KTUU) - On a weekend that saw North Pole’s flag football team face three opponents from Anchorage over the course of two days, Jade and Taimane Skipps left little unanswered about how good the 2025 Patriots can be.

Months removed from leading the red, white and blue to its first state title in the sport, the duo were crucial cogs in a machine that rattled off three wins to begin the 2025 campaign, outscoring their opponents 74-6.

Forty-seven of those points came against the Chugiak Mustangs, with the twins linking up on multiple plays and touchdowns.

“They’re beasts,” North Pole head coach Jamie Darby said, referencing the two.

Both players took the time to relish the opportunity of each matchup.

“The experience is really good getting to play some challenging teams down here,” Jade said.

“Anchorage teams have really good quarterbacks and faster players,” Taimane said. “We just have to watch out for that.”

Now in their second year at the varsity level, the pair says the work goes far beyond game day, or even the regular practice times.

“Sometimes after we’re done working out, we’ll grab a ball and practice a few of our plays,” Taimane said.

The second week of gridiron action hasn’t proved much different. North Pole currently sits at 5-1 on the year, including at 75-0 blowout vs Redington.

“We’re definitely staying humble,” Jade said. “We definitely have a target on our back because we won state and we’re going for it again.”

The Patriots resume play Aug. 30 vs West Valley.

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