By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
A year ago, the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves clinched the Region V basketball title and earned a trip to the state championship, but the talented squad never had a chance to compete as the pandemic spread and canceled the tournament.
The Braves celebrate their Region V win. (Sentinel Photo)
But twelve months later, the Braves are headed north after earning another Region V title against the Sitka High Wolves in a tie-breaker match, Wednesday in the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium.
While the Wolves led in the first quarter, the Braves bounced back and secured a strong 30-13 lead by the half. From there, Edgecumbe’s staunch defense and high-tempo offense dictated the pacing of the game and secured another regional title, with a 51-35 victory.
With the state tourney scheduled for next week in the Mat-Su Valley, focus has already shifted up north.
“It’s been the goal from the start so we’re regrouping and refocusing. Practice is tomorrow and we’re getting ready for state,” Braves senior RJ Alstrom-Beans said after the win. “It’s surreal, you know, first time going to state, it’s a lot of excitement and jitters but we’re going to go over there and play our hearts out.”
Another senior seconded this, recalling the disappointment of last year.
“We were supposed to be there last year – we’re crossing our fingers,” Fredrick Myers told the Sentinel.
Very few teams have played cross-conference games this season due to coronavirus precautions, and because of this the Braves head for uncharted waters up north.
“(I’m) pretty excited, I like playing against new matchups, something different, new games,” Myers said.
Though he could not be on the court due to injury, Braves senior Leon Toomer said that, regardless of new teams, the Braves will work hard in every remaining practice and match.
“We’ve just got to do whatever it takes to win, watching film, practicing harder, just going out with aggression and playing our hearts out,” Toomer said.
Alstrom-Beans agreed.
“It’s going to matter to who comes out more aggressive and ready to execute first and no matter what, if we go down or not, we’re going to keep showing our resilience and heart,” he said.
Looking back on the final game in the regional tournament, he said his team came out with more confidence than before.
“We all came out with more confidence, not cockiness, we came out confidence and we were there for each other and showed great teamwork,” Alstrom-Beans said.
In a surprise upset on Monday, the Sitka Wolves notched a win in game one of the tournament. It was Sitka’s first and final win of the season. But the Braves bounced back for a win on Tuesday and sealed the regional title by winning the tie-breaker.
Myers said Wednesday’s game felt “better than in the other first two games combined. I felt more relaxed, better, my teammates kept helping me up, inspiring me.”
This calmness and composure was evident through much of the match. In previous games, Sitka has sometimes held a lead into the third or even fourth quarter before slipping. But on Wednesday, the Braves pulled together and countered Sitka’s offense before the half.
Looking forward to the games up north, Braves coach Archie Young noted that the state tourney is likely to be bizarre.
“This will be the most foreign state tournament that any school has ever had. As far as I know the only cross conference games of state qualifiers I know is Grace Christ has played Monroe and Valdez. Other than that nobody else has played each other in the brackets,” Young said. He hopes game film published online will help his team learn about their rivals.
Recalling past games in which the Braves turned up the heat only at the 11th hour, Young said Wednesday was different.
“They seemed to settle in a lot sooner than they have in the past even though we fell down 7-0,” he said.
He had special praise for Alstrom-Beans.
“I attribute a lot of that to RJ, we put the weight of the world on him after the injury (of Toomer) and I’m really proud of how he’s played and carried us all year,” he said.
Much like his seniors, Young was glad for another chance to head up north.
“We won regions last year but didn’t get an opportunity to go to the state tournament, so for them to be able to come out and do it again and finish their high school career with a shot - and that’s all you ask for, a chance - I think it’s more special this year than it has been any other year,” the coach said.
He also thanked his assistant coaches, Tony Haskins and Kenyatta Bradley, for their work in keeping the team moving. And while Edgecumbe beat the Wolves in all but one game this season, Young highlighted his rival team’s improvement through the season as well.
“They worked hard and got a lot better,” Young said of the Sitka squad.
Wolves junior Shane Webb was already looking forward to the next season.
“Next year isn’t going to be our first varsity experience, so we’re finally going to be able to come together. It might sound cheesy but we’re all going to be really close, we’ve known each other for our entire lives,” Webb told the Sentinel as he watched the girls game from the bleachers.
Hard work in the offseason will be critical to improve the Wolves squad after a nearly winless season, senior Joe Harris said.
“Work ethic played a huge role… These guys have got to work on the off season,” he said.
Webb noted that his team often starts with a lead, but slips as the game progresses.
“We always start like that (up 7-0 in the first quarter) and it’s a long game, anything can happen,” he said.
Harris cited an “energy shift” during the game, after which Edgecumbe held and kept control of the tempo. The shift was apparent in the second quarter, when Sitka scored only 4 points, all of them by Harris. In the same time frame, the Braves notched 18 points from Alstrom-Beans, Jack Youngers, and Mason Ivanoff.
Careless ball handling didn’t help the Wolves’ case, Sitka coach Jarrett Hirai said after the loss.
“We couldn’t take care of the ball and they capitalized on the opportunity… (But) the kids always play hard, we found our opportunities, we found our shots. We did a great job executing our offense and taking opportunities where they were,” he said.
Much like Webb, Hirai emphasized the need for off-season training.
“I hope they learn that they have to put some time in, figure out their weaknesses individually and put some time in the gym,” the coach said. Much like Young, Hirai complimented the rival team, and offered sympathy for Toomer as the basketball star misses his senior season.
“Archie and Edgecumbe, they play really good basketball. And I feel really bad for Leon Toomer not being able to play this season,” Hirai said.
The Braves are set to play up north next week, from Thursday to Saturday.
