By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
Aside from a court-side row of 12 black-uniformed Juneau-Douglas visitors, the Sitka High gymnasium was full of Wolves fans honoring their team and senior members John Arce, Aedon Dumag, Garrison Lass, Austin Morrison, Morgan Simic, CJ Taccad, and Austin Morrison.
After two SHS fight songs, a rousing parents national anthem, and four quarters of action it was the Crimson Bears, however, who came away with a 61-41 win.
Sitka cheerleader Zen Perkins signs the national anthem as basketball parent Jennifer Reid sings during the Wolves senior night on Thursday against Juneau-Douglas. Sitka cheerleader Alison Winger stands at left, the boys basketball team behind, and Reid’s son Austin Morrison (32) at right. (Sentinel Photos by Klas Stolpe)
The Sitka seniors scored 11 of the Wolves’ 12 first quarter points, including 7 from Simic, but JDHS held a 22-12 lead.
“We really didn’t play our game tonight,” senior Austin Morrison said. “In some way, shape, or form we were down in our emotions because it is our last home game or we were just too high because it’s our last home game. I was just too worried about trying to be an asset to my team and I just didn’t perform very well. We definitely needed this awakening; we can still get whupped, we need to use this for energy against Mt. Edgecumbe at the region tournament.”
The Wolves’ best quarter followed with six different players finding the basket, including 5 points from junior Gavin Flores, but JDHS senior Krishant Samtani hit his third deep shot of the night and five other Crimson Bears found quick scores off of possession changes to extend their lead to 39-26 at the half.
Young cheer fan Eva Smith enjoys Thursday’s Sitka Wolves cheer squad section. (Sentinel Photos by Klas Stolpe)
“They are very efficient,” Sitka coach Jarrett Hirai said. “They push the envelope, don’t allow the defense to get back, and we got caught a couple times jogging. For us, we have to do something similar, we can’t just always slow things down. If we can push the envelope and get a little more vertical during play and catch teams off-guard, that could benefit us as well. Offensively we played together for the most part. We weren’t as aggressive offensively as I wanted them to be. We settled for some outside shots instead of pushing for getting to the free-throw line. We need to work on that. We played together and kept our heads for the most part, we just weren’t smart on defense. The game plan defensively was to help and recover... we were just too slow on the help and then we got to slow on the recovery and found ourselves on our heels.”
Both teams struggled to score in the third quarter but JDHS was more patient in the half court and held a 47-32 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
“We continued to play with consistency throughout the whole game,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “We kept looking for each other. There were moments in the past where we got caught up in the pace and whoever had the ball shot it, tonight we did a much better job of being disciplined in running our sets and our actions, we looked for each other. It was nice to see. And defensively we rotated really well and rebounded.”
The Crimson Bears also scored a number of baskets off of quick run-outs after Sitka scores.
Sitka senior Aedon Dumag (1) is challenged on a shot by Juneau-Douglas sophomore Garrett Bryant (11) as Wolves’ classmates Garrison Lass, Morgan Simic (13), John Arce (23), CJ Taccad, and JDHS seniors Philip Gonzales (24) and Krishant Samtani move into the action during Thursday’s game at SHS. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
“We’re not bigger than anybody so we try to beat them down the floor if we can,” Casperson said. “And being able to push off of made baskets has been an emphasis. You look for your teammates anyway, open man should get the ball when they are open not three or four dribbles later. Sitka did a great job with their guards getting into the lane. I feel like they got in the lane a lot. The shots didn’t fall for them, if they start knocking down some of their kick outs and open three’s it could have been a totally different game. They played well with their dribble penetration.”
Sitka senior pep band members, from left, Jessica Davis (sax), Karina Belcher (guitar), Avery Voron (tambourine), Lance Laity (drums), Tabor Buxton (drums), Ian Fletcher (trombone), and Brian Esenituk (clarinet) pose at Thursday’s basketball game. Not pictured are Ella Lubin and Joe Pate. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Sitka junior Mason Eubanks scored 5 of his team-high 8 points in the fourth quarter but JDHS matched that effort with deep shots from senior Philip Gonzales and sophomore Brock McCormick, and a run-out drive by sophomore Cooper Kriegmont to outscore the Wolves 14-9 and hold top billing on the 61-41 scoreboard.
Sitka junior Gavin Flores added 7 points in the game, Morrison and Lass 4 apiece, junior Asa Demmert, Dumag, and Taccad 2 each, and Arce 1.
The Wolves hit 10-19 at the line, the Crimson Bears 3-9.
JDHS’s Samtani scored a game-high 17 points, Gonzales 13, Kriegmont 10, so. Garrett Bryant 7, McCormick 5, so. LJ Elizarde 3, sr. Israel Yadao, jr. Austin McCurley, and jr. Tad Watson 2 each.
“Our coach told us previously that basketball is just a game and senior night just happens to end on a basketball game,” senior Aedon Dumag said. “Honestly, we’re just prepping for a three-game season and that’s against one team (MEHS). This kind of gets us in shape. We passed inside the key and to the high post really poorly and, honestly, we kind of needed this loss to prepare us for next week and two weeks from now in Regions.”
The Wolves will play at Mt. Edgecumbe next Tuesday for the Braves’ senior night, and then face a best two-out-three Region V tournament clash with these same bridge rivals.
