News Archives
Friday January 07, 2011
JDHS coach Steve Potter said the Braves jumped on the Crimson Bears out of the gate.
“We were down 7-0 before you could even bat an eye,†he said.
Juneau-Douglas trailed 16-6 after one quarter but closed within four at the half, 24-20, and actually took a 10-point lead after outscoring the Braves 16-3 in the third.
Mt. Edgecumbe then went on a 20-6 run to retake the lead for good over the final eight minutes.
“We relaxed a little bit and they extended their defense. We got casual, threw some light passes and they stole them and got lay-ups,†Potter explained of the fourth-quarter collapse. “We didn’t adjust very well, and then we started feeling a little bit of pressure and got impatient. We were basically getting one shot, not making it and we weren’t getting any offensive rebounds.â€
The Braves took advantage of an 18-12 foul discrepancy, though they shot just 12-for-27 from the line. JDHS shot just eight free throws, making three.
Potter shouldered the blame, saying the team was ill-prepared for Mt. Edgecumbe’s 2-3 zone.
“It seemed to get our guys in a funk and I didn’t prepare them well enough for that zone,†he admitted. “We were unsure and it showed, especially early in the game. And then late in the game when it was close, we were unsure. We didn’t play horrible, but we certainly had guys making mistakes from top to bottom that they shouldn’t make. We need to tighten it up.â€
Potter said mistakes were made across the board.
“We weren’t as sharp as we could’ve been and I think I missed some opportunities where I could have changed things to slow them down and break up one of their runs,†he said. “I tried to let the guys play through it and that didn’t work out. It was clearly the wrong move on my part.â€
The silver lining, Potter added, is that it was just the fourth game of the season for 3-1 JDHS.
“We certainly don’t like to lose but if nothing else, this was direct notice to our guys that they can’t just show up and win,†he said. “We looked really good and everybody was telling us how big we were, and we were big. Their little guys went around us a few times and we tried to block shots instead of just keeping guys in front of us. They got to shoot free throws and we didn’t.
“But when it comes down to it, we have to make shots and we didn’t. We only made one three and against a 2-3 (zone), there were plenty of opportunities for us to make them,†he continued. “We shot, for the most part, good shots. But I would have liked to have seen us go inside more. When we went on our run, we were going inside.â€
Senior forward Colin Gozelski led JDHS with 12 points in his season debut, and senior forwards De’Andre “Jazz†King and Ryan Baldwin, along with sophomore guard Tony Yadao, scored seven each.
The round-robin boys’ bracket features JDHS, Mt. Edgecumbe, West Valley and Kodiak, and the Crimson Bears look to rebound at 3:45 p.m. today in a rematch of the de facto championship game of the Capital City Classic against West Valley.
Poor shooting dooms Bears against Mt. Edgecumbe in Kodiak
The Juneau-Douglas boys’ basketball team dropped its first game of the season Thursday, 47-42 to Mt. Edgecumbe on the opening day of the 44th Annual Joe Floyd/Era Aviation Winter Classic Basketball Tournament at Kodiak High School.
Thursday January 06, 2011
On the Road - Joe Floyd Tournament, Kodiak
The boys have headed to "The Rock" for the Joe Floyd Tournament in Kodiak. This is the state's longest running basketball tournament and provides the Crimson Bears games against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves, West Valley Wolfpack, and the home team Kodiak Bears. The team will be at full strength for the first time this season with Ryan Baldwin, Colin Gozelski, and Phillip Fenumiai back from their All-Star Football game.
Wednesday January 05, 2011
JV's Headed to Skagway
The Junior Varsity will take to the court in Skagway this weekend for some international competition against F.H. Collins, Vanier, and Porter Creek.
Sunday January 02, 2011
The boys’ team made it to the de facto championship game of the round-robin tournament with little resistance from outmanned 2A Hoonah — a late addition after a team from Los Angeles backed out — and defending 3A state champion Haines.
JDHS managed to defeat West Valley by five points on the tournament’s final day without three key players who were out of town to play in an All-Star football game.
The defending 4A state champion girls, on the other hand, had a few obstacles to overcome. The Crimson Bears put on a clinic on Monday against South Anchorage, annihilating the Wolverines 76-17 in one of the most dominant performances I’ve ever seen in a prep basketball game. Simply put, it was stunning.
But it didn’t come without cost.
All-State point guard Karli Brakes suffered a badly sprained ankle, and JDHS needed overtime the next night to defeat Crescent Valley (Ore.).
The game wasn’t pretty for long stretches, but the finish sure was fantastic. The Crimson Bears then went out and defeated an Australian club team with relative ease to claim their second straight Classic title, winning their fifth straight tournament in doing so, dating back to last season.
Here are few notes about what we saw.
Ladies first:
For me, there’s just something about teams that get after it defensively that I really appreciate. It’s a sign of good coaching, competitive fire and a burning desire to be better than just good. Good teams coast along. Great teams don’t have to rely on offense and talent alone to win.
Off night shooting the ball? Scoring drought? Key player out for a game or two with an injury?
No worries. We know we can still play defense. They might score on us, but nothing will come easy.
Great defensive teams want to rattle you and then step on your neck when they know they’ve taken your heart, figuratively speaking, of course.
Last year at this time I wrote a column suggesting the Crimson Bears could win a few more tournaments if they continued to play the type of defense they had in the Capital City Classic.
They won three more tourneys that year, including the one that ended with a 4A state championship.
Juneau-Douglas suffocated teams defensively during stretches in the Classic every bit as much as last year’s Bears, with help from a couple of newcomers.
Sophomore Marissa Brakes garnered screams of approval from the bench Monday in her home varsity debut when she dove on top of a South Wolverine to fight for a loose ball. She looked just like her big(ger) sis, Karli, the Bears’ defensive pit bull at the point who never saw a ball she didn’t think she could get her hands on.
You don’t see that sort of effort — and subsequent appreciation from teammates and coaches — in a box score, but the younger Brakes did something that does on Tuesday. More on that later…
Six-foot-2 senior center Hannah Swofford showed a greatly improved game around the basket, flashing a couple of nice post moves and an unstoppable jump hook.
I’m no coach and will never presume to be an expert, but one thing I’d like to see Swofford and fellow 6-footer Maria Weyhrauch do is attack the glass with more ferocity. Use that size to your advantage and own those 50-50 balls that come off the rim.
Swofford averaged 3.25 rebounds per game, playing 14.66 minutes.
Weyhrauch had to play away from the basket more than normal because of a lack of depth in the backcourt due to Karli Brakes’ injury, but she did have seven big rebounds in 23 minutes against Crescent Valley. She also made a huge basket with under a minute to go to cut the Bears’ deficit to two points on a play where she wasn’t timid at all.
Juneau-Douglas has a rare blessing in girls’ prep basketball of tremendous size and strength in the post. The Crimson Bears could be nearly unstoppable underneath.
Senior forward Taylor Larson is capable of getting a double-double every night, and she somehow finds a way to score on anyone, now matter how much taller they are. Many are taller, few, if any, are stronger. However, it’s clear she’s going to draw a lot of attention — triple teams at times — around the basket.
If the much-improved Nani Ostrom and Esra Siddeek can knock down shots as they did at times during the tournament, it’s going to be a huge benefit to Larson underneath. Siddeek made 5 of 7 triples in the final game, and Ostrom made 3 of 5 treys in scoring 15 points against South.
Perhaps most impressive was senior forward Sarah Tarver. The 5-foot-10 Tarver plays like she’s 6-foot-2 but with a handle, and she’s going to be a nightmare matchup for any team she faces. She’s capable of defending nearly every position and has great anticipation.
Length, of course, never hurts.
Not only can she defend in the full- and half-courts, but she also stuffed the stat line every night in winning MVP honors for the girls.
She averaged nearly 8 points, better than 8 boards, four assists, two steals and a block in 21 minutes a game,. Against South on Monday, she nearly pulled off the rare rebound-assist double-double.
If Tarver, a prep All-American soccer player as a junior, transforms on the basketball court this year the way she did on the volleyball court, I have two words for you: Watch. Out.
OK, one more word: Beast.
Area for concern: defensive communication.
Former Crimson Bear and 2010 First Team All-State selection Brittany Fenumiai was in attendance and she was impressed with what she saw.
Fenumiai noted the Bears’ lack of communication on the defensive end.
She makes a great point, and coach Lesslie Knight agreed.
“One of the things we’ve talked about is our inability to talk on defense,†she said. “We talked about it at halftime (of the Crescent Valley game), and I screamed and yelled — I’m quite hoarse — and I chewed my bench (out).
“Whether they’re playing or not, their job is to be vocal and involve themselves by talking when we’re on defense. I think the tempo changed when we started talking.â€
What we think: The JDHS girls are really good.
What we know: They’ll be even better before it’s all said and done. They can be as good as they want to be and, really, who doesn’t want to win another state title?
That’s what I thought.
What we saw: Who knows how big of a factor she’ll be for the Bears this season, but Marissa Brakes’ monster 3-pointer in the overtime win against Crescent Valley was a moment that won’t soon be forgotten. Not only did she make the big shot, but then she got planted for the second time of the game before shaking it off and coolly knocking down two free throws with 15.5 seconds left to extend the Bears’ lead back to three points.
The 5-foot sophomore point guard scored five of the Crimson Bears’ seven points in the extra four minutes, and proved exactly why guts can’t be measured in height. No doubt, that runs in the family.
Karli fondly remembers her welcome-to-big-time-varsity-basketball coming out party against Colony a couple of years ago.
Welcome to big-time varsity basketball, Marissa.
JDHS Boys:
Area of concern: Is there such a thing as too many players?
It’s certainly possible if people forget about the team-first concept — especially as the rotation starts to shrink later in the season and guys get less minutes than they did at the start of the year.
What we think: The JDHS boys will be better than last year’s state tourney team.
What we know: When Tony Yadao is on his game, he’s one of the most exciting players around.
What we saw: It was tough to get a good read on the JDHS boys because they played against a 2A and a 3A school, and had three key players missing the tournament.
But a few things are certain: The Bears are very quick in the back court, have good size and muscle in the post and are going to be much improved, especially with the addition of strong man De’Andre King, the tourney MVP, in the middle.
And, hey, they made the state tournament last year.
With senior swingman Colin Gozelski, sophomore wing Phillip Fenumiai and big man Ryan Baldwin back on the court, this is an incredibly intriguing team with a lot of potential and possibilities ahead.
And on top of that, all of the returnees, to a man, have stepped their games up to the next level...
It’s going to be a fun season in Juneau for fans of prep basketball.
No doubt.
Tourney hints at great possibilities, potential for JDHS boys and girls - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
The past week was good to the local prep basketball teams from Juneau-Douglas high School as both won their respective brackets of the 20th Annual Princess Cruises Capital City Classic.
Thursday December 30, 2010
The Crimson Bears were on fire early, especially guard Tony Yadao. After struggling to shoot the ball through the first two games, Yadao scored 11 first-quarter points off three 3-pointers and a nifty up-and-under move, and then added five more in the second quarter for 16 in the first half on 5 of 11 shooting.
The junior finished with 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Yadao said he had feeling it was going to be a good night when the first 3-pointer dropped through the net.
"I'm just glad that I was able to get my teammates involved and they were able to find me, too," he added.
The JDHS press wreaked havoc in the early going, and the Bears had 11 points off turnovers in the first half.
A Yadao triple broke a 4-all tie, igniting a 12-0 run. Another Yadao 3-ball made it 16-4, and Kade Campbell broke the Wolfpack dry spell with two free throws, but Yadao sank another triple to make it 19-6, and JDHS led 21-9 after the first eight minutes.
"Tony got some better looks," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of Yadao, who struggled shooting the ball in the tournament's first two games. "I think he was pressing a little bit and taking high-degree-of-difficulty shots. He's capable of making those, but he was entering with those shots instead of letting the easy ones come, and then working his way up."
The Bears cooled off in the second quarter as West Valley began to heat up. Yadao made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot to make it 24-11, JDHS, but Kent Ariola answered with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 10. Down 26-14, the Wolfpack went on an 8-0 run to further cut into the Bears' lead.
Campbell broke free for a lay-up to start things off. Anthony Vealy scored inside, Will Vealy drove the lane for a tough bucket and John Renfroe scored underneath the basket.
An Evan Gross free throw broke the dry spell for JDHS, and then the 6-foot-7 center swatted the final shot attempt of the first half with the Bears ahead 27-22, igniting the crowd.
"I think in the first half, we got that first lead and started relaxing a little bit and taking it slow," Yadao said. "At halftime, Coach gave us a good speech on what we weren't doing and what we needed to do. We started playing more as a team after that."
"I thought we started off playing at our tempo and either we relaxed, or we got into the individual part," Potter added. "We lost our rhythm and we didn't respond very well. Their zone gave us trouble that it probably shouldn't have and when we finally got patient, we got looks inside for Jazz (De'Andre King)."
Juneau-Douglas went inside to King for four straight points to start the second half.
King, later named the tournament MVP on the boys' side, then scored three the old-fashioned way, Hurtte drained a 15-footer and sophomore Jeffrey Pusich came off the bench to splash a long jumper as JDHS took a 38-30 lead into the fourth quarter.
"Our guards started being patient, and believing in Jazz gave him the opportunity to be the deserved MVP of the tournament," Potter said. "In the beginning of the game, we went inside to him four times in a row and they fouled him every time. They were fouling him because they couldn't guard him, and we went away from it."
A six-point spurt by West Valley cut the deficit to 3, 39-36, at the 5-minute mark.
JDHS answered with its own 6-0 run, including another 15-footer by Hurtte and another bucket inside for King to push the lead back to nine, 45-38.
West Valley again closed within three after a lay-up by Anthony Vealy with just 24.7 seconds remaining, but Hurtte sank two free throws and the Wolfpack turned it over on the ensuing possession on a five-second violation.
Joining King on the All-Tournament team was Hurtte, Ibesate and Yadao, as well as West Valley's Renfroe, Anthony Vealy and William Vealy, Hoonah's Cameron Smith and Haines' Tyler Swinton.
JDHS (3-0) is at Kodiak on Jan. 6.
Capital City sweep - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
Juneau-Douglas made it a boys-girls sweep of the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic on Wednesday with a 47-42 win over West Valley.
Wednesday December 29, 2010
Juneau-Douglas (2-0) faces West Valley today at 7 p.m. for the championship trophy.
"We're getting better and that's the whole point. We'll have a true championship game against West Valley, and they've got some pretty exciting players and it will be a good test for us," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of tonight's matchup. "They've got a long, athletic guy (John Renfroe), and had four guys in the dunk contest. They have a really quick, left-handed point guard (William Vearly), and it will be a nice challenge for our guys."
The Crimson Bears held the quickness advantage in the backcourt, and Juneau-Douglas sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate took advantage, racking up nine steals.
"Coach always has something to say before games and the first thing he said was, 'Their guards won't be able to handle our pressure,'" Ibesate said. "We came out ready to defend and we got good pressure, and they turned it over."
Juneau-Douglas scored 17 points off turnovers to Haines' two.
The Glacier Bears' Logan Simpson went scoreless and had six turnovers, while Austin Badger had nine points but committed seven turnovers.
"That was our plan going in, to not back off," Potter said. "(Badger) made some nice plays but as the game wore on and we kept putting other guys on him, he wore down. That's the advantage of having more guys."
Juneau-Douglas scored the first 11 points of the game, all within a couple of feet of the basket. Senior forward De'Andre King, who finished with 11 points, scored six of the first 8 points of the game. Ibesate scored off a steal and then an old-fashioned 3-point play, followed by a steal and lay-up for senior guard Eddie Hurrte.
Haines answered with six straight, but junior Alec Calloway splashed a triple from the wing before scoring inside off a dish from sophomore guard Tony Yadao, who had five assists on the night. JDHS led 18-9 after the first quarter, and extended its lead to 12, 30-18, at the half.
The lead was 11 midway through the third period as Haines continued to hang around, but the Bears closed the frame with a 12-0 run to blow the game open.
Junior center Evan Gross hit a jump hook, Yadao and senior Travis Godfrey made back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by four straight points for Hurtte inside to close the quarter.
JDHS outscored Haines 18-16 over the fourth quarter.
The Crimson Bears held the Glacier Bears to 29.5 percent shooting for the game, and Potter was pleased with the overall defensive performance of his team.
"I thought Evan did a nice job on their big kid (Tyler Swinton)," Potter said. "He kept him in front of him and he scored some, but I think he got a lot of his points from the line."
Swinton scored 5 of his 14 points from the charity stripe.
King knotted a double-double, matching his 11 points with 11 boards. Ibesate just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine steals.Hurtte also scored 10, and Yadoa added nine.
Crimson Rolls - Juneau Empire by Shaun T. Cox
Juneau-Douglas harassed and pressured Haines into 29 turnovers Tuesday, and the Crimson Bears blitzed the defending 3A state champion Glacier Bears 66-41 in the second round of the 20th Annual Princess Cruises Capital City Classic.
Tuesday December 28, 2010
Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball coach Steve Potter said late last week his team's matchup with 2A Hoonah on the first day of the 20th Annual Princess Cruises Capital City Classic would be David versus Goliath.
This time, it was David who got flattened.
The Crimson Bears blasted the outmanned Braves 72-37, running 14 different players at Hoonah, which had just five that played all 32 minutes.
Hoonah, which will reclassify to 1A next year, was a late addition to the tournament, filling in after a previously committed team from Los Angeles backed out last month.
Juneau-Douglas rolled to a 29-9 lead in the first quarter behind 10 points from senior guard Eddie Hurtte, and stretched its lead to 53-20 at the half. JDHS blistered the nets in the first two frames, shooting 23 of 44, including 4 of 8 from the 3-point line.
"We shot the ball much better in the first half - 52 percent to 24 percent (in the second half), so I was a little disappointed about that," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "And (Cameron) Smith did a pretty good job for them. I wasn't all that pleased with our ability to contain him, but they played really hard and that's all you can ask.
"But we got off early on and a lot of guys got a chance to play, and that's important for us."
Smith scored 28 of Hoonah's 37 points, and led the Braves with six rebounds and three steals.
The second half was fairly even as the Crimson Bears outscored the Braves 12-8 in the third quarter, and Hoonah won the fourth quarter 9-7 to set the final score.
Like the JDHS girls' in their matchup with South, the Crimson Bears dominated nearly every statistical category. Juneau-Douglas scored 19 points off 24 turnovers, and outrebounded Hoonah 59-27, scoring 19 second-chance points. JDHS also got 31 points off its bench, while Hoonah didn't have a bench.
Hurtte led the Bears with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Senior forward and newcomer De'Andre King scored 15 points and had five boards. In all, 11 Bears broke into the scoring column and JDHS had 25 assists on 31 field goals.
"The guys look for each other for sure," Potter said of his team's willingness to share the ball. "It would have been nice if we had made a couple more shots, but we're doing a pretty decent job of passing the ball."
The Crimson Bears were short-handed as well, with three players missing the tournament to play in the Tanoa Bowl on Jan. 1 in Auburn, Wash., an All-Star football game pitting Alaska against Washington.
Senior swingman Colin Gozelski, sophomore wing Phillip Fenumiai and big man Ryan Baldwin are all out of town for the game.
Tour de force - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox and Matthew Tynan
JDHS cruises past Hoonah
Monday December 27, 2010
The 2010-11 Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team plans to run and gun, and overpower people in the post - whether out on the floor or in half-court sets.
It's almost a new year and there's a revamped squad of Crimson Bears, set to be unleashed today as Juneau-Douglas prepares for the Capital City Classic.
"Speedy, which is OK, because we have pretty good speed," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of his new team. "But, now, we're pretty big. We have too much speed to not try and run, so we're going to defend in the whole court - which is our plan - and we expect to rebound and push it down the floor."
Five-foot-6 junior speedster Lance Ibesate has the reigns at point guard, but the Bears' true depth lies on the wings. Classmate Tony Yadao, 5-foot-8, gets the nod at shooting guard with senior swingman Colin Gozelski at small forward. Fellow seniors Cort Saviers, 5-foot-9, and Eddie Hurtte, 5-foot-11, will come off the bench, along with 6-foot-4 junior Alec Calloway, who was tabbed by Gozelski as the most improved.
"Really, for us, (shooting guard) and (small forward) are interchangeable," Potter said. "All of our guards can play the off guard, but where we are the thinnest is at the point."
Depth at point guard is a concern, but the another key loss from the 2009-10 Southeast Conference Tournament champs will be at shooting guard, where All-State honorable mention Alex DeRocher was the team's go-to guy on the perimeter and a leader in the locker room.
But the Bears' best bet for 2011 might be his replacement - Yadao, who showed flashes of defensive brilliance, scoring ability and athleticism as a sophomore; not to mention that DeRocher-like 3-point stroke during Thursday's alumni game.
"We'll miss DeRocher's scoring, but Tony has done a lot of work in the offseason, (Alec) Calloway's done a lot of work, and I think those guys can help fill that role," Potter said. "Tony, I thought he was pretty good last year and he played hard. The thing for him is maintaining that intensity and hunger.
"If he still wants to dominate people, then he's going to have a monster year."
Yadao, who let his game speak for itself last season, said he's ready to take on a leadership role.
"The thing that I've gotten better at is communicating. I've been quiet most of my high school career, but I've been trying to develop that leader mentality," he said. "Over this past summer, I've been working with my coaches on being a leader. I think with our supporting cast, all the pressure won't be on me.
"We're more athletic, and we have a lot of returning guards who can step in."
The Bears graduated a wealth of bulk, depth and fouls down low, but should be more of a scoring threat. Six-foot-4 senior DeAndre King and 6-foot-2 sophomore Gary Speck transferred from Thunder Mountain and will add both size and experience in the post, along with 6-foot-6 senior big man Ryan Baldwin and 6-foot-9 junior Taylor Swofford.
"We lost some bigs but out of the blue, we replaced them with some even bigger bigs," Potter said. "I think that last year, we had an advantage in that a lot of guys could play hard. We have the same situation and if we can get everybody to play hard, then I think we can be pretty good."
Gozelski said this year's post players are more skilled on both ends of the court.
"We're a lot different from last year. We're a lot bigger," he said. "Because of the big guys, we're going to try some new zones. Our big guys are more experienced and we've put in a lot of work over the summer."
King and Baldwin will both get a shot at power forward, but everything will depend on matchups, Potter said. The 6-foot-3 Gozelski also will see time down low.
"It just depends on how we move guys around," Potter said.
At center, 6-foot-7 junior Evan Gross has the upperhand on the starting role.
"We'll also look at Baldwin there," Potter said, "plus we have two sophomores in Jeff Pusich and Gary Speck with good size and good skill."
The X-Factor for this team is sophomore Phillip Fenumiai. The Crimson Bears' All-State quarterback shed more than 30 pounds before the school year started, and has shown increased mobility, along with a better handle. So much so he's grown from a JV post player into a versatile weapon Potter plans to play all over the floor.
Fenumiai played point guard at times during the recent alumni game and Southeast Holiday Hoops Classic, a JV tournament at Thunder Mountain last week.
"Phillip can play anywhere from one to five," Potter said. "He's transitioning from a post player into a wing player. He's grown a little bit and he's so much faster. He's always had pretty good ball-handling skills, and he's evolving into a guard for us."
Potter said he's happy with the team's athleticism and depth up front, and overall communication is much improved. Perimeter shooting, he said, could be the biggest hurdle.
The way to make up for any deficiencies, Potter said, is "for guys to play to exhaustion," while recognizing they will get back in the game.
"Guys are afraid that once they come out, they'll never go back in," he said. "I think that we're deep enough, and I think the guys know that. When a big subs in for another big, they're not worried about it. And our guards are pretty intense."
Everything accounted, Potter said this year's team should be "fun to watch."
Gozelski was more definitive.
"I want to get out of the first round (of the state tournament), and I think this is the team to do it," he said. "I think this is the best team I've ever been on."
Bears revamped, reloaded - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Speed thrills, post power kills. Depth and versatility seal the deal.
Sunday December 26, 2010
Capital City Classic Tournament Begins!
The Crimson Bears will face Hoonah, Haines, and West Valley (Fairbanks) in the 2010 Capital City Classic. Boys games will begin at 7pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Thursday December 23, 2010
Juneau-Douglas will unveil the girls' and boys' basketball teams tonight against Crimson Bears alumni at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively.
Alumni Game 7 pm Tonight!
Come watch your current edition of Crimson Bears take on the former players in a battle for the ages. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Wednesday December 22, 2010
Bears JV wins close contest
The Bears earned an opportunity to play for the championship of the first annual Holiday Hoops Classic by defeating TMHS JV-1 Tuesday 57-56. They will face the TMHS JV-2 team in a winner take all contest tonight at 8 pm.
Wednesday December 22, 2010
Trailing 37-33 after three quarters, the JDHS-1 girls reeled off an 11-0 run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to grab their first lead of the game. They would never relinquish it on their way to a 48-41 victory and the first-place trophy.
Juneau-Douglas trailed the entire game until the early moments of the final frame, and Bears coach Madison Swofford said the team finally got itself going in time to send the Kings home with a loss.
"We started communicating, we got our posts going and we got some leadership going," she said. "Everyone finally came together at the end of the tournament."
Although they led most of the game, the Kings finally buckled under the pressure of the Bears' size inside.
Malin Murray and Gabi Fenumiai combined for 21 points, and JDHS's post play proved too much for Ketchikan.
"We lit a fire under them and they finally took off," she said.
Ketchikan wing Faith Clark and forward Kaylynn Haywood scored 10 and 15 points, respectively, to pace Ketchikan. Bears point guard Monica Ashenfelter scored ten points, including the team's only 3-pointer of the game.
The Thunder Mountain-2 boys' team had a chance to win the tournament in front of the home crowd, but Phillip Fenumiai and Juneau-Douglas stole the show Wednesday night.
The Falcons cut a 38-20 third-quarter deficit to 42-29 behind a six-point stretch by sophomore guard Ty Grussendorf, but Fenumiai ripped off 10 straight points to end the quarter. The 6-foot-3 forward hit a 3-pointer from the left corner before getting in the lane for three consecutive lay-ups, and the Bears took a 54-32 lead into the fourth quarter, a lead the Falcons never challenged the rest of the way.
"Thunder Mountain plays really hard and made us adjust some of the things we wanted to do," JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. "We were able to answer their runs and I was really pleased to see that."
Fenumiai scored 21 points to lead all scorers and combined to score 40 points in the past two games.
"Phillip has been that dynamic as a player since I had the opportunity to coach him in middle school," Casperson said. "If you put a big guy on him he can handle the ball on the perimeter, and if you put a small guy on him he'll take him inside. He's very gifted offensively, I'm just looking forward to seeing that defense come up to his offensive capability."
Sophomore Sam Jahn paced the Falcons with 15 points, while freshman Ryan Lee pitched in 10. Grussendorf finished with 12 points for Thunder Mountain. The only other scorer in double figures for the Bears was sophomore forward Gary Speck with 10 points.
Juneau-Douglas will unveil the girls' and boys' basketball teams tonight against Crimson Bears alumni at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively.
Crimson Cleans up - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
The inaugural Southeast Holiday Hoops Classic JV basketball tournament concluded Wednesday night at Thunder Mountain High School, but it was the Juneau-Douglas boys' and girls' teams that took home the first-place hardware.
Tuesday December 21, 2010
Holiday Hoops Classic- Day 1 result
The Juneau-Douglas JV's defeated the Sitka JV's 41-17 in Monday's action. Up next for the Crimson Bears will be Thunder Mountain JV 1 tonight.
Sunday December 19, 2010
JV's in Holiday Hoops Classic Tournament
The JDHS Junior Varsity will participate in the 1st annual Holiday Hoops Classic Tournament hosted by Thunder Mountain High School. The first game is against the Sitka JV team at 2:00 pm on Monday the 20th.
Friday December 03, 2010
2010-2011 Crimson Bears Selected
The teams have been selected for this year. Check back for roster updates and game schedules.
Monday November 29, 2010
Alaska High School Basketball Begins!
The season is upon on us with the first official day of practice today. Stay tuned for updates and information.
Friday March 12, 2010
About 18 seconds later, sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate stole the ball from the conference's leading scorer, Ketchikan's Jeff Whicker, and raced the length of the court for the game-winning lay-up. The Crimson Bears were headed to the state tournament for the second consecutive year.
Ibesate and Yadao are the future of Bears basketball, but it's the seniors that are the bedrock of all good programs. And it's this year's seniors who have laid the foundation over four years, culminating in one last shot at state glory for the soon-to-be graduates.
"No one really expected us to make it, but we did and everyone is really excited. I thought we had a definite chance as we all progressed," said senior forward Paul Tupou. "Ketchikan was obviously a really tough opponent and we struggled a lot against them all year, but I really had a feeling that we were going to make it. We pulled it together and I'm really proud of us for doing that."
For the outgoing seniors, this means they have one last chance to go out on top.
"I'm just glad I get to play some more in my last year," said Eric Sele, another senior forward. "I didn't want it to end in a loss in regions, so I'm excited to go up (to Anchorage) and hopefully do well.
"We're just going to play hard and do what we do."
The current edition of the Crimson Bears is much different than last year's version, which has been well-documented following the departure of key players to Thunder Mountain High School. Senior guard Alex DeRocher, who hit the game-winner to beat the Kings in their first Southeast Conference Tournament matchup, said both the upperclassmen and underclassmen have stepped into roles that were undefined at the beginning of the season.
"Last year, different people had different roles and we had a couple of go-to guys, but we have more of a team this year, which is why we won the Southeast," he said. "A couple of the guys had experience, but a lot of people didn't even play because we were so old last year."
DeRocher said last year's frontcourt was comprised mainly of seniors, so Tupou and Sele have made the best out of their opportunities this season with the extra playing time. He also said senior point guard Victor Wilson's return to the team after a two-year hiatus has been crucial.
"Victor has done a phenomenal job at point guard. He didn't even play last year and he just stepped in and starting dishing the ball to everybody," DeRocher said. "Our bigs have also really stepped up because most of the playing time was given to the senior bigs last year, so they really didn't get that much experience.
"Just playing with these senior guys is kind of weird because it's our first year actually playing together as a full unit, and our last year at the same time," he continued. "But we've meshed pretty well throughout the season. Going into the Southeast tournament we started to click really well, so that's probably why we won."
Wilson said he is glad he decided to return to basketball, especially with the impending trip to Anchorage.
"Coming into the season I didn't know what to expect for myself or for the team, so making it to state is awesome. We're not ready to stop playing," he said. "It was definitely worth coming back. It's been a lot of fun. I've played with a lot of these guys since elementary school, so (jelling) was pretty easy because we've all been friends.
"I love these guys," he continued. "There's no fighting and we don't do anything to make each other mad - maybe sometimes, but for the most part it's all good. It's awesome for team chemistry."
If you ask the players, it's the team chemistry that got them through the regional tournament.
"We really pulled together as a team when we needed to; they didn't," said Tupou of archrival Ketchikan. "They were really good, but we were just that much better.
"(The seniors) are all pretty close friends, and that helps because at any given time there's at least one or two seniors on the floor to take a leadership position if they need to."
For senior guard Terrence Wheat, the first year on the team has had a bittersweet ending. Wheat suffered a high-ankle sprain on senior night at Juneau-Douglas High School, and his availability for the state tournament is uncertain.
But he's excited for the experience.
"It's amazing that we get to go to state because I've never been to state for anything in my whole career here," he said. "I've known these guys from playing football, so this is really cool. It's been a good first year. I've made a lot of new friends.
"But I'm hoping I'll be able to play," he continued. "I've been trying to practice and do what I can."
Bears coach Steve Potter said though Wheat is injured, he's been a great contributor to the team, along with the other seniors.
"Terrence has been a tenacious practice player all year, and when he's gotten a chance to play he's been just as tenacious in the games," he said. "I also think Eric and Paul have done a great job. Sele had played a lot when he was younger, but as a junior he pretty much didn't. This year, I think he's the only guy that has started every game for us, and Paul (Tupou) has come from nowhere to be a valuable contributor to the team."
With key backcourt players leaving last year's squad, Potter also mentioned how valuable his senior guards have been.
"Alex is our leading scorer and Victor's given us some strength and leadership at (point guard)," he said. "He's a natural leader - it probably would have been nice if he would have played a couple more years of basketball, but we're happy with what we got out of him this year."
With one final chance to bring home the state title, the Bears are playing their best basketball at the right time. And if the seniors have it their way, they'll still be playing late into next week.
Bear boys' seniors flourish in new roles - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
With 22 seconds to play in the championship game of the Southeast Conference tournament, the Crimson Bears were down by three points as sophomore guard Tony Yadao squared up for what would be the game-tying 3-pointer, giving new life to the surging Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team.
Thursday March 11, 2010
Player of the Year - Travis Thompson, Dimond
Coach of the Year - Rob Galosich, Dimond
FIRST TEAM
Travis Thompson, Dimond; Devon Bookert, West; Damon Sherman-Newsome, Bartlett; Justin Kauffman, West; John Palmer, Colony.
SECOND TEAM
Tom Feeney, West; Jeff Whicker, Ketchikan; Juwan Harris, East; Cody Pfeifer, Wasilla; Cody Grussendorf, Thunder Mountain.
THIRD TEAM
Jesse Ward, North Pole; Ryden Hines, Dimond; Stefan Johnson, East; Conner Devine, Wasilla; Dustin Theis, Chugiak.
HONORABLE MENTION
A.J. Banks, East; Kody Broderick, North Pole; Tyller Bell, Ketchikan; Boomer Blossom, Soldotna; Blaine Carver, Soldotna; Adam Klie, Service; Malik King, Bartlett; Keith Mays, Lathrop; Colby Mitchell, Chugiak; Kyle Titus, Palmer; Alex DeRocher, Juneau-Douglas.
Senior Alex DeRocher is boys' All-State Honorable Mention - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Class 4A Boys All-State Basketball Team
Monday March 08, 2010
A little more than two months ago, Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball coach Steve Potter had more questions than answers.
After losing several key pieces from last year's team, in particular those who transferred to Thunder Mountain, Potter said he was trying to find leaders at the beginning of the season.
"I thought we were going to have some experienced continuity, but it didn't work out that way," said Potter in the Dec. 21 season preview. "Everybody is finding new roles."
Seconds after a last-second three-point heave from Ketchikan's Jeff Whicker missed its mark, the Crimson Bears community celebrated together at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. Fans, players, coaches and cheerleaders all gathered at mid-court after a thrilling two-point victory over the Ketchikan Kings.
At that point, Potter started to get some answers.
"Our defensive rotations were probably better than they've been all year, and it's always nice when it comes together at the right time," he said. "Ketchikan's a pretty darn good team, and for us to get them twice - that was big for us."
Whicker, whose 27 points gave him the Kings single-season scoring record, had his pocket picked by sophomore guard Lance Ibesate who raced the length of the court for a lay-up and a two-point lead with only three seconds to play.
"We knew Jeff (Whicker) was going to get the ball, so my first thought was he was going to drive," said senior guard Alex DeRocher, whose 16 points led the Bears. "As soon as Lance got the ball, my hopes started leaping. Then as soon as he made it and we called time out, my hopes for the game just escalated.
"I really didn't want it to be my last senior game for the Crimson Bears. We pulled it off - it was great."
With the game tied 59-59 with 21 seconds left, Potter preached defense to the team during the timeout.
"We talked about keeping the guys in front of us and not fouling. We were going to get our hands up and only give them one shot," he said. "Whicker went to the middle and Lance got the strip really low to the ground and came up with it.
"To get that big, left-handed lay-up over (Tyler) Bell - we were pretty excited about that."
Only 18 seconds earlier, another sophomore guard, Tony Yadao, hit a game-tying three-pointer that set the stage for Ibesate to make the play on defense.
"They completely left Tony, almost daring him to shoot," Potter said. "Well, he did."
Senior forward Eric Sele was the Bears' second leading scorer with 9 points in what was a very balanced offensive attack. DeRocher was the only player for the Bears who scored in double figures. Tyler Bell had 13 points for the Kings as well.
Just three nights prior, DeRocher hit a baseline jump shot with eight seconds remaining to give the Bears their first victory over the Kings all season. The loss forced the Kings into a win-or-go-home situation heading into their Thursday night tilt with Thunder Mountain.
After pulling out the victory over the Falcons, the Kings turned their sights back on the Bears. Thursday, Ketchikan had to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback bid by JDHS for the win. That forced a final game Saturday night with a trip to state on the line.
Potter said there were some changes made for that final game, especially on the defensive end. After trailing by 14 points in the second half Friday night, the Bears deployed a zone defense that helped fuel their late-game comeback attempt. Juneau-Douglas, who rarely played zone defense during the season, found something that worked for them.
"We got down early (Saturday) and we decided what we were doing wasn't working, so we switched to the zone trap," Potter said. "Our halfcourt defense was struggling against them and our full-court defense hasn't been our strength this year.
"So we tried a zone-trapping scheme and it seemed to disrupt them."
Potter said he couldn't take credit for the zone defense that gave the Kings trouble, however.
"(Assistant coach) Robert Casperson had been pumping me all year to try it out, so I finally let him talk me into it," he said. "It was his idea to go to that. That defense is kind of his baby."
The Bears undoubtedly peaked at the right time as they worked their way through early-season struggles to find their identity. And as the clock turned to zero and the Bears celebrated, it was two young role players that stepped up when given the opportunity.
Ibesate and Yadao were not only big in the final minute of Saturday's championship game, but they, along with the rest of the Bears' bench, are crucial to the Bears' run in the home-stretch of the season.
"Tony has done a phenomenal job. He drives to get other people open and he can go up with it because he's got great ball control. He's just a great team player," said DeRocher. "Lance has really stepped it up at a point guard position. It's great relief for Victor (Wilson) when he starts getting tired from handling the ball up and down the court.
"I think in the next couple of years they're going to be phenomenal basketball players."
But the future is now for the Bears as they prepare for a trip to Anchorage for the state tournament, and DeRocher said they're as close to the top of their game as they have been all season.
"We all came into the (conference) tournament really hungry, and we used that fire to help get some extra pep in our step," he said. "Going into that game it was more of a team togetherness, not a one-man thing. We've peaked at the perfect moment, I'd say."
Potter said he expects the Bears to be a seventh or eighth seed when the seedings are released later today, which means they will have a first-round match up against one of the top teams in the state.
But there is still reason for hope as not every state champion has been a top seed going into the tournament, something of which Potter and his Southeast Conference champion Crimson Bears are well aware.
Two Fantastic finishes in SE - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
Boys pull out two last-second victories over Ketchikan for state berth:
Sunday March 07, 2010
Juneau-Douglas sophomore guard Lance Ibesate stole the ball from Ketchikan star Jeff Whicker and raced the length of the court for a lay-up and a thrilling 61-59 Crimson Bears victory in the late-night Southeast Conference championship game to earn a state tournament berth.
Fellow sophomore guard Tony Yadao splashed the biggest 3-pointer of his young career to tie the game at 59 with just 21 seconds remaining, and then Whicker drove to the basket from the left wing. As Whicker got to the front of the rim, Ibesate picked his pocket and too off for what proved to be the game-winning basket.
Whicker's deep 3-pointer as time expired missed, and the Bears and their fans celebrated the win at midcourt.
The Kings led 12-6 after one quarter of play and 26-24 at the break after sophomore guard Tony Yadao missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for JDHS.
The Kings started the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 33-24 lead as Ketchikan began to take control of the game.
But the Bears refused to go away, pulling within four, 38-34, before trailing by five, 41-36, after three quarters of play.
A Colin Gozelski steal and lay-up brought the Bears within three, 45-42, with just more than five minutes left, but Whicker answered with an and-1 that fouled out Victor Wilson for the Bears with 4:46 left in the game.
Gozelski got another steal and lay-up to make it 48-45 with less than four minutes to go.
Whicker set the Kings' single-season scoring record with on the play that fouled out Wilson.
Check Monday's Juneau Empire for more information and stats, and the full boys' All-Conference team.
Crimson Bears win! - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
The girls aren't going alone.
Wednesday March 03, 2010
The Bears are 5-0 against the Falcons this season.
"We started out pretty slow again. We only had eight points in the first quarter," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We had a big second quarter and our depth wore on them a little bit.
"(Alex) DeRocher exploded for three 3-pointers and we were up five at the half."
Potter said the Falcons came out swinging in the third quarter to tie the game heading into the fourth. The score was tied at the end of regulation as well, and Potter said his team was able to hit their free throws. The Bears converted on 7 of 8 attempts down the stretch.
"We made a push and were almost able to close it out at the end. They hit some free throws and sent it into overtime," TMHS coach John Blasco said. "Our buckets didn't fall and their free throws did."
Despite the loss, Blasco was happy with his team's offensive production.
"We played really strong collectively offensively," he said. "Juneau kept pressuring and we kept attacking the basket - I think we got to the free throw line 30 times, something I'm very pleased with.
The Crimson Bears had 28 points off the bench, outscoring the Falcons' second unit by 22.
Cody Grussendorf and Reese Saviers led all scorers with 20 points each for TMHS, while Jazz King pitched in 10 points.
Tony Yadao had 16 points, DeRocher had 14, and Colin Gozelski and Paul Tupou each contributed 13 for the Bears, who play Ketchikan today at 8:15 p.m. as Thunder Mountain awaits the loser of that game for a 4:45 p.m. tip-off on Thursday.
Bears edge Falcons in OT - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
The Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team pulled out a 78-73 overtime victory over Thunder Mountain in the opening round of the Southeast Conference basketball tournament Tuesday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
Wednesday February 24, 2010
The crowd was very supportive and helped push us to two conference game wins. The crowd's energy really helped to fuel us to victory. It was the largest crowd attendance of the season and we would like every game to be that way. Every point we scored and every good play we made was backed up with roars from the crowd; it was a great atmosphere to play in.
We would love for everyone to keep showing their support by continuing to attend another pair of games to end the regular season against Thunder Mountain High School on Feb. 25 and 27.
Once again, we really appreciate the support and urge everyone to come to the last two games of our regular season before we head to the Southeast Regional tournament.
Victor Wilson, Alex DeRocher and Colin Gozelski
Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears boys basketball team captains.
Juneau
Thanks for supporting JDHS basketball games
The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears Boys Basketball Team would like to thank everyone who showed their support by attending the games against the TMHS Falcons.
Monday February 22, 2010
"I had somebody that used to be a sports reporter for Ketchikan that let me know that he believes it was 1973-74 (since the Kings have swept the Bears)," Ketchikan coach Erik Stockhausen said Saturday after his team did just that.
Ketchikan led 11-9 after a back-and-forth first quarter that saw neither team take control, with the Kings holding the biggest edge at four points after a 5-0 run. Senior forward Colin Gozelski hit senior forward Paul Tupou for a leaner in the lane just before the buzzer to cut into the deficit.
The second quarter was more of the same, but this time with more shots falling for both teams.
There were four ties at 11-, 13-, 15- and 17-all, but JDHS could never get over the hump to retake the lead.
At 17-17, junior Jesse Lindgren scored inside, followed by a nifty reverse lay-up for senior Jeff Whicker, who had 12 points in the first half, to push the Kings back out front by four, 21-17. JDHS closed 6-4 with sophomore guard Lance Ibesate going straight the basket for a tough runner to set the first-half score at 25-23 heading into the locker room.
The Bears were lucky to be that close after shooting just 8 of 31, good for 25.8 percent, in the first half, while the Kings shot 8 of 19 for 42.1 percent.
And it didn't get any better in the third quarter as Ketchikan began to extend its lead. JDHS scored just eight points in the entire third period on 21 percent shooting, with two coming at the buzzer after Ibesate got to the basket for a tough lay-up.
The lead ballooned to 20, 53-33, in the fourth quarter after an 11-2 run in the first minutes, though JDHS was able to get it back down to a more respectable margin late in the game after the Bears started furiously attacking the basket.
"I told them at halftime that if we didn't come out with more purpose, then we were going to lose by 20," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "Then we caught a little bit of fire, but it's got to take more than getting down by 20 to have that fire."
Potter threw out a laundry list of areas he thought his team was outplayed.
"We've got to get back to doing what we're trying to do. We did not do a very good job," he said. "Ketchikan was quicker to the ball, they were more aggressive on offense, they cut harder, they had more purpose... .
"We just can't allow that to happen and continue to be successful."
Whicker followed his 30-point performance on Friday with 28 more to lead all scorers. Stockhausen also credited Whicker for keeping DeRocher off balance. DeRocher finished with 17 points, most of which came in a fourth-quarter flurry after he started attacking the basket and abandoning the 3-point line, where he shot just 1-for-17 in the two games. DeRocher said that's the worst he remembers ever shooting.
"In my whole high school career, I don't remember going that bad, even in JV games," said the senior. "I just had some off nights, and it happens to everybody. I was just lucky to be able to get some points driving in. We have a couple of practices before Thunder Mountain, so we're going to refocus. We've got to get that (focus) back."
"That's not indicative of that young man," Stockhausen said of DeRocher. "We game planned a little bit for him and tried to limit his good looks, and I thought Jeff Whicker did a fantastic job all weekend defensively. But we know that if we get a chance to play them again, those numbers are going to be a lot different.
"He's an All-Conference player, no question."
The Kings (17-5, 5-1) shot almost 49 percent to the Bears 33. Ketchikan also outrebounded JDHS 42-34 with a lineup of basically three guards and two small forwards.
"That's ridiculous," Potter said in disgust of the deficit on the glass. "It's ridiculous that we would ever get outrebounded."
Wilson and Yadao were the other Bears in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Wilson also had nine boards, three assists and two steals.
JDHS (10-9, 2-4) is at crosstown rival Thunder Mountain (7-11, 1-5 not counting Saturday's second game) for the Falcons' senior night on Thursday.
Bears can't catch up to Kings
Down two with 15.5 seconds to play Friday, Juneau-Douglas got off three shots to either tie or take the lead but none found the bottom of the net, as Ketchikan hung on for a 63-61 Southeast Conference-clinching victory on the Crimson Bears' home floor.
Senior wing Victor Wilson got two good looks underneath with time winding down, but neither would drop. And sophomore guard Tony Yadao's desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer was wide, dooming the Bears to the No. 2 seed at best in next month's conference tournament.
"We missed it," JDHS coach Steve Potter said simply of the Bears' final chances, shaking his head. "We did what we wanted to do, we got the shot we wanted and we just couldn't make it."
With three minutes to go and Ketchikan clinging to a 58-53 lead, Wilson scored inside off a dish from senior guard Alex DeRocher to make it a three-point game. A couple of King free throws pushed the lead back to five, 60-55, but Yadao found senior forward Paul Tupou inside for the hoop and the harm, though Tupou missed the freebie.
Wilson went off the glass with a pull-up jumper to cut the deficit to two with 31.5 on the clock, and sophomore point guard Lance Ibesate made it a one-point game, 62-61, after sprinting in for a lay-up after grabbing a loose ball.
A Jeff Whicker free throw with 15.5 seconds left set up the final sequence.
"Oh, man, this is a great place to play. Win or lose, that was a great high school basketball game," an emotionally drained Eric Stockhausen, the Kings coach, said afterward. "We're very fortunate to have the outcome the way we have (it). Hats off to the Juneau kids and coach Potter, coach (Robert) Casperson. Their kids played their hearts out and we just got a lucky bounce here and there."
The Bears pounded the ball inside early, with senior forward Paul Tupou scoring the game's first bucket on the block. Wilson stuck a pull-up jumper in the lane and junior forward Colin Gozelski got a lay-up after a steal by DeRocher under the King' basket for a 6-2 Bears lead in the early going.
Yadao buried a triple from the top of the key for an 11-5 JDHS lead, but the Kings caught fire from behind the arc thereafter.
Whicker stuck a 3-pointer to ignite an 8-0 Ketchikan run, then went to the cup for a deuce before Chas Allen nailed another triple for a 14-11 Kings lead, forcing a Bears timeout.
Senior Lawrence Fenumiai answered inside for the Bears, but Jesse Lindgren went straight to the basket for a score and Allen splashed another 3-ball. A baseline jumper from Gozelski made it a 19-15 game after one quarter.
Whicker hit another 3-pointer to start the second quarter, but the Bears went on an 8-3 run to cut into the deficit. Two straight buckets inside by Fenumiai, one a tip-in of a blocked shot, the other off a dump-down pass from Gozelski, made it 27-25, Kings.
A Yadao stickback, a Tupou steal and lay-in and a breakaway Gozelski lay-up tied the game at 29-all midway through the second quarter. But the Kings closed with an 11-4 run, including Whickers' third and the Kings' sixth triple of the first half. Ketchikan blistered the nets, shooting 62.5 percent from the field in the game's first 16 minutes.
"I thought Whicker was really good for them. He killed us in the first half," Potter said. "It was good shooting by them, and a lot of bad defense by us. We weren't any where near them when they were shooting those."
The Bears caught a break with seven seconds to go as the Kings turned it over. Wilson took the inbound pass, dribbled, drove to the cup and spun in the lane with a banker off the glass at the buzzer to set the halftime score at 40-33, Kings.
JDHS went right back inside to Tupou after the break, but Whicker went the other way for three more the old-fashioned way before hitting a pull-up jumper in the lane for a 45-35 Ketchikan lead.
The Bears cut it to five, 49-44, after two straight Gozelski buckets inside, but Whicker buried a big 3-pointer with Yadao all over him after a Gozelski turnover to momentarily quiet the crowd as time ran down in the third.
Gozelski led three Bears in double figures with 18 points to go with nine boards, six assists and two steals. Tupou had 12 points, and Fenumiai had 10. Tupou also had eight rebounds.
Whicker led all scorers with 30 points on 9 of 14 shooting, propelling the Kings to a 54.8 percent night shooting the ball. Bell added 12 points for the Kings, eight rebounds and six assists.
"I thought we did a little bit better job defending in the second half," Potter said. "Tony did a great job defensively. We just need to get the other guys playing at that same level of intensity."
Where Potter was unhappy with his team's patience offensively at times, screaming for at least four passes per possession, Stockhausen was pleased with his team's execution.
"We have a couple of marquee players and other guys who fill their roles well," he said. "They understand what we want offensively and that's to get the best shot that we can."
JDHS won the battle on the boards 38-27, but the Kings outscored the Bears 21-3 from behind the arc and took 16 more free throws.
Phillip Fenumiai and Travis Godfrey led JDHS to big 62-40 JV win over the Kings. Twelve Bears scored, and seven had at least five points. Keagan Lervick led all scorers with 10 points.
The JDHS C Team also won big, 68-50, behind 15 points from Jackson Lehnhart and 11 from Darien Stanger.
Kings take two - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Ketchikan pulled off the nearly unthinkable Saturday in boys' basketball, earning a season sweep of Juneau-Douglas with a 66-58 victory over the ice-cold Crimson Bears at JDHS.
Thursday February 18, 2010
Sitka games canceled tonight due to fog; Ketchikan games still planned for weekend
Tonight's match up against Sitka's JV and Varsity teams has been canceled due to the foggy weather in Juneau today. A decision has not been made as to whether or not the games will be rescheduled for a later date. The weekend series against Ketchikan has not been effected at this time.
Monday February 15, 2010
The action begins this Thursday versus Sitka when the JV tips off at 5:15, followed by the Varsity at 7:00.
Games Added Against Sitka
The Varsity and Junior Varsity have added games this week against former 4A regional opponent, Sitka. In their second year as a 3A school, Sitka will provide a solid test before this weekend's games against rival Ketchikan, Friday and Saturday.
Tuesday February 09, 2010
With 30 minutes left until game time, the line into the gym was winding out the entry to JDHS and people were eventually turned away after the event sold out.
"It was electrifying, and I didn't even get to watch the game," said Sandi Wagner, JDHS Activities Director who had her hands full policing the eager crowd. "We put 1,500 or 1,600 people in there (Friday)."
The fans were packing the gym more than an hour before the varsity game tipped off, most donning either the black and red of the Crimson Bears or the Falcon blue and silver. Students were geared up in school attire while some decided to take the black and red body paint route. Either way, Juneau's newest rivalry was in full effect and the student section held nothing back - even for the Falcon cheerleaders.
Gov. Sean Parnell was one of the many in attendance anticipating Juneau's new rivalry, and he said it did not disappoint.
"I love the community spirit. I walk in and I'm handed a towel for the Falcons and a towel for the Crimson Bears, so it's a great night for Juneau," he said. "It really brings the people together. I see people cheering for both sides, but I also see people cheering for their schools - it's great for the city."
One of the running topics of the evening was the fact that nobody had seen the gym packed like it was since a certain No. 4 dominated the court at Juneau-Douglas.
"Look at the crowd; everybody is excited," said Bill Elhers, who was wearing a blue Thunder Mountain T-shirt underneath his coat. "This is historic. When Carlos Boozer was playing the gym was packed like this every night. It's great to see it like this again."
There was mutual excitement between the fans waiting for tip-off, but once the blue-clad Thunder Mountain Falcons entered the court at JDHS, the boos rained down from the student section.
"I think it's pretty weird because they used to go to our school, now they're playing against us," said Juneau-Douglas student Alesa Abbott. "This game is going to be pretty intense and the fans are going to be crazy."
Alex Brown, who was sporting the colors of the Falcons, said she had a pretty good idea why the rivalry had already gotten to this level.
"I think people are going to feel betrayed, like 'Oh my God, they went over to Thunder Mountain - they're terrible people,'" she said jokingly.
With several prominent players from last year's Bears squad transferring to TMHS, former Crimson Bear Josh Lockhart, said he can understand the feeling.
"It's going to be good, mainly because Cody (Grussendorf) and Reese (Saviers) transferred from here," he said. "All these kids know each other pretty well, and they're two of the better players in town.
"They're going to want to beat them and make them regret transferring, or something like that."
The game was close early, but the Crimson Bears fed off the home crowd and put the Falcons away 60-45. However, they knew they would have to visit Thunder Mountain on Saturday, and the Falcons would be ready for redemption.
Miles Bedford and Justin Brooks, covered in black body paint wearing nothing but black bike shorts and tennis shoes, were basking in victory.
"They put up good competition and I can tell this is going to be a rivalry for a long time," Bedford said. "It's going to be different when we go to their home gym (Saturday)."
Brooks had other ideas.
"We're going to do the same thing to them (Saturday)," he said adamantly.
When asked whether this rivalry already had surpassed the magnitude of Juneau-Douglas' rivalry with Ketchikan - or any other school for that matter - both had the same definitive response.
"Not even close, not even close. This will be the biggest one we will have in the state, that's all I got to say," Bedford said as Brooks quickly followed.
"No rivalry compares to this one between JDHS and Thunder Mountain - ever - in all of sports," he said.
At the end of the night, Wagner kept a cool head and a clear perspective about the new matchup in the city.
"We are two schools in a small community, and at the end of the day it's all about Juneau," she said. "They can compete as hard as they want on the court, but at the end of the day we're all from the same spot.
"So, that's what it's about to me, not a rivalry. If you have great competition along the way, so be it."
As former JDHS student Dylan Stuart put it: "Juneau's all grown up. It's got its own rivalry now. Soon we'll have Burger King, Wendy's, who knows."
For now, a game atmosphere like the one at Juneau-Douglas on Friday will do just fine.
Fan Frenzy - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
In the first-ever matchup between the Thunder Mountain boys' basketball team and Juneau-Douglas, the atmosphere at JDHS was spirited - to say the least.
Sunday February 07, 2010
If you didn't get there early Friday night, then you didn't get a good parking spot (except for those who decided to just park on the sidewalk outside of Juneau-Douglas High school).
The line was out the door and many had to be turned away as the gym swelled to capacity. Even the aisles were filled with fans in the den of the Crimson Bears.
There was no better place to be this weekend than at Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain high schools, where the two new friendly rivals tipped off for the first time ever in boys' basketball.
The gyms were, without a doubt, electric (I can't wait until 2011 when they play each other in football for the first time).
I haven't been here long, but I think it's safe to say that Juneau hasn't seen anything like this when it comes to prep sports since Carlos Boozer was busy giving slam-dunk facials to opponents a full decade ago.
Thunder Mountain coach John Blasco, who played with Boozer at JDHS, agreed.
"It was an awesome enviroment. This was truly what kids should be living and dying for when playing," he said. "I haven't seen a crowd like this since Carlos was here, and we used to feed off it and love it. I can understand why JDHS played so well. We had a good crowd, too, and you just can't beat this type of game. It's a great experiecne, win or lose."
"Hopefully, we can get this kind of crowd every time we play and get the support from the community," JDHS coach Steve Potter said afterward.
Crimson Bear senior Alex DeRocher said it was the best envirnoment he's ever played in.
"I've never played in a game like this before," he beamed, fresh after dropping 20 points to lead all scorers Friday. "My freshman year, when all the main seniors were here, was the last time I remember a packed house. It's a lot different atmosphere. This easily topped homecoming last week. It was intense and it helped our team get the extra step. It was great. I absolutely loved it."
Juneau-Douglas won both games handily, but nobody really lost. The Falcons don't feel great about the way they played, but realize they were a part of something special.
They were a part of history, like all those in attendance, including Governor Sean Parnell, who posted up behind the press table Friday (he must have gotten there early for such a prime seat).
Coaches and friends Potter and Blasco shared a handshake, back slap and smiles before the game. The starters did the same before tip off.
And the games were fun; physical, but fun. TMHS freshman forward Gary Speck had his nose bloodied just minutes into the first game - though not because of malicious intent from any opposing player.
The JDHS student section was out in full force on Friday, chanting and cheering until many - like senior Jack Perkins - lost their voices. Some kids were painted black, which is awesome.
I thought the JDHS kids kept it classy, which is commendable. They may have booed the TMHS cheerleaders at the start of a routine in the second half, but then they totally redeemed themselves by giving them a spirited round of applause as the cheer wound down.
And booing opposing cheerleaders certainly isn't the worst thing I've ever seen. That's pretty tame, actually.
The return game at Thunder Mountain was just as much fun with the stands packed again and the crowd just as loud. Both student sections were full, rowdy and rockin'.
Before the fourth quarter started, four TMHS students painted blue did a lap around the court with signs with the school letters on them, getting the crowd on its feet. Not to be outdone, two JDHS students painted red chased the boys in blue another lap around the gym as the crowd roared.
It was truly a great moment.
"I hope the fans had fun. It seemed like everybody was into it," Blasco said. "The community can see that the kids are still friends, and that's the fun part for us. I love all those guys over there and I respect them."
"It's brotherly," DeRocher said of the relationships between the two school's players. "We've all played basketball with each other over the years, and we all have eachother's respect as players. At times, it may get a little physical because the adrenaline's going in the moment. But other than that, I think it's fine. It's just a great basketball rivalry because we're so evenly matched up."
The record book may say Juneau-Douglas 2, Thunder Mountain 0, but no one won more than the community of Juneau.
First games in shiny new crosstown rivalry don't disappoint - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Now that's what prep sports should be about.
Sunday February 07, 2010
Both teams played more loosely from the outset than they did Friday night, trading buckets back and forth with the game tied at 2-, 6- and 8-all.
"We had a lot more energy coming out tonight, and I think the crowd really helped us," said JDHS senior forward Colin Gozelski, who put up 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. "Whenever they went on a run, our crowd would get us back into it."
TMHS senior forward Cody Grussendorf drove the lane for a lay-up and a 10-9 Falcon lead.
JDHS sophomore guard Lance Ibesate splashed a triple after a kick out by Eric Sele, but Falcon guard Reese Saviers answered with a three-pointer. Senior wing Victor Wilson drove for a lay-up and a 14-13 JDHS lead after one quarter.
Falcon senior guard Torey Franzen tied the game at 16-16 with a triple from the wing, but JDHS went on a 16-3 run, punctuated by a Gozelski and-1 inside after a lot of contact, followed by an Ibesate steal and lay-up to give the Bears a 32-19 lead at the midway point of the second quarter.
The Bears closed the half with a 6-2 spurt for a commanding 42-29 lead at the break.
Gozelski led the first-half charge, scoring 11 points for JDHS.
"Our defense in the first half was not where we need it to be," TMHS coach John Blasco said. "We got beat off the dribble quite a bit. That's knowing the guy that you're guarding, and that's also taking pride in defense and not just letting your guy beat you off the dribble."
The Bears went cold in the third quarter and the Falcons clawed their way back into the game, pulling within five points, 44-39, after a big-time three-pointer from Saviers.
JDHS coach Steve Potter said he wasn't surprised the Falcons were able to get back into the game.
"They're talented kids, Blasco is a good coach and he's going to make them play hard," he said. "There's no alternative. But it was about what I expected. They played better, and I thought we played better."
But then JDHS closed with a 6-0 spurt to hold a 50-39 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
"We cut it to five, and then made two or three bad decision and it was back up to a 10-point game. It's hard to fight back from down 10 that late in the game when they're feeling good. We had the momentum and everything going in our favor, and then a couple turnovers and poor shots and the game is back in their hands."
Both teams lit it up in the fourth quarter, with the Falcons outscoring the Bears 24-22, though they never got closer than 10 points.
Saviers led all scorers with 20 points and had 12 rebounds, while Grussendorf had 18 points for TMHS.
Alex DeRocher had 17 points for the Bears, and Ibesate had 16.
JDHS scored 22 points off Falcon turnovers, and the Bear bench outscored TMHS's 27-4.
JDHS won the JV game 51-29 behind 16 points from Phillip Fenuiai and 12 from Cort Saviers. Jake Gates paced the Falcons with seven points.
Bears ground Falcons in first-ever meeting at JDHS
Emotions ran high from the outset of the first-ever cross-town boys' basketball tilt between Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain, with the Crimson Bears winning convincingly, 60-45, in front of a frenzied full house at JDHS.
The bigger Bears owned the boards and shot the ball well while the Falcons couldn't find the range from the field or the free throw line. JDHS pulled down 50 boards to TMHS's 36, and shot 45 percent overall from the field, including 5 of 11 from behind the arc. The Falcons shot just 28 percent, including 1-for-11 from the perimeter, and just 14 of 33 from the stripe.
"It was a cold night. We were jittery through almost the entire first half, which is way longer than you should be," TMHS coach John Blasco lamented afterward. "We were 5-for-14 in the first half and in a 13-point ballgame, you miss nine free throws. Your psychological mindset is a lot different when you're down 13 instead of five or six.
"I played loud crowd noise in practice when we shot free throws in hopes that we would be prepared," he continued. "Clearly, it affected both teams. I'm very proud of how much we got to the line because we haven't gotten there that much any other time this year, but you have to capitalize. To miss 19 free throws in a 15-point ballgame, that says a lot. We didn't play a very good game and we didn't shoot well, but it was fun."
Though victorious, JDHS coach Steve Potter was unhappy with the fact his team got to the line just seven times, making but one.
"I don't necessarily agree with that, but it's our own fault," Potter said of the major free throw discrepancy. "We were settling for shots and taking early shots instead of taking our time to do the work. But we certainly were effective when we were patient enough to go inside. We got good inside-out action and we got most of our three-point opportunities. We just need to do a better job."
JDHS held a 10-5 lead after the first quarter, was up 30-17 at the half, and only trailed once, 5-4, in the game's early going.
The game was tight until midway through the second quarter. With JDHS leading 16-9, the Falcons scored five straight to cut the deficit to two, 16-14, after back-to-back buckets off the glass inside by De'Andre King.
But senior Alex DeRocher, who led all scorers with 20 points, drilled his first of four three-pointers from the wing to open the floodgates.
"That's awesome, but it's a team effort," DeRocher said of his big night shooting the ball. "I'm just glad we got the win. I don't care if I score 30 points if we lose. That's not fun to me. I just want the win."
Senior forward Paul Tupou followed DeRocher's lead with an old-fashioned three-point play to push the cushion to eight, 22-14, and the Bears closed the half on a 14-3 run, with sophomore guard Tony Yadao hitting a beautiful double-clutch scoop shot in the lane with time running out.
JDHS doubled up the Falcons 34-17 after senior forward Eric Sele opened the third quarter with back-to-back buckets inside off dishes from senior wing Victor Wilson.
Senior forward Cody Grussendorf scored four straight points to cut the deficit to 38-21, but Yadao halted any Falcon momentum with a stuff of a Reese Saviers lay-up attempt after Saviers got out on the break. Wilson scored over King inside and senior forward Colin Gozelski drove to the cup for a deuce and a 44-25 Bears lead heading into the final eight minutes.
The Falcons finally got going offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points in all, but it was too little, too late. Saviers, who struggled from the field, shooting just 3-for-14, went to the cup but was rejected again, this time by senior forward Lawrence Fenumiai, who then playfully flexed for the fervent JDHS studentsection.
DeRocher pushed the Bears' lead to 54-28 with a triple from the wing, and then the Falcons chipped away, outscoring JDHS 17-6 over the game's final four minutes.
DeRocher credited the Bears' big men for owning the glass.
"Our boards were key. We've been working a lot on boxing out in practice, and our help-side defense. I think that really helped us out tonight," he said. "Our big men really stepped it up and boxed out for us. They realize that's their job, and they've been doing a great job."
JDHS won Friday's JV matchup 53-37 behind 15 points from Alec Calloway, and 10 from Phillip Fenumiai. Josh Tupou led the Falcons with 11 points, and Keith Ainsworth put up nine.
Bears take first two - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Juneau-Douglas exploded for 28 second-quarter points en route to a 72-60 Southeast Conference victory over Thunder Mountain at TMHS in the second of a two-day, two-game double dip between Juneau's old and new high schools.
Friday February 05, 2010
What is being billed by the students as the "Crosstown Smackdown" guarantees to provide action and excitement this weekend. The festivities begin with the C-Team game at 4:30, followed by JVs at 6:15, and culminating with the Varsity game at 8:00.
Show up early dressed in your Crimson Bear attire. If you need new Crimson Bear gear don't worry, we've got you covered... T-shirt and our new Rally Towels will be on sale at the game!
History in the Making
Tonight is your chance to witness history in the first ever match-up between the boys basketball teams between Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain at the JDHS gymnasium.
Friday February 05, 2010
Juneau-Douglas will face new cross-town rival Thunder Mountain in boys' basketball for the first time on the basketball court tonight at JDHS, and again Saturday at TMHS.
It's game time and best believe, the coaches, teams and fans are ready.
Neither coach has seen much of the other team, but TMHS head man John Blasco is a former Crimson Bear and was an assistant on the JDHS staff last year. Key Falcons Reese Saviers, Cody Grussendorf and Jazz King all clocked varsity minutes for the Bears last year before transferring. These players and coaches know each other well, and no one expects any big surprises.
"I've gotten to watch the Haines game and heard a few things about the West Valley game," Blasco said of his chances to see the Bears in action this year. "But from my understanding, they're not doing anything different than what I played in, or what I coached last year."
Bears coach Steve Potter has also only been able to scout one game in person.
"I saw them play against Petersburg early in the year, and we had a tape of the game against Ketchikan, but it was hard to watch because it was from a hand-held camera. I didn't feel well after watching the game and it wasn't because of how either team played," Potter joked. "We know who the guys that are getting all the notoriety are, and we kind of know what they do. It's the other guys who are more question marks."
Juneau-Douglas' big advantage rests down low, and on the bench. The Bears play 10-12 guys on a regular basis, and are much deeper in the post.
"I think in the Haines game, they played 11 guys consistently," Blasco said. "That's definitely deeper than we normally go. We're going to have smaller guys guarding their big guys. (JDHS's post players are) very tough, very physical, and their role is to get rebounds and put them back up. Jazz is going to have his hands full, along with our other quasi (small and power forwards). Trying to keep them off the block is going to be key."
"We have a lot more size inside," Potter agreed. "Jazz is a nice player and he was really coming along for us. I haven't gotten to see how he's been doing this year. He's not putting up the same numbers as (Saviers and Grussendorf), but he's a skilled offensive player. But we have a lot more bodies inside and we can play two or three at a time."
The Bears also have more ball handlers in the back court.
"They have five or six solid guards and they're very fast," Blasco said. "We've been talking all week about trying to contain them. Full-court defense is going to be a challenge because of how fast they are and how well they handle the ball."
Blasco said his guys will have to take it as a personal challenge when defending Juneau's quick backcourt. Sophomores Lance Ibesate and Tony Yadao are speedsters who both have a knack for making tough shots.
"We may not be as fast, but as a smart defender, if you anticipate you can give ground and beat them to a spot, and hope that slows them down," he said. "You want to make them change direction and go east-west."
Potter said he thinks slowing the tempo will be key for his team, and he will rely on overall team defense to try and limit touches and good shots for Saviers and Grussendorf.
"I don't see there being these key 1-on-1 matchups. We don't guard one guy with one guy," he said. "Sure, we'll put our better defenders on their better players, but we have a lot of guys that can defend and we'll rotate guys through. We're trying to improve our help defense and it's gotten a little bit better as the year's gone on.
"Cody and Reese are both dynamic scorers, so that's something we're going to try to slow down," he continued. "Blasco will get them to play hard and he's intense, so they'll be intense. They're going to get after it, we're going to get after it, and it should be a fun game to watch."
Two key matchups stand out the most. First, former teammates Colin Gozelski and Cody Grussendorf will likely see time defending each other. Both are of a similar size and build, and both are athletic.
"Probably Colin or Victor (Wilson) are the ideal guys I see coach Potter putting on Cody because they're two of the more athletic guys that he has," Blasco said. "They do play good team defense, though, and they'll help, rotate and switch."
Second could perhaps be the most fun matchup to watch: Alex DeRocher and Reese Saviers. Both can light it up on any given night from behind the arc. DeRocher will give away some height but is stronger, where Saviers has a length advantage.
"Definitely the Reese and Alex matchup will be fun to watch because they're both shooters," Blasco said. "They'll both be looking for their shot and they're both tough defenders. Alex is a tough, physical defender, and Reese is a tough, long defender. They're both going to match up really well. Alex has proven that he can drop 30 (points), and so has Reese."
"Reese is a good shooter, and a streak shooter. When he gets it going, you really got to watch out," said Potter. "We're not going to shut anybody out and we'll give up some buckets, even if we're there (defensively). Hopefully, they'll take tough shots."
Potter said keeping the Falcons under 50 points will be key for his team.
"I think if we keep them under 50 points, then we'll be in good shape," he said. "If we're playing in the 80s, then that's not necessarily what we want."
Blasco said his team playing hard from the opening tip to the final whistle is key for the Falcons.
"The keys to a Falcon victory is our team playing 32 minutes of quality basketball the way we've been practicing," he said. "And we can't be distracted by the atmosphere. If we play solid defense and don't get distracted, I think it's going to be a very tough game."
May the best team win.
Battle of the city/borough begins - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
The date has been circled on the calendar for quite some time now, and it's finally here.
