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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.
Thursday February 04, 2010
But while Juneau-Douglas and Thunder Mountain will square off for the first time on Friday at JDHS, several Crimson Bears players said their fans are going to be out in full force.
"I don't think the crowds are going to be very nice - it doesn't really sound right, but there is no way to stop them," said Bears forward Colin Gozelski. "It's probably going to be the craziest game any of us have ever played in."
Thunder Mountain, in its first year as a basketball program, boasts three top players that transferred from Juneau-Douglas. Each of the three, Cody Grussendorf, Reese Saviers and Jazz King, would have contributed significantly to the Crimson Bears had they stayed at Juneau's downtown school.
"We did lose Cody, who was a starter, and Reese potentially was a starter. So that's two guys," Gozelski said. "Our sophomores have really picked it up for us. Tony (Yadao) and Lance (Ibesate) have really picked it up, and Lawrence (Fenumiai) and (Eric) Sele have been doing really well, also.
"All around, we don't really have one player that sticks out. Everyone has a spot so it all works out pretty good. The ball (distribution) is well balanced around the team."
Senior guard Alex DeRocher said the team definitely has a fresh feel to it compared to last year, especially with the different personnel involved.
"Our style of play is completely different; we've just had to adjust," he said. "Colin and I were supposed to be the go-to guys this year, but like Colin said, the sophomores have picked it up a lot.
"Our best bet is to slow it down, play at our own pace and try to feed it as much as we can to our bigs because that's going to be our strong point."
Gozelski added the biggest difference has really been the style of play.
"Last year, we were more of a run-and-gun team. We'd try to press the whole game, run and get fast-break lay-ups," he said. "This year, since we lost all of our seniors plus the guys that went to TMHS, we've been more of a half-court press team. We slow it down on offense more and run more sets instead of just getting fast-break points."
Both players said the biggest thing about this budding rivalry is going to be facing off against former teammates and classmates.
"We'd do pretty well against each other in practices and stuff, but since we haven't seen them all year, it's going to be really different," DeRocher said. "It's going to show how much each team has improved.
"I think, overall, it's going to be a weird experience at first, but it's a rivalry. It's exciting."
Gozelski said the fact players on each team know one another so well is what makes it such an anticipated matchup.
"These two teams are so evenly matched - that's what makes this so much bigger."
Several Falcons ready to face old school
Whenever a new program is built, it can sometimes take years to reach prominence. But with the basketball talent that transferred from Juneau-Douglas, the Thunder Mountain Falcons have already burst on the scene.
Transfers such as King, Grussendorf and Saviers have each played a major role in the team's success so far this season.
King said through the first couple of games, people may not have been on the same page. But now they're all coming together.
"It's been tough because we're the only three players that have played at the varsity level," he said. "We're trying to get the team gathered around, but trying to figure out how to play the game at that higher level is kind of hard. But it's new and we should be learning it very well."
With a new school opening across town, students had to make the decision as to where they wanted to go. In the case of Grussendorf, it was completely territorial.
"I live on Rivercourt Way, so the school's in my backyard. I went out here last year as a junior and liked the school, liked the community, liked the teachers and just liked the administration," he said. "I got my brother to go to school here too, so it was kind of a family decision.
"So far, no regrets."
In other cases, though, even family loyalty is divided. Saviers transferred to Thunder Mountain, but his younger brother, Cort, remained at JDHS and is a junior on the basketball team.
"Me and my brother have always been really competitive, but my family's Thunder Mountain fans," Reese said. "My cousin Tanya (Nizich) is the (Thunder Mountain) head coach of the girls' team. At family gatherings, I always bring up the games and Cort's always sitting there saying, 'We're going to win,' and our whole family gangs up on him. It's pretty funny.
"I like the rivalry between us and JD already," he continued. "I loved playing at JD because I've played there my whole life and it's been my favorite court for a really long time, so I'm excited to play there again and to play against my old teammates and coaches."
Grussendorf said he's eager to see how the fans - his old fans - react.
"I just can't wait to run out and get booed. It's going to be crazy," he said. "There's going to be so many fans there that just don't want to see us win. We're going to get introduced and I'm thinking we're going to get booed or it's just going to be dead quiet, or they're going to pull the Kayhi newspaper trick where they just pull up newspapers (in front of their faces) and not look at us.
"There's been rumors and stuff, but I don't know what's going to happen. It's going to be epic, that's all I can say."
King said his biggest concern is all the size JDHS has, both in the starting lineup and coming off the bench, and how important it is for the team to stay out of foul trouble.
"They got like five big guys and I'm the only (big man)," he said. "I've been working with my coach to make sure they put up shots they're not comfortable with. Paul (Tupou), Lawrence and Sele are all football players, so they're all big bodies that can bang in there."
Saviers and Grussendorf turned to the 6-foot-2, 245-pound King laughing and said, "Well, what are you?"
King responded, "I got finesse."
Reshaping Juneau prep hoops - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
Juneau has never seen a rivalry like this, especially considering the two teams involved have yet to even play each other in an actual game yet.
Wednesday February 03, 2010
Crimson Bears coach Steve Potter is currently in his fourth season at Juneau's flagship high school, which has established itself through the years as a state power. After a slow start with a near-complete roster overhaul, the 8-7 Bears have won three straight and six of their last eight.
Potter is a member of the JDHS class of 1983, and he played as a ninth-grader at Marie Drake Junior High.
"After I graduated, I started working (Jim) Hamey's camps in the summertime and when (George) Houston took over, I guess it was '93-'94, they were looking for a C Team coach," Potter said. "Coach Houston talked to me about doing it and I've been here ever since."
Falcons coach John Blasco is a former player under Potter, who was an assistant coach at the time, and an assistant under Potter at JDHS last season. Now Blasco has the job of leading a first-year TMHS basketball program that has already enjoyed a measure of success in its inaugural season. The Falcons are 7-5 overall, with a signature win coming against current Southeast Conference top dog Ketchikan (12-5, 3-1).
Blasco was a student assistant and then the JV coach at Linfield College in Oregon before becoming a varsity assistant for Lake Washington High School in Washington.
Potter said he had his eye on Blasco for a while after he left Juneau. Blasco provided a scouting report of a Washington team that came up for the Capital City Classic, and Potter said it's his knowledge of the game and reputation as a grinder that makes Blasco a good coach.
"He wasn't the most talented player in high school but he stuck with it and worked as hard as he could," he said. "He really didn't play much varsity basketball until his senior year and he ended up starting for us, played big minutes and was a key contributor. He's a testimony for guys that, if you keep working, good things canhappen."
Blasco agreed.
"I figured if I worked hard enough I'd earn a spot. I was never one to sit out for injuries or sickness. I just always felt like I could give it my all on the floor and help my team win," he said. "What I'm trying to get across to these kids now is that I will put in the time and the effort to be successful, and get the most out them to make them successful. I've put a lot of time into working hard for them, and I'm just hoping they'll put the time back in for me."
Blasco said he considers Potter, his first coach as a freshman in high school, a mentor.
"I always really valued him as a coach and when I was done playing for him, I was able to turn to him as a friend. I was very thankful he allowed me to come coach under him a year ago," he said. "He has a lot of knowledge of the game and he's been coaching for quite some time, and I learned a lot from him."
Blasco said the two are very similar in coaching style, though Potter is more of a defensive-minded coach. Both believe in the team-first philosophy.
"Neither one of us care about individual stuff. We only care about making sure the team is successful," he said. "I think the only difference is I have a little bit different approach, I guess just from spending some time outside of Juneau and outside the JDHS program."
Like Blasco, Potter said he wants his players to have fun.
"I like for people to enjoy what they're doing, but I also want them to work hard at what they're doing," he said. "I try and use that as a metaphor for life after basketball: You want to enjoy what you're doing, but you have to work hard at it and take it seriously or you're not going to get the results that you want."
And now, though great friends, they'll have to finally face each other.
"It's certainly going to be a new experience. I've not been involved - not since junior high - in a cross-town game," Potter said. "I think the kids are going to be excited, and they're already talking about it in the halls here. It will be fun. I think we certainly have been aware that these games were on our schedule. You could ask anybody what date other games were and they couldn't tell you.
"But everyone knew that the first time we play Thunder Mountain is February 5."
Potter said he hopes for good crowds to show up at Friday's game at JDHS and Saturday's game at TMHS, and that everyone is respectful, especially toward his former players that transferred.
"I expect there will be good crowds, and I expect that most people will be pretty enthusiastic," he said. "I'm sure there will be some bozos that will be inappropriate. Any time you get a large group of keyed up kids together, somebody is likely to do something you might not exactly like.
"But just by being involved with basketball, we're somewhat competitive by nature," he continued. "It doesn't matter who it is you're competing against. If you're going to compete, you have to give it your best. You never want to lose, period. You want to give the best effort. With kids that have played with us before, we'll certainly look to be victorious."
Blasco said the hardest part for him will be adjusting to his new bench.
"It's tough because I've never sat on that side of the floor before. It will be a new view for me from that end of the court," he said. "I'm a competitor and a coach. My time there was an unbelievable experience, but now I'm the coach at Thunder Mountain and it's time to make these guys successful. I'm going to enjoy the moment and cherish it with coach Potter. I just hope that we put forth our best effort and give the fans a good showing in what everybody's hoping will be a long-time rivalry."
Crossing the line - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
When Juneau-Douglas tips off against Thunder Mountain at JDHS for the first time ever in boys' basketball on Friday, there will be a lot of familiar faces down the benches, starting with the men leading each program.
Tuesday January 26, 2010
Tupou, who was born and raised in Juneau, said he moved to Anchorage as an eighth grader before returning to his hometown for his junior year.
"After I played football for the Bears, I decided I might as well try out for the basketball team," he said. "I made it and it was pretty sweet. It was a great experience making it to state, even though we lost."
Tupou is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and will serve a full-time, two-year mission trip once he finishes high school at JDHS.
"There is a lot of teaching and preaching, and I'm excited. My older brothers, my uncle and my dad have all gone and I have a cousin that's gone right now," he said. "He speaks fluent Spanish now and he didn't know any before he went on his mission trip."
After Tupou's trip, he will attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he will most likely study business to prepare for his future.
"I'll probably be a business major," he said. "I've always wanted to buy a lot of land and develop it and build houses. It always seemed like a good idea to me."
Favorite Hobby: "I fish during the summer. I fish at DIPAC (Douglas Island Pink and Chum). Ever since I was a little kid, my grandfather would take me to the docks to snag fish. He was an older guy so he'd just sit in a chair and snag all day and have me tie the hooks. I got to know him really well. In 2006, he died, and I still go there every summer. That's where I hang out all summer other than football."
Favorite basketball player: "I keep up with the Jazz because I'm a big fan of Carlos Boozer. It's pretty neat to have a guy that went here to be in the NBA."
Favorite Sports Movie: "It has to be 'Remember the Titans'. It's definitely a classic sports movie. It's amazing what that guy did."
Tupou's mission on the court and in life - Juneau Empire
Two years ago, Juneau-Douglas forward Paul Tupou decided he wanted to play football for the Crimson Bears so much that he moved back to Juneau just to be on the team.
Sunday January 24, 2010
The Crimson Bears knocked off the 3A Haines Glacier Bears 68-60 in an up-and-down, entertaining affair at JDHS after a late addition to the schedule.
Juneau-Douglas shot better than 48 percent on the night, including 5 of 13 from behind the arc, while Haines shot 38.5 percent and just 2 for 12 from the perimeter.
"We have kids that can shoot and when we're patient, we can shoot a high percentage," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "Our problem has been that we've been impatient, a bit uncertain and we force shots. Today, I thought we only forced a couple of shots."
Haines coach Steve Fossman said JDHS did a better job of sharing the ball, and his Bears were a bit out-manned, dressing just seven players.
"We didn't get the ball moving enough and then we got tired," he said. "They have some real big bodies, and that put some wear and tear on our guys. We got a couple of kids out playing JV that would have given us a few minutes to help out, but we just really appreciate the opportunity to come down and get a game from Juneau on such a late notice."
JDHS sophomore guard Tony Yadao started things off with a triple, three of his team-high 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting. A 10-2 run by Haines had the Glacier Bears out front 12-7 late in the first quarter, but JDHS tied the game at 14-all when Eddie Hurtte made a heads-up jumper in the lane after grabbing a loose ball and being fouled for an old-fashioned three-point play.
Haines pulled ahead 18-15 after a Kyle Fossman runner, but Alex DeRocher took a skip pass from Hurtte and splashed a 3-pointer from the wing just before the buzzer to tie the game at 18 apiece after one quarter.
With the game tied at 22, DeRocher buried another triple after another skip pass, this time from senior Colin Gozelski, and Eric Sele scored a stickback down low for a 27-22 JDHS lead. The Bears held the same five-point, 33-28, advantage at the break.
JDHS started the third quarter with a 10-2 run after senior forward Paul Tupou scored inside, Victor Wilson drilled a 3-pointer and then got an and-1 after a steal and lay-up. Tupou scored a tough shot inside for a 43-30 JDHS lead. At the midway point, Fossman hit a 3-pointer with DeRocher in his face, but DeRocher returned the favor with a triple of his own on the ensuing JDHS possession to push the lead back to 13, 48-35.
"When you can get a little surge and make the other team play from behind, it's draining to play from behind," Potter said. "It's much more relaxing to have a little bit of a lead."
Haines chipped away with an 8-0 run of its own, but sophomore guard Lance Ibesate pushed it back to seven, 52-45, heading into the fourth quarter after taking the ball to the cup off the bounce for a lay-up.
Leading 53-47 early in the fourth, the Crimson Bears scored six straight after a tough deuce inside for Yadao, and a lay-up by Wilson. Yadao then stole the inbound pass and went baseline for a lay-up and a 59-47 JDHS lead. Haines would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Yadao said JDHS may have overlooked Haines a bit, especially early in the game.
"We came out a little overconfident because they're a 3A school and we let them stay close," he said. "We relaxed a little bit, but once we got in our rhythm, things started going our way."
Wilson and DeRocher both scored in double figures for JDHS, putting up 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Kyle Fossman, one of the best guards in the state, led all scorers with 29 points.
"I figured if we held him under 40 we'd have a pretty good chance," Potter said. "Realistically, it's not crazy to say that all."
Crimson rules - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Saturday was a great night for basketball, especially for Juneau-Douglas fans.
Saturday January 23, 2010
Bears vs. Bears!
The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears will play the Haines Glacier Bears Saturday the 23rd. The game was added late this week to fill a void in Juneau's schedule. Haines is led by Senior Kyle Fossman, 3A player of the year in 2008, and a talented supporting cast. Juneau will attempt to get back on track after dropping two games to region foe, Ketchikan, last weekend.
Thursday January 14, 2010
It's a big weekend in that two wins for Juneau-Douglas would give them an early jump to the top of the conference standings as Thunder Mountain (6-4, 1-1) and Ketchikan (7-3, 1-1) split last weekend's double dip at TMHS. Both games are at 7:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
"I just got done watching a little tape on (the games at TMHS), and they're doing what we expected them to be doing - a lot of dribble penetrate and kick," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of the Kings. "They've got guys that can shoot. I watched the second game because that's when they were more successful. There was a lot of pressure, and that's what we expect.
"But, it really just matters where we are in March."
The Falcons took Friday's conference opener 50-40 while holding Kings leading scorer, senior Jeff Whicker, to just 13 points - nearly 10 below his average at that time, including just four points in the first half.
Ketchikan bounced back the next night and exploded for a 21-0 run in the fourth quarter, turning a three-point affair into 20-point blowout in the matter of about five minutes. Whicker also bounced back, dropping 29 in Game 2. Potter said several Bears will have a shot at stopping one of the state's highest scoring players.
"We don't necessarily have one guy match up with one guy," he said. "We're into the team concept, and I'm sure a variety of different guys will get the opportunity to guard him."
Whicker is currently scoring at a 22.9 per game clip, shooting 49 percent from the field, 36 percent from behind the arc and 68 percent from the line.
Tyller Bell is the only other King in double figures, scoring 10.7 points per game and shooting 46 percent from the field. Bell also leads the team in rebounding, corralling 8.7 boards a game, and assists, dishing 3.8 dimes. Four other Kings average 3-4 points to balance out the scoring.
Kings coach Eric Stockhausen said the Bears have a decent size advantage in the post against his more guard-oriented roster.
"We're obviously not a very post-oriented team, so there are four or five guys they have that are bigger than our biggest guy," he said. "They have an excellent shooter in Alex DeRocher. He's playing very well, obviously, with his MVP up at the Fairbanks tournament.
"Their sophomore guards (Lance Ibesate and Tony Yadao) are just getting better and better every game, and they're going to be really, really good by the time they graduate."
Stockhausen said he's not yet seen the Bears in person so he doesn't quite know what to expect, though he has a good idea from years past.
"I know when they wear the Crimson Bears jersey, they have expectations on themselves and they have a system they believe in," he said. "They're going to be tough.
"We're really excited to renew the rivalry. We know it's going to be a tough weekend," he continued. "They've got a lot of good players over there, good depth and good size. And they're hot - they've won three ina row."
Potter said one of the toughest things about playing at Ketchikan will be the atmosphere, where the gym can get quite loud.
"They're always enthusiastic when we go down there. Usually, they have camo day, where all the kids are dressed in camouflage," he said. "And they have bear hunting posters up all over the school. This will be a good opportunity for us to play in a hostile environment. The other away games we've played, the crowds haven't been particularly large. It's different down in Ketchikan.
"They're enthusiastic about basketball there."
Bears vs. Kings: SE rivalry renewed - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
While it's certainly not make-or-break time for the 5-5 Juneau-Douglas boy's basketball team this weekend at Ketchikan, it's still a big weekend for both the Crimson Bears and the Kings.
Thursday January 07, 2010
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/010610/spo_543849124.shtml
Former JDHS sports stars, from left, Tres Saldivar, Alofaifo Levale, Shawn Ibesate, Nico Saldivar, and Eric Gross are pictured in the Crimson Bears' gym during the recent holiday break. Tres Saldivar is playing basketball at Chapman University (Orange, Calif.); Levale is playing football at Weber State (Ogden, Utah); Ibesate baseball at Northeastern J.C (Sterling, Colo.); Nico Saldivar basketball at Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa, Calif.); and Gross basketball at Pamona Pitzer (Claremont. Calif.). "The hardest part of adjusting from high school to college is you have the best players from other high schools there," Saldivar said. "Accepting your role and doing it to the best of your ability is another. You have to be all about the team and at this level, there is less room for error. As a team, we are doing well (10-2 with a win over highly-ranked BYU Hawaii). I'm still working for more playing time, but my minutes keep moving up with the hard work I put in."
Photo: Former Bears alumni back home - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Go to this link for the picture:
Thursday January 07, 2010
“We made it more interesting than it should have been,†North Pole coach Kevin McHenry said. “I guess it’s good to know that we can win when a lot of people don’t show up to play.â€
Juneau cut the deficit to four points with 1:59 to play, but North Pole hit its free throws down the stretch to preserve the win. The Patriots were 8 for 8 from line in the fourth quarter and 13 for 14 in the second half.
Jesse Ward and Luke Demientieff led the way for the Patriots with 12 points apiece. Eli Sponseller chipped in eight.
Alex DeRocher registered a game-high 15 points for Juneau-Douglas and Colin Gozelski tallied 10.
Bears Falter in Fairbanks - Fairbanks Daily News Miner by Bob Eley
The North Pole Patriots expanded a 33-19 lead at the break to 17 points midway through the third quarter, before Juneau began to close the gap.
Thursday December 31, 2009
It was a balanced team effort, but senior guard Alex DeRocher's sharp shooting from behind the arc and 11 fourth-quarter points helped lead the Bears to victory.
"We've been working really hard in practice to try to get a win, and this means a lot to us," said DeRocher of the Bears, who are now 2-4 on the year. "We've been struggling, but we're trying to come together as a team. The past couple of games we have, and it's a good feeling."
Down eight points after a Kyle Titus triple to start the fourth, sophomore guard Tony Yadao answered with a 3-ball for the Bears, followed by two Colin Gozelski free throws. But Titus struck again, draining another 3-pointer to push the lead back to 6, 41-35.
But then DeRocher went to work, splashing a triple from the left side. Down 43-38, the Bears went on a 10-2 run, highlighted by a long jumper after a ball fake by Yadao after a DeRocher steal, and then a DeRocher triple after another Palmer turnover. Sophomore guard Lance Ibesate scored a lay-up off a dish from Gozelski before Christian Odom halted the momentum with two free throws.
Gozelski scored a big stick-back after a missed 3-pointer, and it was 48-45, Bears, and the crowd was on its feet.
But the Moose responded with four straight points, including an Alec Calloway deuce off a drive to the cup and a tough runner over Yadao by Odom, pushing Palmer back up by 1, 49-48.
DeRocher struck again with a 3-pointer from the left side, and the Bears never relinquished the lead again after making 5 of 7 free throws, none bigger than the two DeRocher drained in a 1-and-1 situation with 44 seconds left and Bears up just two.
"I was just shooting, hoping it was going in," DeRocher said of his heroics. "It's just something you have to go for. It's luck. It's a small orange rim and a big ball you're trying to shoot into it."
"We started moving more on offense, and that's what created the space for us to get the shots off," JDHS coach Steve Potter said of his team's offensive explosion in the fourth quarter. "Alex is a fantastic shooter, but if he's just standing and we're not moving, you can't get the shot off."
The Bears scored seven straight points en route to an early 9-3 lead, punctuated by a lay-up for Ibesate. The Moose scored four straight to make it 9-7 when Yadao stuck in a nice scoop shot off the glass.
Kevin Montgomery scored inside, and Paul Tupou's lay-up at the buzzer was waived off as JDHS led 11-9 after the first quarter.
Sophomore forward Evan Gross drained a short baseline jumper to start the second quarter, but Palmer answered with a Hunter Dean 3-pointer the other way.
Trading basket for basket, DeRocher matched Dean's triple with one of his own for the Bears, pushing the lead back to 4, 16-12 early in the second quarter.
Gozelski pushed it to 8, 20-12, after a nice reverse lay-up off a dish from Victor Wilson and then two free throws after a steal.
Gozelski then drove baseline and dished to Sele for an easy deuce inside, but a wide-open 3-pointer from Titus halted the Bears momentum and cut the deficit back to 5, 22-17 at the midway point.
Palmer closed the half with a 7-0 run, and it was 22-21, Bears, heading into the break.
Sele started the second-half scoring with a steal and a lay-up, but Brennan Bohman countered with a 3-ball to tie the game at 24-all, and Titus gave Palmer it's first lead of the game with a pull-up runner that rimmed in.
But that was just the beginning of a 12-0 run for the Moose.
Sean Niekamp scored a stick-back and Titus went straight to the cup for a deuce before Niekamp got three the old-fashioned way inside.
Yadao finally stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer from the wing to cut the deficit to 6, 33-27, and Palmer led 35-30 heading into the fourth.
Titus led Palmer with 16 points, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, while Odom had 12 and Niekamp 11.
Yadao was the only other Bear in double figures with 11 points.
Both teams shot the lights out, finishing above 50 percent for the night. Once again, 3-point shooting was crucial for JDHS. The Bears made 7 of 14, while the Moose made 5 of 13.
JDHS is back in action Jan. 6 at North Pole, and then Jan. 7-9 at the Lathrop Tournament. Potter said he hopes this win will be a springboard for the inexperienced Bears.
"I think this was a positive step," he said. "(The trip up North) will just be more good games for us to help get us ready for league (play)."
Crimson comeback - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
The Crimson Bears staged a stirring fourth-quarter comeback Wednesday, scoring 26 points in the final frame to upend Palmer 56-49 in the last game of the Capital City Classic at Juneau-Douglas High School.
Wednesday December 30, 2009
The story of the night, however, was the amount of fouls, which made the matchup look more like a free throw shooting contest than an actual game. The teams combined for 55 fouls and 95 free throw attempts, with Service shooting 59 and making 38 - more than half its total points.
"I thought we played pretty well in the first half," JDHS coach Steve Potter said. "We're just going to have to find a way to keep Colin (Gozelski, who fouled out) in the game because we're so much more effective offensively when he's playing. We struggled to score points, but I thought we played good defense for a long time. They did a nice job from the line and they're a good, young team.
"I think we're going to hear some things from them down the road."
Both teams struggled to get much going offensively early on. The Bears' first field goal didn't come until the 4:02 mark when sophomore guard Tony Yadao hit a runner, followed by two free throws to cut the Cougars' lead to 8-5.
Service pushed it back to 6, 11-5, after a free throw and a Nate Klie put back, but JDHS answered with six straight to tie the game at 11-all, including a one-handed runner off the dribble by senior forward Paul Tupou and lay-up by senior forward Eric Sele after a Victor Wilson steal.
Two free throws for T.J. Hale set the first-quarter score at 13-11 after the Bears couldn't get off a good shot before the buzzer.
JDHS took its first and only lead, 14-13, when senior guard Alex DeRocher rattled home a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, but Service responded with four straight points for an 18-14 lead.
Sophomore guard Lance Ibesate got the crowd going with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but the Cougars again responded with a 4-0 spurt.
A DeRocher triple from the corner made it 23-22, Service, and the Cougars led 25-24 at the break after Yadao closed the gap with two free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining.
The Bears shot 50 percent from behind the arc in the first half, but just 28.6 percent overall. Three of the six JDHS field goals were from the perimeter. Service didn't make a 3-pointer in the first half, but shot 40 percent from the field.
The Cougars scored the first six points of the third quarter, including two buckets inside by Darren Muller. Juneau-Douglas wasn't able to score until about the 6-minute mark, when DeRocher made 1 of 2 free throws after Service coach Tyler Moore was called for a technical foul.
DeRocher then made a nifty lay-up off an up-and-under move, followed by a Gozelski baseline jumper to cut the deficit to 2, 31-29.
But JDHS would get no closer as the Bears began to turn the ball over and commit fouls the other way. The Cougars extended their lead to 7, 36-29, after three free throws. Service took its biggest lead after a Bears turnover when Dani Sounthone drained a triple from the corner, making it 40-31, Cougars.
But JDHS wouldn't go away.
Freshman forward Phillip Fenumiai went baseline for a lay-up to cut the deficit to 5, 40-35, but again, the Bears couldn't keep from fouling.
Service scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to take a 9-point, 46-37 lead, and the Bears got no closer than four the rest of the way.
DeRocher led all scorers with 23 points, while Viliamu Aukusitino paced the Cougars with 20.
SERVICE 13 12 17 31 - 73
JDHS 11 13 13 20 - 58
Crimson Bears, Cougars battle at charity stripe - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Juneau-Douglas played from behind virtually all night and couldn't come up with the buckets it needed down the stretch, falling 73-58 to Service on Tuesday in the second round of the Capital City Classic at JDHS.
Tuesday December 29, 2009
"The first win feels good," said sophomore guard Lance Ibesate, who led JDHS with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting. "We were 0-3 and we just needed to bounce back. It was the first game at home and we wanted to impress everyone. I think we did well."
The Crimson Bears scored the first three buckets for a quick 6-0 lead, but the Wolves would answer with seven straight points before senior guard Alex DeRocher answered with a 3-ball from the wing to give JDHS a 9-7 lead at the 2:28 mark of the first quarter.
An easy lay-up for the Wolves' Alex Buness tied the game at 9-all, but JDHS responded with five straight points after sophomore forward Evan Gross scored inside and Ibesate scored off a dish from fellow sophomore Tony Yadao after a steal.
Patrick Howell scored inside at the buzzer to cut the Bears' lead to 3, 14-11, after one quarter of play.
Ibesate splashed a triple from the top of the key to get things started in the second quarter, but the Wolves answered with five straight points, including an old-fashioned 3-point play after senior wing Peter Wilson drove straight to the cup for the hoop and the harm.
DeRocher knocked down his second triple to push the lead back to 4, 20-16, but the Wolves went on a 7-2 run to take a 23-22 lead on a Howell lay-up after a dish from Buness.
The Bears closed the half with a 5-0 run of their own after Ibesate hit a circus shot in the lane, followed by tough tip-in by Yadao and a free throw from senior guard Victor Wilson for a 27-23 JDHS lead at the break.
The up-and-down game looked like a track meet much of the first half, and the teams combined for 19 turnovers. The difference in the first half was from behind the arc, where the Bears shot 3 for 9 to Wrangell's 0 for 3.
JDHS came out firing to start the third quarter, scoring back-to-back buckets inside before Yadao rained in another 3-pointer for a 34-25 lead. A second Yadao 3-ball again pushed the lead to 11, 39-28, and a 3-pointer from Ibesate gave the Bears their biggest lead of the game to that point, 42-39.
Ibesate and Phillip Fenumiai worked the give and go for a second 13-point lead, 44-31, though Wrangell was able to cut the deficit to 11, 46-35, at the end of three quarters.
A 5-0 run after a jumper by Colin Gozelski and another triple from DeRocher pushed the lead to 56-37 midway through the fourth, and the rout was on. A stick back from Paul Tupou and a lay-up off a run out by Ibesate pushed the lead to 20, 60-40 with about three minutes to go.
The Wolves got no closer than 14 the rest of the way.
JDHS shot almost 45 percent from the field, including 7 of 18 from the land of plenty. Coach Steve Potter was pleased with the win, but said it's fool's gold to think the Bears can rely on the their long-distance shooting every night.
"We shot a lot of (threes), probably more than I would have liked. When we went inside-out, our threes were pretty effective. When we just passed the ball around the perimeter, they weren't so effective," he said. "I think the key for us is going to be getting the ball inside."
Wilson led all scorers with 16 points, and Buness was the only other player in double figures with 12. Buness also had 10 boards.
Senior forward Eric Sele had four steals and six rebounds for JDHS.
Boys earn first win of season, 63-49 - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Juneau-Douglas made seven 3-pointers and got 33 points off the bench for a complete team effort on the way to its first boys' basketball win of the season Monday, 63-49 over 3A Wrangell in the opening round of the Capital City Classic at JDHS.
Monday December 28, 2009
Service and Palmer will get the tournament underway with a girls-boys doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
The JDHS girls (2-0, 2-0) will take the court at 6:15 p.m., followed by the Bear boys (0-3) - looking for their first win of the young season - 20 minutes afterward.
While the boys' team is looking to break into the win column, the girls are battling the injury bug and will be a little short-handed. Senior wing Emily Johnson is still rehabbing a torn ACL and won't return until January, while it was recently learned that senior guard Brittany Fenumiai will be out for two months with a knee injury. Junior guard Nani Ostrom also is expected to miss tonight's game after tweaking her groin.
This year's tournament also is starting a day later, so only a couple of the teams were in town Sunday for the skills competitions.
"With the tournament starting a day later, it's kind of thrown everybody off," girls' coach Lesslie Knight said. "In the past, we did two days of games and then the competitions, and then a final night. Because of Sunday falling on the start of the tournament, we don't usually play on Sunday so we did the competition, banquet and dance (Sunday)."
Knight is happy to see her girls, who have a good chance to return to the state tournament this year, get a chance to play a couple of teams from Anchorage so early in the season.
"Anchorage has East and Service here, and we expect to see really athletic play and tough competition," she said. "Palmer is always really well-coached and very disciplined in their approach to things. East and Service are very athletic, so they tend to run and shoot well. It will be nice for us to see Anchorage teams."
The boys, meanwhile, are just happy to be home after losing all three games in the Don Larson Roundball Classic from Dec. 21-23.
Junior wing Colin Gozelski said there has been a sense of urgency in recent practices that wasn't quite there before.
"To get some wins will definitely help us out," he said. "We have a lot of key players on our team that if they have good games, we'll have no problem. Our bigs are injured right now so we haven't been able to work it inside as much, but our fast guys like Tony (Yadao) and those guys are really going to have to step their games up."
"We've had a lot of different teams come out, and we won last year against Palmer in the championship," he continued. "This year, we've got Service, East Anchorage, Wrangell and Palmer again. We've never played East before, so that should be a good matchup. We're really young right now because we lost half of our team to TMHS, and I'm our only starter from last year. We've just got to learn who our leaders are and we should be fine."
Boys' coach Steve Potter said he expects to see some good basketball.
"Wrangell is usually one of the top teams for 3A in the Southeast," he said. "Service won their early-season tournament, and the coaches I talked to up North said they're playing really well. They have some athleticism, and a couple of freshmen that are supposed to be pretty special. Palmer, the coach there is a really good coach and he runs a pretty tight system. He coached Wasilla to the state championship a couple of years ago.
"I would guess to see different styles," he continued. "I would guess that Service is going to try and trap and use their athleticism. Palmer will run some pretty intricate stuff and they'll have some traps. Wrangell, being a 3A group, they'll have a different approach to the game because they're not as deep."
Potter also said he expects to see a good crowd.
"Our evening games, we usually come close to selling out, and it's exciting for the kids to get to play in front of 1,000 people," he said. "And the teams that come in don't always get to play in front of crowds like that, so they're usually guaranteed at least one good crowd."
Capital City countdown; Tournament's 19th year tips off - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
The 19th year of the Capital City Classic boys' and girls' basketball tournament tips off today, with the host Crimson Bears taking on the East Anchorage girls and Wrangell boys at Juneau-Douglas High School.
Sunday December 27, 2009
Boy's free throw shooting contest - Adam Klie, Service
Girls' 3-point contest - Mahlet Tingley, JDHS
Boys' 3-point contest - Alex DeRocher, JDHS
Dunk contest - Nate Klie, Service
Capital City Classic Skills Competition Results
Girls' free throw contest - Nani Ostrom, JDHS
Thursday December 24, 2009
The Bears played the Mustangs to a 30-30 tie at the break, and even jumped ahead by six points in the third quarter after a Paul Tupou lay-up inside.
"We got some stuff in transition, and our press was able to turn them over," coach Steve Potter said of the Bears' run to the lead. "But if we didn't turn them over, we were having a pretty difficult time (scoring). They had a pretty good post player who was really crafty, and he did a good job of drawing fouls."
Senior forward Lawrence Fenumiai fouled out in the first half, and Tupou fouled out later in the game.
Chugiak then went on a run of its own, forcing a 12-point swing and taking a six-point lead.
"We missed shots, and they made shots," Potter said matter-of-factly. "It didn't happen quickly. It was a grind-it-out (run); lots of contact, lots of free throws.
"It was physical, and we just didn't adjust to the play."
Chugiak shot 25 free throws to JDHS's 17.
Potter said the tournament was a good experience overall for his team, which is working several players into new roles.
"The whole thing was another step in our development," he said. "We played three completely different teams. The first game, we got beat by one guy, basically. Enumclaw was very polished, and they do things that we do when we're good. Today, it was one of those 'we'll-try-to-out-physical-you games,' and for us, I figured that would be good. But Lawrence fouled out in the first half and then Paul. Our bigs kept getting called for fouls. They weren't very subtle, I guess."
The Bears return to action beginning at 3 p.m. on Dec. 27 with the start of the Capital City Classic boys' and girls' basketball tournament at JDHS.
Inconsistent Crimson Bears fall to 0-3 - Juneau Empire by Shaun Cox
Inconsistency continues to plague the Juneau-Douglas boys' basketball team as the Crimson Bears fell to 0-3 on the year Wednesday, dropping a 63-52 decision to Chugiak on the final day of the Don Larson Roundball Classic in Wasilla.
Tuesday December 22, 2009
After finishing the first quarter tied 9-9, the Hornets busted the game open in the second quarter, outscoring JDHS 22-8 in the period. The Bears played better in the second half, coach Steve Potter said, but couldn't climb back into the game.
"We were allowing their success to take away from our intensity. That's a natural thing when someone starts putting it to you, but we need to keep our focus and do what we were trying to do and get better," he said. "I thought in the second half we did a better job of dictating tempo."
The Bears did respond with 17 points coming out of the locker room in the third quarter on their way to a 33-point second half, but the Hornets stayed ahead of pace with 38 second-half points.
Colin Gozelski led all scorers with 18 points, while Victor Wilson was the next closest Bear with 7.
Juneau-Douglas plays Chugiak today at 1:45 p.m. The Mustangs lost to Enumclaw 65-43 in Monday tournamentaction.
Crimson Bear boys start 0-2 in Wasilla tournament - Juneau Empire by Matthew Tynan
The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears boys' basketball team has started the season 0-2 at the Don Larson Roundball Classic after they falling 69-50 to the Enumclaw (Wash.) Hornets on Tuesday in the round-robbin tournament in Wasilla.
