Alaska High School Senior Proposes to Girlfriend After Win on Senior Night

It was a night to remember for Palmer High School senior Chandler Coman, who not only helped his football team secure a victory on senior night but also left the field engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Layla Buzzard.

A Memorable Proposal on the Field

Moments after the game ended Friday, Coman walked to his team’s end zone, dropped to one knee, and asked Buzzard to marry him as teammates, family, and friends looked on.

“These last three years have been absolutely wonderful. I’ve loved every second of it,” Coman said as he held out the ring. “I would like to continue that journey with you. Will you marry me?”

Buzzard said yes without hesitation, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Many of those watching had been in on the plan for weeks, helping Coman pull off the surprise.

Planning the Big Moment

Coman admitted it wasn’t easy to coordinate.
“It’s been a couple of months in the making,” he said. “I got a lot of people in on it, so that was the challenge. It was definitely difficult, but we got it done.”

Buzzard, however, had no idea what was coming.
“I had no idea. It’s definitely a big surprise,” she said. “I was a little weirded out, and I’m like, ‘Why is there so many people?’”

Family Guidance and Support

Among the crowd was Chandler’s father, Aaron, who shared the advice he gave his son when the teen first considered asking Buzzard’s father for permission.

“I said, ‘Well, let me ask you one thing: if he says no, are you still gonna marry her?’ He says, ‘Maybe,’” Aaron recalled. “I said, ‘Then, you better not ask permission. You better ask for his blessing.’ Once he had the answer, he put all the work into planning it.”

Coman and Buzzard first met through the Palmer chapter of Future Farmers of America, where Coman now serves as president. Their relationship grew stronger over three years, and Coman said he knew he didn’t want to let that go.

A Night of Double Victories

In addition to the proposal, Palmer’s football team claimed a hard-fought win over Chugiak High School. The victory keeps the Palmer Moose in contention for their first state championship in more than a decade.

For Coman, though, the night was about more than football.
“The connection that I felt with her over the course of three years has been just absolutely amazing,” he said. “I don’t want to let that go.”

As for what’s next, Coman kept it simple:
“We’ll be celebrating tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to go home and sleep. That was a hard-fought game.”

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