By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka High School boys basketball team will host Mt. Edgecumbe tonight at 7 p.m. in the SHS gymnasium.
Sitka (4-10), the top Baranof Island team, and Mt. Edgecumbe (3-8), the top Japonski Island squad, are the two lone Southeast Conference 3A teams. Tonight’s meeting is the first of the season for the two “cross-bridge” rivals separated by the 1,255-foot-long John O’Connell steel span that has made hoops heaven easier to brag about since 1971 when it replaced small boats and ferries, and news of a win or loss involved either waiting at the water’s edge for news or hoping the static on the radio rose your spirits.
The Wolves and Braves are coming off a series of games against the 4A Lathrop Malemutes and the 3A Homer Mariners. Sitka lost to Lathrop on Wednesday 50-41, beat the Malemutes Thursday 45-38, and fell to Homer 54-43 on Friday and 44-32 Saturday. Mt. Edgecumbe defeated Homer 37-28 on Thursday and fell to Lathrop 48-42 on Friday and 48-39 Saturday.
Lathrop coach Matt Wilken and Homer coach Weston Carroll had similar thoughts on the two well-coached Southeast teams from “The Rock.”
“Mt. Edgecumbe is fast and scrappy,” Wilken said. “The players do everything they can for coach Young.”
Wilken said Sitka wore the Malemutes down.
“They were physical and fast, yet they could be patient and make us work,” he said.
Carroll said Mt. Edgecumbe never let the Mariners rest.
“They were relentless in pushing the ball on us,” he said.
Against Sitka, Carroll said the Wolves brought out the Mariners’ best play.
“They were high energy,” he said. “We couldn’t relax a minute. We didn’t know what was coming next.”
Mt. Edgecumbe coach Archie Young and Sitka coach Jarrett Hirai respect each other and the quality of play their rivals bring to the court. Both coaches briefly mentioned what they expect to see from the bench as the ball tips off.
“Pace and pressure from what I have seen and heard,” Young said. “They will press us and look to push the tempo. We have to be better about staying under control and making smart choices with the ball.”
The Braves’ last roster featured senior forwards Emmett Dunaway (Dillingham) and Bear Brown (Anchorage), senior guard Cyprian Johnson-Edwards (Emmonak), junior guards Keith Johns (Glennallen) and David Dock (Togiak), jr. forward Vladimir Bourdokofsky (St. Paul), sophomore guards RJ Alstrom-Beans and Frederick Myers (Pilot Station), sophomore forward Jeff Adams (Mentasta), soph. center Drew Jackson (Kake), and injured soph. forward Leon Toomer (Kotzebue).
“Both teams came off a full weekend of games,” Hirai said. “With two days rest, I’m sure both sides will be ready to go despite fatigue. I expect Archie to have them ready to go. He always does. If we can take care of the ball and limit second chance opportunities, we have a good chance to make the game competitive.”
The Wolves’ last roster featured sr. guards Aedon Dumag and CJ Taccad, sr. G/F John Arce, sr. F/C Morgan Simic, Sr. forward Austin Morrison, sr. center Garrison Lass, jr. guard Asa Demmert, jr. forward Mason Eubanks, jr. G/F Gavin Flores, and jr. F/C Liam Miller.
The two teams will also meet on Feb. 12 at Sitka and Feb. 26 at MEHS, and in the Region V Tournament at MEHS March 5-9.
Sitka senior CJ Taccad (11) attempts to steal the ball from Homer sophomore
Eyoab Knapp as Wolves senior John Arce (23) looks on during the Wolves home basketball action against the Mariners at the Sitka High School gym on Friday. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
