Daily Sitka Sentinel

Sitka Girls, MEHS Boys Win Region V Titles in Ketchikan

By ABIGAIL BLISS
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Sitka High School girls basketball team, and the Mt. Edgecumbe boys basketball team emerged victorious from the Region V tournament in Ketchikan this past weekend, each winning a spot at the state tournament.
    The hometown rivals square off each year at the Region V 3A tournament, where the winner of two out of three possible games advances to the state tournament. This year’s statewide competition will be held March 22-24 in Anchorage.
Region V 3A Girls Bracket
    The Wolves had an undefeated record in regular season crosstown games heading into the Ketchikan tourney, but head coach Sondra Lundvick encouraged the girls to approach the competition with fresh eyes and as a blank slate.
    They came out strong in the first game against Mt. Edgecumbe Thursday, trouncing their rivals 54-30. The promising start to the tournament was the result of a true team effort: every player on the Sitka team scored.
    The Wolves won again on Friday, widening the margin to a final score of 58-16.
    Lundvick praised the girls’ efforts on both ends of the court in the second game, dubbing it the Wolves’ “best defensive game of the year.”
    “I think everything came together,” she said. “We’re probably playing our best right now, which would obviously be the goal for March, and that is all the way through the line up.”
    She credited seniors Tatum Bayne and Marlis Boord for leading the Wolves with their characteristic focus and drive.
    Looking forward, the Wolves will take on Galena March 22 in Anchorage in the first round of the ASAA state tournament.
    In preparation, the Wolves will continue to hone their skills, speed, and positive attitude.
    “It’s just going to be fine-tuning what we do, maintaining our conditioning, and looking forward to going up and playing against the best of the state,” Lundvick said.
    The Sitka High team was runner-up at state last year, falling to Anchorage Christian in the championship game. Lundvick said she hopes to leverage that experience for the Wolves’ benefit should ACS and SHS, currently ranked first and second respectively, meet again this year.
    “Not to look ahead,” she said, but she would welcome “having an opportunity to have that rematch.”
    A look back at the Lady Braves’ season and Region V run will be included in Tuesday’s Sentinel.
Region V 3A Boys Bracket
    When the Wolves stepped on the court for their game against the Braves Thursday, they knew the odds were against them: the Wolves had lost to their crosstown rivals three times in the regular season.
    The Braves continued their winning streak at the Region V tournament, beating the Wolves 51-26 Thursday and 50-30 Friday. There was no need for a third game.
    Sitka head coach Scott Jones said his team’s spirits seemed to falter toward the tail end of Thursday’s game.
    “We kept a positive attitude going in, but as the game progressed, we had some guys hanging their heads, and it felt like, same story, different day,” he said.
    By the time they stepped on the court the following day, however, the Wolves had regained their energy and determination. Jones said the positive attitude “carried throughout the whole game.”
    He speculated that the team’s four seniors fought especially hard, knowing that Friday’s game was likely the last of their high school basketball career.
    “They knew it was going to be probably their last game if they didn’t leave it all on the floor, and they brought that energy with whoever stepped on the floor,” he said.
    In reflecting on the season, which the Wolves finished with a 5-21 record, Jones pointed to Sitka’s second game against powerhouse Grace Christian in early February as a highlight. It was a home game, and the Wolves managed to maintain a lead for a good portion of the bout.
    “We led most of the game against one of the top teams in the state,” Jones said. “Sometimes, we lost focus in execution, but the games where we were most successful against teams this year, we kept them ugly. They weren’t pretty games.”
    He said that next year’s Wolves should be a more experienced batch familiar with team expectations, and will be aided by possible basketball camps in Sitka and elsewhere this summer.
    “Starting this year, we only had three or four players with varsity experience,” he said. “Moving forward, this year I got the chance to play a lot of bodies, play different rotations throughout the year ... Where we were at the end of the year is really going to set a tone for next year. They kind of understand what the expectation is now and, in the off season, what they need to take care of to try to be prepared for next season.”
    MEHS’ Coach Archie Young’s take on the Region V tournament will be included in Tuesday’s Sentinel.