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Friday February 22, 2008 "It's going to be crazy," JDHS guard Cody Grussendorf said.
The Crimson Bears enter tonight's game on a three-game winning streak.
A big reason for the recent success was lessons learned during a Feb. 1 loss to the Kings in Ketchikan. In the 62-59 loss, Juneau-Douglas hoisted 33 three-point shots and made just nine. The Bears started the game making 6 of 7 3-pointers, but cooled considerably as Ketchikan took control.
"Live by the three, die by the three," Grussendorf said.
Since then, however, Juneau-Douglas exhibited more poise and patience on the offensive end.
Rather than looking for the quick jumper, the Bears have made extra passes and attacked inside more.
"Our style of play has changed since that loss," JDHS forward Eric Gross said. "Hopefully that'll continue."
JDHS beat Ketchikan 66-56 on Feb. 2 and followed that up with a two-game sweep at Sitka last weekend.
One player who seems to be benefiting from the patient offense is Dominique Brinson. The senior posted a then season-high 21 points in the Feb. 2 win. He followed up with 18 and 23 points in two wins over Sitka.
"I think what we learned the second night in Ketchikan and the second night in Sitka is making the extra pass without thinking about it," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We were trying earlier in the year too hard to make the assist pass, the great pass. Just move the ball and let the assist happen, let the play develop and let someone else finish the play.
"Since we started doing that - you can interpret that as being more deliberate on offense or whatever - our field goal percentage went way up. We were 50 percent or higher in those games."
While patience on offense will be critical, all eyes will be on Juneau's defense and how it handles Ketchikan's Damen Bell-Holter.
The Kings' senior 6-foot-9-inch-tall forward averages 29 points per game. He can score both inside and outside, rebound and find the open man when double-teamed.
"I think you have to guard him a lot of different ways because he's a skilled player," Potter said. "You have to make him work hard. You can't give him too much for free. ... He's too good of a player to not pay attention to all the details."
Guarding Bell-Holter, who scored 35 and 28 points in two games against Juneau this season, will be a team effort.
Forwards Geoff Craig, Faifo Levale, Ryan Larson, Brian Lauth and Gross likely will be tasked with battling Bell-Holter in the paint.
For JDHS, however, defending him starts before Bell-Holter even gets the ball.
Juneau must make it difficult for Ketchikan's guards to get their big man the ball. When Bell-Holter does receive a pass, JDHS needs to put him in a position where he can't immediately score.
"I just have to go as hard as I can on not letting the guards pass the ball into Damen," JDHS guard Reese Saviers said. "I have to put a lot of pressure on them and not make it an easy pass."
While the offense flows through Bell-Holter, he's not the only Kayhi player who can score. Simeon Schum can score inside while Jase Scudero and Corey White both stretch defenses with their shooting.
The crowd should be hyped each night, which should provide a playoff atmosphere at the JDHS gym.
Getting revved up is inevitable, but channeling that energy into focus will be key for JDHS.
"We just have to make sure we can focus on what the task is at hand," Potter said. "If we can focus on what we're supposed to do, we'll be fine."
Marquee matchup set for JDHS gym - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
For Southeast Alaska basketball, it doesn't get much better than this weekend as two rivals, high stakes and one fired-up crowd converge in Juneau.
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team (9-9, 3-1 Southeast) will host rivals Ketchikan (17-2, 5-1) in a key conference series this weekend. The contests will start at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday.
Wednesday February 20, 2008 Joining Boozer in the Hall's second-ever class was former East Anchorage High School and Duke University basketball star Trajan Langdon. Before Boozer made his mark in the NBA, Langdon laid the groundwork as the first Alaskan to reach the highest level of professional basketball. The shooting guard was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and played three seasons in the NBA from 1999-2002. He currently plays professional basketball for CSKA Moscow in the elite Euroleague.
Former NFL offensive lineman and Service High School graduate Mark Schlereth was also inducted. He currently serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN after winning three Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins.
Two mushers also made the Class of 2008. Rick Swenson, a five-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion, made the Hall of Fame along with Joe Redington, Sr., known as the Father of the Iditarod. Redington, who died in 1999, helped establish the famous race.
As for Boozer, the former Crimson Bears star helped lead JDHS to a pair of Class 4A state championships in 1997 and 1998. He won a national title with Duke in 2001, a bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and was named to the 2008 NBA All-Star teams.
Boozer is the first Southeast Alaska person to be inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.
In addition to five people, the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame also enshrined one event and one moment.
The Great Alaska Shootout, an early-season college basketball tournament in Anchorage, was elected as the event. The Shootout routinely draws some of the top men's and women's NCAA Division I teams in the nation.
As for the moment, the selection committee chose Tommy Moe's 1994 gold medal victory in the downhill during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Moe spent his formative seasons at Alyeska in Girdwood.
The Class of 2008 joins the inaugural class that featured sprint musher George Attla, four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, two-time Stanley Cup winner Scott Gomez, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Kristen Thorsness and Moe.
The Hall also enshrined the Iditarod as the event, along with the first ascent of Mount McKinley in 1913 and Libby Riddles' 1985 Iditarod victory as the moments.
Crimson Bear Alum Boozer joins Hall of Fame - Juneau Empire
Carlos Boozer, a 1999 Juneau-Douglas High School graduate, was among five athletes inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday in Anchorage.
Boozer did not attend the event. He was in Salt Lake City playing with the Utah Jazz in their 119-109 win over the Golden State Warriors. He posted 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, marking his 37th game with more than 10 points and rebounds this season.
Tuesday February 19, 2008 Juneau-Douglas led 42-28 at halftime and put the game away with a mammoth third quarter. The Crimson Bears rolled up 29 points in the third to extend their lead to 71-44.
"We had a shot to be up 20 at halftime and then we took some quick shots and got away from what we were doing and they cut it to 15," Potter said. "I thought the guys were a little fired up and thought they could do better."
Potter said his team extended their defense to the full court and employed a mix of traps against the Wolves.
JDHS employed both man-to-man and zone traps against the Wolves, Potter said.
"Our staple was our man (defense)," he said. "(Friday) our man wasn't very good. (Saturday) our man was a lot better. We still gave up a lot of points but if were going to play up and down and push it like that, that's going to happen."
Senior Dominique Brinson led JDHS with 23 points while Ryan Larson added 12 in the win.
The team also went 23 of 30 from the free throw line.
"What happens is when Dom is scoring, it creates opportunities for the other guys," Potter said. "Of his 23 points, he only scored in the first and third quarters. The full court is best suited for Dom because he's at his best when he gets to the bucket. In the half court, he's difficult to guard because he has that mid-range shot."
Eric Gross added eight points while point guard Shawn Ibesate scored seven in the win. Also for JDHS, Geoff Craig had six points and Reese Saviers scored five points.
Potter praised his point guard's ability to not only push the ball in the open court, but to quickly transition into the Bears' half-court offense on Saturday.
"I thought (Saturday) in particular Shawn Ibesate did a good job of pushing the ball up the floor and when we didn't have something, he got in the half court offense," Potter said. "We were into things quicker so we got better looks."
Sitka's Ulysses Diaz and Ryan Peters scored 10 points each in the loss while Ross Venneberg chipped in eight points.
On Friday, Juneau-Douglas received 18 points from Brinson in an eight-point win.
The Crimson Bears led 39-30 at halftime as Sitka hung around in the second half.
Larson scored seven points while Craig added six in the win. Corey Mahar and Ibesate had five points each while Faifo Levale added four in the win.
Logan Lee led the Wolves with 12 points.
Juneau-Douglas returns home next weekend to take on Ketchikan (16-2, 5-1) in a crucial Southeast Conference series. The two teams split in Ketchikan on Feb. 1-2.
JDHS boys run past Sitka - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team started fast and refused to yield in Saturday's 87-63 rout of host Sitka.
The win secured a series sweep of the Wolves as the Crimson Bears (9-9, 3-1 Southeast) won 65-37 on Friday.
"We shared the ball and nobody tried to make the great moves," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of Saturday's win. "Everyone was looking for each other."
Sunday February 03, 2008 After hoisting 33 3-point shots in Friday's loss, JDHS exhibited more restraint on Saturday. The Bears scored more inside as junior Eric Gross had 20 points. Dominique Brinson led the team with 21 points.
"We were patient on offense and we made Ketchikan play some defense," Potter said.
Ketchikan's Damen Bell-Holter scored a game-high 28 points, but Potter said he was pleased with how his team defended the versatile 6-foot-9 senior.
"We just made him work for everything," Potter said. "I was really proud of how our guys played defense.
"Guys were doing their part. No one was trying to be the hero, but guys did the work."
Defensively, Potter said his team had to break some of its long-standing rules of defense against the Kings.
Instead of just playing straight up man-to-man, Potter had players who were off the ball pay some attention to Bell-Holter.
"Our rules are fairly ingrained and it's hard to go against our nature," Potter said. "Basically every time if you weren't guarding the ball, it was (guard) half your man and half Bell-Holter."
Offensively for JDHS, Ryan "Bubba" Larson added 11 points in the win while Faifo Levale scored four points and Brian Lauth had two points off the bench.
"This was probably his best game start to finish," Potter said of Larson. "He played the way we need him to play."
On Friday, Juneau-Douglas started the game on fire from outside. JDHS couldn't maintain its shooting stroke, however, as Ketchikan battled to a three-point win.
The Bears surged to a 23-14 first-quarter lead after making six of seven 3-point shots. JDHS cooled off considerably, however, and made just three of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc after the first eight minutes.
"That was a game we shot the lights out in the first quarter and then couldn't get away from it," Potter said. "We lived by it early and died a slow death as we kept coming out and shooting the 3, play defense for a long time, then shoot another 3."
Bell-Holter enjoyed a mammoth performance as he poured in 35 points.
Ketchikan (15-2, 3-1) rallied to take a 34-33 halftime and held on to snap a nine-game losing skid to their conference rivals.
Shawn Ibesate scored a team-high 16 points with four 3-pointers for JDHS while Brinson added 10 points. Gross chipped in eight points in the loss. Eleven of the 14 JDHS players who got on the floor scored Friday as Erick Waters and Lauth each scored two points.
For Kayhi, 6-foot-5 junior Simeon Schum scored 10 points while Corey White added eight points and Gunnar Farstad scored six points.
JDHS next plays Feb. 16-17 at Sitka.
Juneau-Douglas boys split on the road - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team learned from its errors Saturday to secure a key split in Ketchikan.
The Crimson Bears (7-9, 1-1 Southeast) defeated the Kings, ranked second in the latest Alaska Sportswriters Prep Basketball poll, 66-56 on Saturday. On Friday, JDHS fell 62-59 to the Kings.
"It was nice to see smiles in the locker room after the game," JDHS coach Steve Potter said.
Thursday January 31, 2008 For the boys, much of the buzz statewide has surrounded the Kings' talented 6-foot-9 senior Damen Bell-Holter. The senior originally from Hydaburg will play NCAA Division I basketball at Missouri State next season and has lit up everyone he's gone against this season.
He dropped 27 and 23 points in two wins over defending state champions Wasilla.
Bell-Holter also earned MVP honors in the Golden Heart tournament in Fairbanks after he averaged 26.3 points in wins over Bethel, Lathrop and North Pole.
Bell-Holter can score both inside and outside and must be accounted for at all times. He's also a solid rebounder.
In addition to the college-bound senior, Jace Scudero and Simeon Schum can also score with regularity while Gunnar Farstad, Kevin Manabat and Erik Pihl bring experience.
Six of the Kings' wins came against Class 3A competition and they've yet to play a top-five Class 4A opponent. Juneau-Douglas represents Kayhi's toughest challenge to date.
The Crimson Bears are coming off a pair of losses to Colony, including a gut-wrenching 53-47 defeat Sunday in which JDHS squandered a 12-point fourth quarter lead.
Juneau has lost six of its last seven games, but has played arguably the toughest schedule in Alaska. Four of Juneau's eight defeats came against Class 4A teams ranked in the top five and another one came against the No. 3 Class 3A team, Heritage Christian.
Offensively, Juneau-Douglas enjoys a diverse attack. Slashing guard Dominique Brinson leads the team with 13.4 points per game while forward Ryan "Bubba" Larson ranks third in scoring with 11.5 points per outing.
Juneau's most consistent player may be forward Eric Gross. He's posted 12 points and six rebounds per game.
Coach Steve Potter's team played well in stretches, but struggled to start quickly and finish strong.
If Juneau can show the poise to play its best in the first and last four minutes against the Kings, the Bears may put themselves in the driver's seat for a top-seed in the Southeast Region Tournament.
JDHS boys prepare for Ketchikan - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The basketball season should take on a more serious and intense tone this weekend as the Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team will take on Ketchikan.
Last year, the Crimson Bears boys beat the Kings in the Southeast Conference finals to secure a spot in the state tournament.
This season figures to be no different as the Ketchikan boys are enjoying a hot start to the season.
Wednesday January 30, 2008 With best available records through Jan. 27, first place votes in parentheses and total points based on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale. Juneau Empire sports editor Tim Nichols voted in this poll.
Class 4A Boys
1. Dimond 13-1 (5) 37
2. Ketchikan 14-1 (3) 30
3. Colony 8-1 20
4. South Anchorage 7-1 15
5. Service 8-3 10
Others receiving votes: Kenai, 10-2, 5, West Anchorage, 9-3, 3.
Alaska Sportswriters prep basketball poll - Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner
The Crimson Bears have come close to defeating the top teams in the state, but they are still searching for the "x-factor" to finish off games and earn some quality wins.
Tuesday January 29, 2008
On Saturday, Grussendorf scored 14 points as Juneau beat Colony 62-53.
Saviers had 12 points, Franzen and King scored 10 points each while Sele and Gozelski had six points each. Eddie Hurtte and DeRocher chipped in two points each for JDHS.
The Juneau boys JV teams will take on Ketchikan this weekend on the road.
Juneau boys JV teams sweep Colony at home - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball junior varsity team had four people score in double figures in a 56-54 win over Colony on Sunday.
Colin Gozelski posted 11 points while Reese Saviers, Cody Grussendorf and Jazz King scored 10 points each in the win.
Lawrence Fenumiai had six points, Torey Franzen chipped in five points, Eric Sele had three points and Alex DeRocher hit a free throw for JDHS.
Collin Murphy led the Knights with 17 points while Connor Larson had 12 points and Cole Sherman scored 10 points.
Monday January 28, 2008
Last year, Gray's 3-pointer capped a rally that saw Colony down 12 in the last quarter.
"Watching the tape of the game from last year it was almost identical, even to the body language of the guys," JDHS coach Steve Potter said.
JDHS led 45-33 with 4:12 left in the game after making seven 3-point shots and successfully navigating Colony's full-court defense.
The Knights, however, turned up its full-court press to spark a game-closing 20-2 run to win.
Down 47-46, Gray repeated his heroics from last season by knocking down a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 40 seconds left in the game. Last year, Gray's 3-pointer came with 24 seconds left and happened on nearly the exact same spot on the court.
"When it was in my hands it was like deja vu and I was like, 'Oh no, I'm going to miss,'" Gray said. "But I got a good pass from a teammate in the key and made it."
The Bears tried to fight back but a pair of 3-point shots fell short as Colony's Gray and Josh Moseley made two free throws each to finished off a stirring comeback.
Colony scored the final 14 points of the game after trailing 47-39 with 1:48 left in regulation.
The majority of Colony's points during the run came off steals. Jaron Murphy had two steals and Gray recorded one during the decisive final 4:12.
"They ran the same press against us in the first half and we got lay-ups," Potter said. "Pressure does weird things to you. We need to build a little more trust in each other to help alleviate some of the pressure."
To start the game, JDHS came out with focus and intensity.
The Bears took a 13-6 lead by ending the first quarter on a 11-0 run. Ryan "Bubba" Larson, Dominique Brinson and Cody Grussendorf all hit 3s during the run.
JDHS extended its lead to 18-6 in the second quarter before Colony fought back to tie the game with a 12-0 run. JDHS hit three of four free throws in the final minute, though, to take a 23-22 lead.
Brinson then ignited Juneau in the third quarter, making three 3-point shots as JDHS surged to a 39-29 lead. The senior had a team-high 12 points, as did junior forward Eric Gross.
The Bears couldn't close out the game, however, as Colony's trapping defense took control in the final 4½ minutes of play.
"Our press really helped us today," Gray said. "It wasn't working early. Near the end we were getting a lot of steals and we just executed and made our free throws."
Colony made 15 of 22 free throws while JDHS connected on 8 of 14 attempts.
The Bears (6-8) open Southeast Conference play Friday as they travel to top-ranked Ketchikan (14-1) for a weekend series.
Colony boys knock off Juneau-Douglas - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team wanted to expunge some of the memories of last year's playoff loss to Colony with a solid showing this weekend. Instead, the Crimson Bears experienced a painful instant replay Sunday.
Not only did Colony come back from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit, but the Knights' Doug Gray once again provided the dagger with a go-ahead 3-pointer. Colony, ranked fourth in the Alaska Sportswriters Prep Basketball Poll, defeated JDHS 53-47 in a finish nearly identical to last year's 54-51 state quarterfinal victory.
Sunday January 27, 2008
"What I was disappointed in is we figured out that if we go inside that we were effective," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We had it down to two points, had the ball and we stopped throwing it down there. We started shooting quickly instead of making them work, making them foul us.
"They were up nine and we chopped it to two by methodically doing the work. We stopped doing the work. We tried to make great plays instead of solid plays."
JDHS trailed 47-43 after three quarters and whittled Colony's lead to two points by forcing the issue inside. Down 49-44 early in the fourth, JDHS point guard Shawn Ibesate got a steal, was fouled while making a layup and hit the ensuing free throw to cut the lead to two.
After Colony's Jaron Murphy hit two free throws to restore the four-point cushion, Juneau's Faifo Levale worked his 270-pound frame in the lane. Levale got fouled twice, making 2 of 4 free throws to trim Colony's lead to 51-49.
After that, however, Colony took control of the game.
The Knights made 11 of 16 free throws in the final 3:37 to stay up top as Juneau couldn't find a way to score.
"We've got a couple (New England) Patriots fans so it was like we had good red-zone defense," Colony coach Jeff Bowker said. "They got close but didn't get in."
From an excitement standpoint, Saturday's game lived up to the anticipation. The rematch of last year's state quarterfinal, won by Colony, featured plenty of end-to-end action and physical play.
The Knights, however, started quicker than Juneau as they raced out to a 20-7 first quarter lead.
Cody Grussendorf and Eric Gross both scored inside late to cut Colony's lead to 20-11 after eight minutes.
"For some reason, I'm not doing something right to get us ready to play at the start of games at home," Potter said. "We're not coming out with a purpose. We're not focused like we need to be."
Juneau-Douglas battled back by going inside.
Down 27-18 midway though the second quarter, Lawrence Fenumiai, Dominique Brinson and Ibesate all scored inside to trim Colony's lead to five.
After Chris Scott got four of those points back for Colony on the free-throw line, Brinson ended the first half with a layup to narrow the Knights' lead to 31-26 at halftime.
Gross scored nine of his team-high 15 points in the first half for JDHS.
Juneau and Colony traded baskets in the third quarter before Brinson's 3-pointer cut Colony's lead to 40-37 at the midway point.
Every time JDHS got close, however, Colony would fight back by getting to the line.
In all, Colony made 26 of 36 foul shots while JDHS converted 13 of 20 opportunities from the line.
"Colony is a tough team, no doubt about it, but we can't just allow tough teams to do what they want to on us," Potter said. "In too many instances, they were the aggressor and we were the reactor."
Brinson had 12 points and Ibesate scored 10 points to pace Juneau.
For Colony, Murphy had 15 points, Cody Huggins scored 12 points and John Palmer tallied seven points in the win.
To make up Friday's canceled game, the Crimson Bears and Knights will battle again at 4:30 p.m. today.
Colony holds off Juneau charge - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
Revenge will have to wait at least another day for the Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team.
Colony (7-1) held the Crimson Bears scoreless for nearly a 4-minute stretch in the fourth quarter en route to a 64-54 win on Juneau's homecoming Saturday. Juneau-Douglas (6-7) twice cut the Knights' lead to two points in the fourth quarter. The Bears failed to completely close the gap, however, as Colony outscored JDHS 13-5 in the final 5:18.
Friday January 25, 2008 "It means a lot," JDHS point guard Shawn Ibesate said. "We want revenge because of what happened last year. Plus, it's homecoming."
Last year, second-seeded JDHS rode a 16-game winning streak and a senior-laden roster into the state quarterfinals. The Bears built a 12-point fourth-quarter lead only to see Colony stage a manic comeback to win 54-51.
While only four players on this year's squad - Faifo Levale, Ryan "Bubba" Larson, Dominique Brinson and Ibesate - saw playing time in last year's playoff, the game left an indelible impression.
"I've really looked forward to playing them for a while, and I'm glad it's here," Larson said.
Juneau-Douglas should be rested and prepared for the Knights.
The Bears are midway through a merciless schedule that last saw them play four of Anchorage's top teams in four days. JDHS lost to top-ranked Dimond, West Anchorage and Heritage Christian but beat East Anchorage to close a four-day stint that started Jan. 9.
"A two-week layoff to play one of the better team's in the state, I think, is good," Larson said. "It'll give us some more energy to come out ready to play."
All four of those teams employed a version of the full-court zone press the Knights are likely to employ.
"I'm excited because I want to see if we got better out of the Anchorage trip," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "It was a hard trip for us."
Colony returns nearly all of last year's squad that reached the state finals. Doug Gray, Jaron Murphy, Cody Huggins and Grant Niver are all fundamentally sound players able to play multiple positions. Also, 6-foot-5 Matthew Stearman, who played for Wasilla last season, gives Colony added strength up front.
The Knights like to set the game's tempo with their defense, not only by trapping in the full court but by diving and scrapping for loose balls.
JDHS must be prepared to not only withstand Colony's defensive pressure, but to execute against a highly energetic opponent.
"We have to be ready to play and run our stuff," Larson said. "If we run our stuff, we'll be in the game."
Revenge on the minds of JDHS boys - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
If the Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team can't get motivated for this weekend, it may not be able to get motivated for anything.
Not only is it homecoming weekend, but the Crimson Bears will get two chances to avenge one of their more painful losses in recent memory. JDHS will host No. 3 Colony at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday in a rematch of last year's state quarterfinal game, won by the Knights.
Wednesday January 23, 2008
Get Ready for Homecoming!
Break out all your Red, White, and Black to support the Bears as they take on last season's 4A State Championship Runner-up, the Colony Knights this weekend. Junior Varsity games tip-off at 2:30 p.m. and the Varsity games are at 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Sunday January 13, 2008
"There's a bit of weight off their shoulders," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of his team.
All four games, played on four successive days, had one thing in common - pressure defense.
The Bears faced relentless pressure defense all week long. While East didn't play as much pressure as the previous three teams, according to Potter, battling four teams in four days exacted a toll from JDHS.
"I think mechanically we're understanding what to do against pressure," Potter said. "The thing about pressure is it just wears on you because you have to concentrate for so long. Four games in four days - we were definitely tired. There were times we had three guys get the rebound and we knocked it away from each other because we were tired."
Despite the fatigue, however, JDHS (6-6) managed to upend the Thunderbirds.
Juneau led 32-30 at halftime and 45-42 after three quarters. East had a shot to win the game at the buzzer, but Juneau-Douglas held on for the win.
"We were able to execute a little better," Potter said.
Dominique Brinson led JDHS with 19 points, including three 3-pointers.
Faifo Levale had 13 points while Eric Gross added 11 points. Ryan "Bubba" Larson scored nine while Cody Grussendorf, Geoff Craig and Shawn Ibesate had four points each.
The team also made 11 of 14 free throws.
For East, Derrick Moore led all players with 25 points while Stephen Johnson had 15 points.
On Friday, Juneau-Douglas lost to perennial Class 3A power Heritage Christian 67-54 at West Anchorage High School.
Heritage outscored JDHS 27-14 in the final eight minutes to ice the win.
"(Heritage Christian's) kids are physically strong," Potter said. "It was a very physical game and they didn't call a lot of body contact and that took us out of the game. We were also 6 for 16 from the free throw line."
Cameron Ramirez and Steve Hanks scored 20 points each to pace Heritage Christian.
For JDHS, Shawn Ibesate had a team-high 13 points while Levale scored 12 points.
Brinson and Gross had eight points each in defeat.
Up next for Juneau-Douglas will be a two-game home series against Colony on Jan. 25-26. It will be a rematch of last year's state quarterfinal game, won by the Knights 54-51.
Juneau-Douglas closes road trip with a win over East - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team ended a difficult trip in Anchorage on a positive note Saturday.
After dropping their first three games against Dimond, West Anchorage and Heritage Christian in Anchorage, the Crimson Bears gutted out a 66-65 victory over East Anchorage in the Alaska Airlines Classic tournament at West Anchorage High School. The win snapped a four-game losing skid that started Dec. 29.
Friday January 11, 2008
JDHS Coach Steve Potter said West Anchorage got the pressure on early and was up by 10 points early in the first quarter. The teams played pretty evenly until the end of the third when the Bears turned it on and cut the lead by four points. Juneau's Eric Gross was effective on the inside, but West Anchorage held out for the win.
"We ran out of gas, and they were able to stretch it out," Potter said.
The Bears play Heritage Christian this evening at 6:45 p.m. Potter says it will be a tough match-up because it is another team that's extremely physical and presses.
Boys fall to West Anchorage 62-47 - Juneau Empire by Courtney Nelson
Juneau-Douglas High School Crimson Bears lost a tough game to West Anchorage, 62-47, during the first round Thursday of the Alaska Airlines Classic tournament in Anchorage.
Thursday January 10, 2008 Dimond got on a run, scoring 13 to JDHS' 6 in the third quarter. "We weren't able to make up the ground," Potter said. JDHS shot 41 percent for the game.
"We shot better than we have been," Potter said. "But still, we were 6 for 21 on threes, and that's just not good enough."
Dimond's Colten Lauwers did well, scoring 25 points.
JDHS Senior Dominique Brinson had a nice game, leading JDHS with 15 points.
"He got some foul trouble on the third quarter there," Potter said, "and I think we really missed him, when Dimond put that run on us." JDHS missed Brinson's presence on the defensive end and as a scorer, Potter said.
"So hopefully we'll be able to keep him out of foul trouble tomorrow," Potter said.
Junior Eric Gross had 12 points. He was 6 for 8 shooting.
"(Gross) was a presence inside," Potter said. "Obviously, we probably should have gotten him the ball a little bit more."
"On a positive note, Justin Gunderson and Corey Mahar scored their first varsity points in the game," Potter said.
JDHS boys play West Anchorage at the Alaska Airlines tournament.
"West will do a lot of the same things," Potter said. "They have a one-two-two press, just like Dimond did. Hopefully we understand what we need to do a little bit tomorrow."
JDHS boys fall to Dimond Wednesday in Anchorage - Juneau Empire by Kim Andree
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team lost to Dimond 65-50 Wednesday in Anchorage.
We had a little bit of trouble with pressure," said coach Steve Potter. "It was decent pressure, but when we ran our stuff when we practiced, we got good shots and then we kind of got away from it."
Wednesday January 09, 2008 The Crimson Bears (5-3) will take on undefeated Dimond at 7:30 p.m. tonight. JDHS will then battle three of Anchorage's toughest squads in the Alaska Airlines Classic at West Anchorage High School. JDHS will battle the West Eagles on Thursday, perennial Class 3A state contenders Heritage Christian on Friday and East Anchorage on Saturday.
"It's all about getting better," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We do have some older kids, but not a ton of experience. What we're doing is gaining experience against tough, quality opposition. I don't think we've played a bad team yet."
The Lynx (8-0) stand out as Alaska's hottest team. Dimond demolished the competition at its host Dimond Prep Shootout while going all the way to Illinois to capture the Kankakee Tournament.
Dimond players, who made the state tournament last year, are led by juniors Colton Lauwers and Chris Plooy. Both players are capable of scoring in bunches while the team also got back Rylan Whilden, who tore his ACL while playing football in the fall. JDHS beat Dimond twice last year at home.
"They have a lot of young players but they're really tough and they go to the boards a lot," JDHS senior Dominique Brinson said of playing the Lynx last year. "We need to box out. They have a lot of long guys. They're all pretty strong as well."
In addition to facing tough competition, the Crimson Bears will also be facing a pair of teams known for their intense trapping defense.
Both Dimond and West Anchorage employ trapping defenses that try to force opposing ball-handlers into bad decisions.
Maintaining cool heads and trust in their teammates will be key for JDHS this week.
"We have to go back to the ball on our press breaks," Brinson said.
Throughout the season, JDHS exhibited the ability to score from throughout the court.
Ryan "Bubba" Larson, Shawn Ibesate, Cody Grussendorf, Reese Saviers and Jacob Hotch can all score from beyond the 3-point arc. Inside, Faifo Levale showed ability to stay out of foul trouble and use head and shoulder fakes to create spaces to shoot in traffic.
"I think we're doing really good," Grussendorf said. "We came off that two-game win streak in the (Capital City) Classic then came out slow (in a loss to Tahoma, Wash.) We have to work on coming out strong and starting the first half. We have to be able to play games back-to-back."
This week's four-game stretch should serve as a terrific tune-up for what is sure to be a pair of emotional series at the end of January.
On Jan. 25-26, JDHS will host Colony. The Knights ended the top-ranked Crimson Bears' run at a state title with a stunning 54-51 victory in the state quarterfinal round.
Then on Feb. 1-2, JDHS will open Southeast Conference play at rival Ketchikan.
Tough tests await JDHS boys - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team's relentlessly arduous schedule takes the squad to Anchorage for four difficult games starting today.
Tuesday January 08, 2008
JDHS led 35-15 at halftime en route to the win. Reese Saviers and Jazz King led JDHS with 13 points each while Alex DeRocher added 10 points. Colin Gozelski scored eight points, Eric Sele and Tony Tompkins had six points each, Justin Brooks added five points and Torey Franzen scored four points in the win.
On Friday, JDHS withstood a 31-point barrage from Tony Nguyen to beat F.H. Collins from Whitehorse, Yukon, 57-47.
Saviers scored 15 points, King had 12 points and DeRocher added 10 points to pace the Crimson Bears. Sele and Franzen had five points each, Cort Saviers and Gozelski had four points each and Justin Brooks added a field goal in the win.
The Crimson Bears' JV sealed a gold medal Saturday with a 56-38 win over Whitehorse's Porter Creek.
JDHS enjoyed a balanced scoring effort as King and DeRocher poured in 12 points each while Reese Saviers and Gozelski scored 10 points each.
Franzen added eight points and Cort Saviers had two points while Books and Brandin Iseah hit one free throw each to round out Juneau-Douglas' scoring.
The Bears' JV will next play Jan. 25-26 at home against Colony.
Juneau's boys JV team strikes gold in Skagway - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys junior varsity basketball team took home a gold medal from Skagway last week after downing three Canadian teams in the Don Hather Tournament.
The Crimson Bears opened play Thursday with a 65-40 victory over the Canadian Wildcats.
Monday December 31, 2007 Justin Brooks scored a team-high 13 points to pace JDHS. Brian Koenig and Torey Franzen had 10 points each while Alex DeRocher added nine points.
Colin Gozelski scored eight points, Eric Sele had seven, Eddie Hurtte had four points and Sean Kelly made a free throw in the win. As a team, JDHS converted 23 of 30 free throws to seal the championship. Bill Jensen led the Vikings with 10 points while Jase Payne and Zach Peeler tallied seven points each.
In game two of the tournament on Dec. 21, Juneau-Douglas downed Sitka's junior varsity 69-47.
Gozelski and Brooks scored 13 points each and Hurtte added 11 points in the win. Each player on the roster scored for JDHS.
Sitka's David Reynolds scored a game-high 16 points in defeat.
Juneau's toughest game of the tournament proved to be Friday's opener, a 63-53 overtime victory over Ketchikan's junior varsity on Dec. 20. With the score tied 46-46 at the end of regulation, JDHS sank 9 of 10 free throws in OT to down the Kings.
DeRocher had 16 points for JDHS, eight of which came in the extra period.
Sele had 16 points, Gozelski added 10 points and Franzen made two 3-pointers in the win.
Ketchikan's David Klein led all players with 25 points.
In Juneau-Douglas' first tournament of the year, the Bears reached the finals of the Whitehorse Tournament in Whitehorse, Yukon, but fell to Haines 88-79 in the final on Dec. 15.
The tournament was played under international rules, which included four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock. Alaska high school basketball has four 8-minute quarters and no shot clock.
Against the Glacier Bears, Sele led JDHS with 23 points. He also made all nine of his free throws.
Justin Gundersen had 18 points, DeRocher contributed 14 points, Corey Mahar scored 11 points, Franzen and Jazz King had five points each and Lawrence Fenumiai tallied three points in the loss.
Haines received a pair of mammoth performances from Kyle Fossman and Orion Falvey in the win. Falvey scored 31 points and Fossman added 30 in the win. Fossman had 26 points in the second half.
On Dec. 14, JDHS ripped Vanier, Yukon, 100-60.
JDHS had six players score in double figures as Gundersen's 21 points led the team.
DeRocher had 15 points, Gozelski scored 12 points, Mahar had 11 points while Franzen and Fenumiai scored 10 points each.
Tony Tompkins scored six points in the fourth quarter and Ben Hotch had four points in the win.
Juneau-Douglas defeated F.H. Collins, Yukon, 82-49 on Dec. 13 behind Mahar's 14 points.
Sele poured in 12 points, DeRocher scored 11 points and King had eight points for JDHS.
The Bears opened the tournament on Dec. 12 with a 103-53 whitewashing of Porter Creek, Yukon.
Gundersen had 23 points to lead all scorers as all 11 players scored in the win.
Next for the JDHS boys' JV is the Don Hather Tournament in Skagway starting Wednesday.
Bears conquer Little Norway - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball junior varsity team captured the Little Norway Junior Varsity Tournament on Dec. 22 with a 66-39 victory over host Petersburg.
The Crimson Bears raced to a 40-16 halftime lead and never looked back.
Sunday December 30, 2007 The Tahoma Bears received a huge effort from freshman Christian Behrens in the win. The 6-foot-7 freshman scored all 14 of the Bears' third-quarter points to keep Juneau-Douglas at bay. Behrens scored 28 points in all.
"He's a very good player and will become an outstanding player," Tahoma coach Rob Morrow said. "This is like his coming-out party, to do this against a good team like Juneau."
The game proved a back-and-forth affair until Tahoma took control in the final four minutes.
Juneau-Douglas managed just five points in the final 3:14 as Tahoma iced the game on the line. Tahoma made 9 of 12 free throws in the final 1:40 in the win.
Defensively, Tahoma allowed just three field goals in the final quarter.
"We were just a little more solid," Morrow said. "Early on, we were trying to get every block and steal. (Juneau's) Faifo Levale has a good head fake. Juneau is a fundamental, strong team so we had to stay solid."
Juneau-Douglas couldn't convert opportunities to take the lead late as shots that were going in earlier starting clanging off the rim.
The bad luck wasn't limited to just the Crimson Bears' shooting. Down 54-51, JDHS forced a bad pass with a perfect backcourt trap. The errant pass, however, went right through the hands of two Crimson Bears players and into the awaiting arms of tournament MVP Patrick Clark, who converted the layup to ice the win. Clark finished with 27 points.
"With all that happened, with 57 seconds left we were down three but we couldn't put the ball in the basket," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "For as well as we shot yesterday (a win over Wasilla), it was not there today."
For three quarters, neither team could gain a foothold. The biggest lead for either team was just four points in the first three quarters.
With the score tied 27-27 at halftime, Juneau's Dominique Brinson tried to give his team a spark. The senior hit three straight shots to close the third quarter, including two 3-pointers, as Juneau took a 42-41 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Clark chimed in with some long-distance shooting of his own. He hit two 3-pointers, including a rainbow from deep in the corner, for Tahoma.
Brinson led JDHS with 20 points while Ryan "Bubba" Larson contributed eight points. Levale and Cody Grussendorf scored seven points each.
"We're still a work in progress," Potter said. "(Assistant coach Robert) Casperson said it best in the locker room when he said, 'It'd be nice to win, but we're not good enough yet.' The championship we want to win is in March. We'd of course like to win every game in the process, but we're still building."
FRIDAY
Juneau-Douglas 70, Wasilla 63
Juneau-Douglas seemingly couldn't miss in the first half and used tough defense after halftime to upend the defending state champs on Friday.
Ryan "Bubba" Larson scored a game-high 22 points and hit six 3-pointers in the first half alone.
"I thought we should've played last year for the state championship but it didn't go our way," Larson said. "So I thought we'd come out here and prove that we're one of the top teams in the state today."
Wasilla and Juneau-Douglas electrified the crowd during a frantic first half.
Both teams made shots from all over the court as JDHS raced out to a 40-35 lead.
In addition to Larson's long-distance shooting, Cody Grussendorf connected on a big 3-pointer in the first half.
Wasilla withstood the barrage, however, as Dexter Pearce scored 12 of his 20 points before halftime.
Juneau-Douglas' defense started to take over in the second half, though. The Bears limited Wasilla to nine points in the third quarter and led by as much as 10 in the second half.
Wasilla chipped away at the lead, cutting the Bears' advantage to 66-63 with about 1:20 left.
Juneau-Douglas' Eric Gross ended the threat by converting an offensive rebound off a missed free throw.
"Late in the game you could tell they were tired so that played into our favor," Larson said.
Grussendorf and Dominique Brinson scored 10 points each, Gross had 10 points and Faifo Levale added nine points in the win.
For Wasilla, Adrese Lavern scored 16 points and Jason Flowers added 11 points in defeat.
JDHS boys fall in Classic final - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
For a fourth straight year, the Capital City Classic boys basketball title will reside Outside.
Tahoma High School from Maple Valley, Wash., defeated Juneau-Douglas 61-51 in the tournament finale on Saturday.
Friday December 28, 2007
JDHS fought back by playing more of a full-court pressure style in the second half against the athletic Cobras.
"That was our intent," said JDHS coach Steve Potter. "They're pretty athletic and did a nice job. But I thought if we kept going, we had more guys suited for that style. I thought it worked out. We made some progress from our last game, certainly."
Juneau-Douglas trailed most of the game until Sean Bavard's 3-pointer with seconds left in the third quarter put his team up 47-44.
Bavard then opened the fourth quarter with another 3-pointer as JDHS regained momentum.
"That got the crowd into it, and I'm sure the crowd got the rest of the players into it," Bavard said.
Potter said, "It helps to see your work rewarded. We were playing pretty hard, I thought, and we haven't been shooting very well. Sean is an extremely good shooter, and he came in and knocked them down."
Juneau-Douglas also received a terrific effort from forward Faifo Levale. The senior scored 13 points, but more importantly, drew four charges against Club Kilsyth.
"We were down a lot in the first half so every stop was huge," Bavard said.
Juneau-Douglas took its first lead since it was 4-3 shortly after the opening whistle when Ryan "Bubba" Larson connected on a 3-pointer to make the score 44-42. Kilsyth's Jye Allison tied the score but Bavard's 3-pointer gave JDHS a 47-44 lead.
Prior to Juneau's run, however, Club Kilsyth dictated the game with its fast-break offense.
The Cobras' Adam Knott enjoyed a monster game, especially in the first half. Knott scored 22 of his game-high 31 before halftime.
"Back home we focus a lot on fast breaks and going straight down to the basket," Knott said. "Going as quickly as you can to the basket can lead to the easiest points in the game. We definitely tried to capitalize early, and it paid off."
Knott repeatedly found open lanes and grabbed offensive rebounds en route to 22 first-half points as the Cobras led 32-28 at halftime.
Despite the 36-hour plane ride from Melbourne to Juneau, Club Kilsyth came out unafraid to start Thursday night's contest.
The Cobras used their athleticism and speed in transition to take an early lead. Knott scored seven points during an 11-0 run midway though the first quarter. Club Kilsyth took a 17-12 lead after the first quarter.
"We were energetic and ready to play," Knott said. "We were prepared for a long time. We were really focused."
Juneau-Douglas used its size and bulk inside to trim the margin. Levale scored eight points in the second quarter almost exclusively inside.
Cody Grussendorf added a 3-pointer as JDHS crept to within four of Club Kilsyth as the Cobras led 32-28.
After halftime, Juneau-Douglas played some fast-break basketball of its own to overtake Club Kilsyth.
The Cobras will face Tahoma, Wash., at 3:45 p.m. today while JDHS battles the defending Class 4A state champions, Wasilla, at 8 p.m. tonight.
Tahoma, Wash., 49, Wasilla 40
Tahoma High School from Tahoma, Wash., battled back from an 18-14 halftime deficit to defeat Wasilla on Thursday.
Erik Rainer drained five 3-point shots to lead all scorers with 17 points.
Raymond Eckard and Mitch Boyer scored 10 points each for the Bears.
For Wasilla, Tyler Johannes had 13 points. Dexter Pearce scored 10 points and Tillerman Kroon chipped in seven points for the Warriors (1-2).
Big second half lifts Bears past Cobras - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team overcame a game Club Kilsyth team from Australia to win its Capital City Classic opener Thursday.
The Crimson Bears (4-2) trailed by as much as 11 points but battled back to win 71-62.
Thursday December 27, 2007 A sluggish first half and fourth-quarter comeback weren't enough for the Crimson Bears on Saturday. JDHS will look to turn it around at 8 p.m. tonight when it hosts Club Kilsyth from Kilsyth, Victoria, Australia in its opening game of the 17th annual Capital City Classic.
"Fullerton - we didn't come out to play," JDHS senior point guard Shawn Ibesate said. "I guess we got kind of intimidated because of the name 'California' on their chest. We want to come into this tournament confident and ready to play against any team."
The Crimson Bears (3-2) won 11 straight tournaments during one stretch, but they haven't captured the title since 2003.
JDHS will face a stacked field this year. In addition to the Cobras from Down Under, the Crimson Bears will take on Wasilla, the defending Class 4A state champions, and Tahoma High School from Washington.
The last three Capital City Classic tournaments have been won by Outside teams.
For the Bears to be successful, however, the team must start strong and not depend on a late surge which may not be enough.
"We just need to decide whether we want to be a competitive team or not," JDHS coach Steve Potter said.
If JDHS has any problems motivating itself to play, a packed gym, blaring band and strong opposition should provide plenty of incentive.
In addition to that, for many of the Crimson Bears, this year's version of the Capital City Classic will be the first time they'll probably see significant time in the holiday season's biggest local sporting event.
JDHS junior forward Geoff Craig said he played about "30 seconds" in games last year. This year, he's logging more minutes as a valuable reserve forward.
"It's going to be fun," Craig said. "It was fun playing in the last games. I didn't play much last year so it was hard. I would go in for 30 seconds and be all nervous. Now I'm more comfortable playing."
Juneau-Douglas started the season strong with wins over Kodiak and West Valley in the Joe Floyd Tournament in West Valley on Dec. 14-15. The Bears came from behind Friday to beat defending 3A state champions, Petersburg, 56-52 before Saturday's loss to Fullerton.
"It's all about attention to details for us, and getting yourself ready to play is an important detail," Potter said. "Apparently, I didn't do a very good job of getting ready (for Fullerton), so we talked about how I'm going to be more demanding and they decided they didn't like playing poorly like that. We'll see if that carries over. We'll see if they're paying lip-service to that or if they want to go win."
JDHS boys look to start strong at home - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
There were no smiling faces immediately after Saturday's 44-40 defeat to Fullerton, Calif., High School from the Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team.
Thursday December 27, 2007 Wasilla Warriors (1-1)
Coaches: Ryan Engebretsen, John Gray, Matt Berg
Web site: www.whs.matsuk12.us.
Players to watch: Dexter Pearce, sr., 6-1; Shane Green, sr., 5-10; Tyler Johannes, sr., 6-1; John Knowles, so., 6-7.
What to watch: The Warriors are the defending Class 4A state champions after finishing 26-3. Wasilla also has a new coach after Jason Marvel stepped down shortly after winning the state tournament. Pearce and Green played significant minutes during last season's championship run while Adrese Lavern, the Warriors' starting quarterback during football season, is a smart and strong athlete. Wasilla defeated Houston 58-38 but lost to Dimond 68-55 to start the season.
Tahoma, Wash., Bears (5-6)
Coach: Rob Morrow
Web site: www.tahomabasketball.com.
Players to watch: Patrick Clark, sr., 6-1, 18.6 points per game; Raymond Eckard, sr., 6-0, 8.4 ppg; Mitch Boyer, sr., 6-2, 7.1 ppg; Erik Rainer, sr., 6-5, 4.4 ppg.
What to watch: Tahoma plays in the Class 4A South Puget Sound League in Washington. Class 4A is the biggest school classification for Washington state. The Bears are coming off a 62-39 rout at Emerald Ridge on Dec. 20. Tahoma has struggled against league opposition, but did hang tight in a 62-50 loss to undefeated Decatur, Wash. Clark went off for 23 points in the loss against the No. 3 ranked team in Washington.
Club Kilsyth Senior Boys Cobras (no record)
Coaches: Gavin Meager, Mal Allison
Web site: www.kilsythbasketball.com.au. A profile of the team can be found by selecting Cobras, USA Tour, Player Profiles, Kilsyth Grammar Varsity Team.
Players to watch: Joel Naburgs, 6-3, guard/forward; Steven Robinson, 6-7, forward; Jye Allison, 6-4, forward; Jarryd Meager, 5-11, point guard.
What to watch: The Cobras consist of the best 17- and 18-year-old players in Kilsyth, a town about 20 miles outside of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Unlike American high school basketball, Australia's club system runs from youth leagues to the Australian professional league. These players participate in the Championship Division, the top tier of youth club basketball. Club Kilsyth went 0-3 in the 2005 Capital City Classic. Frazer Adnam, a 6-3 player, turned 18 on Wednesday. The players train two or three times a week and play once a week for Club Kilsyth, in addition to playing on other club teams. "We're looking to get out there, be athletic, be running and let them enjoy it," Gavin Meager said.
Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears (3-2)
Coach: Steve Potter
Web site: www.jdcrimsonbears.com.
Players to watch: Dominique Brinson, sr., 6-1, guard; Ryan "Bubba" Larson, sr., 6-2, guard/forward; Eric Gross, jr., 6-4, forward; Faifo Levale, sr., 6-2, forward; Shawn Ibesate, sr., 5-7, point guard.
What to watch: The Crimson Bears split their last two games. JDHS defeated defending Class 3A state champions Petersburg 56-52 on Friday but lost to Fullerton, Calif., 44-40 on Saturday. JDHS won 11-straight Capital City Classic tournaments from 1992 to 2003. The team finished second in 2004, 2005 and 2006. JDHS is currently averaging 60.2 points per game while yielding 46 points per game. Juneau-Douglas' three tallest players all stand 6-foot-4 - Lawrence Fenumiai, Eric Gross and Geoff Craig. Potter is in his second year as head coach.
Capital City Classic Team Previews - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
BOYS PREVIEWS
Sunday December 23, 2007 In Saturday's game, JDHS trailed 37-25 after three quarters. The Crimson Bears managed just 14 first-half points as they fell behind 26-14 at halftime.
Juneau-Douglas tried to stage a final rally in the fourth quarter, trimming the Indians' lead to three points late in the game. Fullerton (7-4) held on for the win as Alex Arellano drained 5-of-6 free throws in the final eight minutes.
Faifo Levale led JDHS with 11 points while Eric Gross scored 10 points in defeat. Geoff Craig had eight points, Dominique Brinson tallied six points, Ryan "Bubba" Larson hit a 3-pointer, and Erick Waters made a field goal in defeat.
Arellano led Fullerton with a game-high 17 points while Stephen Torres scored all eight of his points in the second quarter.
In Friday's 56-52 win over defending Class 3A state champion Petersburg, Juneau-Douglas' offense looked disjointed and out of rhythm at times.
However, when JDHS needed to make a play to seal the win, it executed to perfection.
Holding a 54-52 lead with 13.1 seconds left, 270-pound forward Levale slipped past the defense and received a perfect inbound pass from Larson. Levale rumbled to the hoop for a fast-break insurance layup to seal a win over the determined Vikings (2-1).
"They were guarding me tight, me and Bubba had that wink," Levale said. "I gave him that wink and he hit me with a chest pass. We talked about it, but usually it's never there. Luckily it was there in that situation. We needed that."
Just 2.7 seconds earlier, Larson set up the game-clinching bucket by stealing an inbound pass intended for defending Class 3A player of the year Cameron Severson. Larson dove on the ball and alertly called timeout.
Those two plays concluded a game that was high on intensity, if not in execution.
Both teams struggled to find a consistent groove on offense. However, Juneau-Douglas' defensive hustle and depth proved the difference.
The Crimson Bears played all but two members of their 14-member team while Petersburg when just seven deep. Severson played all but 50 seconds while point guard Jon Mazzella played 31:14 of a possible 32 minutes.
"You could tell they were getting tired," Larson said.
Juneau's depth proved crucial because Petersburg led by as many as 10 points in the second half.
Severson, who played forward and point guard Friday, found numerous ways to contribute as he posted 26 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots in the loss.
"They were better than the teams we saw earlier," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "Obviously we couldn't stop Severson, but they definitely fatigued at the end of the game."
Juneau-Douglas fought back by getting tough defensively. Down 36-28 late in the third quarter, Gross made a diving steal and passed to Cody Grussendorf for a layup. Larson added two more buckets as JDHS cut the lead to 38-34 with one quarter remaining.
In the fourth, Gross' hustle continued to spark the Bears. Gross dove for two lost balls during the fourth quarter, each leading to 3-point buckets by Larson and Brinson when he passed to them from his backside.
In all, JDHS hit 6 of 17 from beyond the 3-point arc.
"They got their shooters loose a few times in the fourth quarter," Petersburg coach Rick Brock said. "There was a scramble for the ball and it always seemed like it got to a kid's hands who hit a 3 at the wrong time."
Juneau-Douglas had another balanced scoring attack. Larson led JDHS with 19 points while Brinson tallied 15 points. Brinson also contributed four steals.
Up next for JDHS will be the Capital City Classic. The Crimson Bears will host Club Kilsyth from Australia at 8 p.m. Thursday followed by defending Class 4A state champs Wasilla at 8 p.m. Friday and Tahoma, Wash., at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Bears Split Weekend Series - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
The Juneau-Douglas High School basketball team split a weekend series with two different teams over the weekend.
The Crimson Bears (3-2) rallied to defeat Petersburg 56-52 on Friday but fell short to Fullerton, Calif., 44-40 on Saturday.
Wednesday December 19, 2007 "We're very excited," said Vikings coach Rick Brock, now in his 18th year. "We're looking at it like a very serious test to see where we are at this point of the year. Not only going on the road to play a 4A team, but one of the best programs in the state. That's what makes you better, to play excellent teams."
Class 3A is for schools with between 101-400 students, while Class 4A schools, like Juneau-Douglas, have 401 students or more.
Brock believes this is the first time Petersburg has taken on Juneau-Douglas in the regular season since the mid-1980s.
The Vikings and Crimson Bears are not strangers, however. Both teams are two-time defending conference champs and have met in the 3A/4A crossover championship game the last two seasons. Juneau-Douglas defeated Petersburg 68-50 in 2006 and 56-47 last March in the crossover game.
The Vikings, however, went on to capture the Class 3A state title in Anchorage last season and finished 25-3 overall.
It was Petersburg's first state championship since 1927.
The year's Petersburg squad opened the season with two wins over Class 3A Southeast rival Metlakatla.
"It's such a different team this year," said Petersburg senior Cameron Severson, the defending Class 3A state player of the year. "We're kind of trying not to think about that we won last year so it'll just come this year. We have to go through the steps and see if we can do it."
Brock said the team returns three core players from last year's state title squad - the starting backcourt of John Mazzella and Cody Smith along with Severson.
Severson, a senior forward, is one of Alaska's top basketball players regardless of school size. The 6-foot-5 forward was named to the 2007 all-state tournament team along with earning player of the year honors.
Brock said Severson's been contacted by about a half-dozen universities concerning playing college basketball.
"He makes everyone around him better and you don't see that an awful lot in high school," Brock said. "He does everything well, but his game sense and court smarts are what separates him from other kids. He's really got a good head on his shoulders about the game and understands how to play."
Petersburg will be facing one of the state's most electric atmospheres in Juneau-Douglas.
In addition to the always energized crowd, coach Steve Potter's Crimson Bears are coming off two impressive victories in Kodiak.
Senior guard Dominique Brinson leads JDHS in scoring at 17 points per game while forward Ryan "Bubba" Larson is averaging 16.7 points per outing. Junior forward Eric Gross helps balance Juneau-Douglas's attack with 15.3 points per game.
While this game doesn't count toward any standings, Petersburg is excited to test themselves against JDHS.
"We're excited," Severson said. "We love playing 4A schools. It's just a bigger challenge and we're testing ourselves."
Petersburg Ready to Take on JDHS - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
One of the more intriguing games of the young basketball season will take place Friday at Juneau-Douglas High School.
Defending Class 3A champions Petersburg (2-0) will take the ferry to Juneau for an 8 p.m. Friday game against the Crimson Bears (2-1). JDHS will then host the Fullerton, Calif., High School Indians (6-4) at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Monday December 17, 2007 With time running out, Hotch received an outlet pass from Cody Grussendorf, reached mid-court, and while leaning to the right uncorked an off-balance shot that found nothing but net and put an early exclamation point to Juneau’s 31-point victory Saturday night at Kodiak High School.
“There was only four seconds left and I had to push it and my teammates were telling me to shoot so I just pulled up,†Hotch said. “I kind of knew it was going in when I shot it, but then again I was pretty off balance.
“I usually get lucky on those ones,†he added.
How lucky?
The 5-foot-11 junior has hit more than five buzzer beaters in his basketball career, but this was the first one on the varsity level.
“You just got to put your legs into it and shoot it like you shoot any shot,†Hotch said.
Out of a handful of last-second efforts during the 12-game tournament, Hotch’s was the only one to end up in the net.
“It’s a tough shot,†Juneau’s coach Steve Potter said. “For a lot of people, it’s a once in a lifetime shot. Jake plays hard and he is a really strong kid and he really can shoot it from that far.â€
That long ball was in a nutshell how things went for Juneau and how badly things went for Kodiak.
The Bears (1-2) scored the game’s first five points — all by David Cratty — and then took a backseat to Juneau.
The Crimson Bears went on a scorching 41-10 run to end the first half up 41-15. The biggest margin they built in the second half was 37 points.
“I think Kodiak came out with a lot of emotion and they were ready to go and we just weren’t quite ready in that first minute,†Potter said. “Then we locked in and tried to do what we wanted to do.â€
Juneau did most of their damage inside taking advantage of the height advantage they had over Kodiak to shoot 55 percent from the field (30 of 55).
Eric Gross, a 6-foot-4 forward, tallied a game-high 22 points — all of them from inside the paint. Dominique Brinson added 17 points, while Ryan ‘Bubba’ Larson chipped in 15 points.
Cratty, who was named tournament MVP, paced Kodiak with 16 points.
Playing three games in three days, appeared to take its toll on Kodiak — a team that is emerging as a hustle team early in the season.
‘It’s tough to play in-your-face up tempo all out, asserting the energy they were asserting,†Kodiak coach Ron Bryant said. “They looked tired. I think fatigue was a factor. I saw some mental errors on Saturday that I didn’t see the first two days.â€
Despite the disappointing finish to the tournament, Kodiak did play well, nearly beating tournament champion South Anchorage Friday, a day after they Kodiak beat West Valley.
“Some questions were answered for us,†Bryant said. “One question was would we be able to compete, and I think we answered that question. We have a lot of inexperience on the court and I honestly was expecting the result that we had Saturday night either Thursday or Friday.â€
Bryant stressed that the future of Kodiak basketball is bright.
“I talked to Amy (Fogle) over the tournament and we both agreed this team reminded us of old Kodiak teams. They hustle,†Bryant said. “The thing with hustle, whatever is happening … if you are hustling you are going to be in every ball game.â€
Saturday
CRIMSON BEARS 73, BEARS 42
Juneau 18 23 19 13 — 73
Kodiak 7 8 10 16 — 42
Juneau (73) — Brinson 17, Hotch 6, Waters, Grussendorf 4, Craig, Ibesate 2, Larson 15, Gross 22, Levale 7. FG — 30-55 (.545) FT — 10-16.
Kodiak (42) — Craty 16, Bryant 7, R. Diocares 7, Polum, D. Diocares 5, Domingo 1, Tanner, Galindo 2, Inthavong, Peen, Watkins 2, Matautia, Odell 2. FG — 13-43 (.302). FT — 12-22.
A Shot to Remember - Kodiak Daily Mirror by Derek Clarkston
Juneau’s Jacob Hotch will forever remember playing Kodiak in the 41st Joe Floyd Christmas Tournament.
Not because, his Crimson Bears registered a dominating 73-42 victory.
Not because he scored six points.
Not because it was only his third varsity basketball game.
He will remember the final game of the tournament because of a shot he hoisted up as the buzzer sounded at the end of the second quarter.
Sunday December 16, 2007 "We had a little trouble in our first game with South in figuring out how hard we have to play," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We seem to have made an adjustment."
Juneau-Douglas trailed the host Bears 5-0 early in the first quarter. The lead proved extremely short lived for Kodiak.
The Crimson Bears closed the first quarter on an 18-2 run to lead 20-7 after eight minutes. Dominique Brinson and Ryan "Bubba" Larson helped keep the pressure on in the second quarter with 3-pointers.
Jacob Hotch came off the bench to close the first half with a 40-foot heave, according to Potter, to give JDHS a 41-15 halftime lead. Juneau outscored Kodiak 21-8 in the second quarter.
"The main thing was we picked up full-court man defense and everyone was buying into it," he said. "We didn't let their guard get a nice run at us and we threw in a couple traps in there and just had them off-balance. They didn't know if we were in trap or man which led to indecision on their part, which led to steals. We had a lot of layups."
Crimson Bears junior forward Eric Gross led all scorers in the game with 20 points.
"He got (his points) in a lot of different ways - some offensive rebounds, some post-up some off hard cuts," Potter said. "We're not the type of team where we can do one thing over and over again. We have to have a variety of looks. Eric was doing what he was supposed to do and it was paying off for him."
Brinson scored 17 points and Larson had 15 points for JDHS. Faifo Levale added seven points, Hotch had six points, Cody Grussendorf tallied four points while Shawn Ibesate and Geoff Craig chipped in two points each for the win.
Levale, Gross, Brinson and Larson were also named to the all-tournament team.
On Friday, Juneau-Douglas (2-1) pounded West Valley 74-31 as Brinson scored 27 points.
JDHS led 29-18 at the half, but outscored the Wolfpack 45-13 in the second half to win the game.
Larson had 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and Gross tallied 10 points in the win.
Craig had six points, Grussendorf and Levale had five points each while Hotch, Ibesate and Erick Waters scored three points each for Juneau-Douglas.
The Crimson Bears will make their home debut Friday against defending Class 3A state champions Petersburg. On Saturday, JDHS will host Fullerton, Calif.
JDHS boys basketball wins two in a row - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
After a slow start, the Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team steamrolled their final two opponents at the Joe Floyd Tournament in Kodiak on Friday and Saturday.
The Crimson Bears fell to South Anchorage on Thursday, but rallied to rout West Valley 74-31 on Friday and host Kodiak 73-42 on Saturday. JDHS took second overall in the tournament.
Friday December 14, 2007 According to Potter, JDHS shot better from the three-point line, shooting 47 percent on three-pointers and 45 percent on two-pointers.
"That's good for our three-point shooting, but we need to make a higher percentage of our two-point baskets," Potter said.
"At the beginning of the game, we were clearly a little bit nervous, and we were able to play through that," Potter said. "But some of our inexperience, some of the detail work, cost us down the stretch."
JDHS was down 10-16 at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, they recovered, leading 30-27. South came back by the end of the third quarter, with a one-point lead, 46-45. But in the end, South prevailed.
"We had a couple of block-out problems," Potter said. "And we didn't read their defense correctly at a couple of key moments."
Potter said South Anchorage senior Anthony Cousin performed well, scoring 17 points.
"They had a really good point," Potter said. "He was really quick."
Aaron Stevens, senior for South Anchorage, also did well, scoring 18 points for South.
JDHS senior Ryan Larson shot 18 points with four three-pointers. Junior Eric Gross got 16 points, and senior Shawn Ibesate scored nine points on three three-pointers.
Bears boys basketball lose by three points to Wolverines - Juneau Empire by Kim Andree
KODIAK - Juneau-Douglas High School boys varsity basketball lost 58-61 to South Anchorage High School on Thursday in Kodiak.
"It wasn't a pretty game either way," said coach Steve Potter. "We graduated a lot of our experience, and we definitely looked unsure."
Thursday December 13, 2007 With a bevy of long-distance shooters at all positions, the Crimson Bears are gearing up for another run at the state tournament. Juneau-Douglas' season starts at 1 p.m. today at the Joe Floyd Tournament in Kodiak against South Anchorage.
"Sean Bavard, Reese Saviers, Dominique Brinson, Shawn Ibesate and (Ryan) Bubba Larson are all good shooters," Potter said. "We saw a lot of zone last year. I don't imagine we'll see much zone at all this year."
Unlike the previous couple years, where height proved the Bears' primary strength, this year's team is reminiscent of Juneau's past where speed and shooting prevailed.
Leading the way for JDHS is an experienced backcourt with quickness and range.
Ibesate, a senior, steps into starting point guard role after coming off the bench last season. The stocky Ibesate is already a strong 3-point shooter, but will have the added responsibility of managing the Bears' high-octane attack this year.
"I think he's right up there with any point guard in the state," Brinson said. "He's looking forward to this year of getting the role of taking the ball down the court."
Brinson brings perhaps the most experience to this year's team.
Potter lauded the senior guard's offseason work. Brinson's long arms and athletic build makes him a difficult player to guard. He's got the ability to drive to the basket against slower competition, and step back for a jump shot if the opportunity arises.
The Bears appear deep in the guard position as sophomores Cody Grussendorf and Reese Saviers, along with junior Sean Bavard, are all accurate shooters.
But they don't boast significant varsity experience.
"I expect them all to play, they all will probably see some junior varsity action too but that's OK," Potter said. "We need to get them playing as much as possible. At the end of the year we won't have Dom or Ibesate so we won't have our starting backcourt. We need to build experience."
Juneau juniors Jacob Hotch and Corey Mahar can also stretch defenses with their shooting ability.
In the frontcourt, the Crimson Bears' versatility and diversity may create matchup problems for opposing teams. Forwards Larson, Faifo Levale and Eric Gross form an impressive triumvirate for JDHS.
Larson is one of the team's top 3-point shooters, but is also big enough to bang under the boards. Levale, best known for his bone-rattling screens in the open court, provides muscle on the post while Gross, a junior, can go inside or outside.
"Even through we're not as big, our post players can go into a triangle with me, Faifo and Gross," Larson said.
That triangle of Larson, Levale and Gross could emerge as a major weapon for JDHS. If Larson draws tight defense on the perimeter, the middle should open for Levale and Gross. Conversely, if opposing teams choose to shut down the lane, that may leave Larson open from long distance.
After playing sparingly his first two varsity seasons, Gross will be expected to be a main contributor on the team. The 6-foot-5 muscular redhead should be battle-tested after going up against graduated forwards Clae Baker (6-foot-6) and Will Egolf (6-foot-9) for two years.
"It'll be interesting," Gross said. "It's definitely a change over the last two years. I'm looking forward to it."
Junior forward Geoff Craig bolsters Juneau's depth at forward while two senior newcomers - Erick Waters and Justin Gundersen - provide defense and athleticism.
Sophomore Lawrence Fenumiai brings added muscle while senior Brian Lauth returns for his second varsity season.
After twice winning the Southeast Conference, Juneau-Douglas finds itself a bit under the radar as the season starts.
The Crimson Bears are currently ranked 13th in Class 4A according to Alaska high school Web site alaskapreps.rivals.com while Ketchikan sits in third position. The Kings are generating plenty of buzz this season due to senior 6-foot-9 center Damen Bell-Holter, a first-team all-state selection last year who's committed to NCAA Division I Missouri State, and a host of returning players.
Potter knows, however, that playing for Juneau means knowing that opposing teams will be extra-motivated to knock off Southeast Alaska's biggest school.
"The bull's eye is where it's always been," Potter said. "(Ketchikan's) got Bell-Holter and he's a heck of a player, they've got (Jase) Scudero and he's good. ... But we're still Juneau. They're going to be pumped to play us. Sitka will be pumped to play us. Petersburg will be pumped to play us.
"People come here looking for a big win, and we're hoping not to oblige them."
Old-school look to this year's Bears - Juneau Empire by Tim Nichols
Juneau-Douglas High School second-year boys basketball coach Steve Potter doesn't expect too many opposing teams to play zone against his squad this year.
If they do, the opposition may pay dearly.
Monday May 14, 2007
2007 Cage Camp
The 2007 Cage Camp Registration Form is now online. To view it click here.
Monday April 02, 2007
Egolf earns all-state honor
First since Boozer to be named two-years running here.
Sunday March 25, 2007
JDHS boys fall to Service's speed in season finale
Bears finish in sixth place. Read the Empire article here.
