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The author prefers gambling on new shrimp sports more than putting money into a casino or betting on sports. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

Sports

I Went to the Woods: Money Madness

I doubled our money.

Rick Thoman created this graphic to display the snow drought measured at Anchorage International Airport in the 2024-2025 season thus far. (Graphic by Rick Thoman)

Sports

Alaska Science Forum: Snow’s absence and welcome presence

Rick Thoman noted in a recent report that the paucity of 2024-2025 snowfall in Anchorage and other Southcentral…

Filcom’s Alwen Carrillo (11) floats a shot over Southeast Boys’ Ryan Lee (40) during Filcom’s 77-74 A Bracket win Tuesday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

New bracket, new thrills and elimination games Tuesday at Gold Medal

Return of A Bracket features recent JDHS star Alwen Carrillo against TMHS grad Samuel Lockhart.

Mt. Edgecumbe’s Zach Anderson (50) scores on a screen by Brian Friske (33) as Southeast Boys’ Ryan Lee (40) closes out during Mt. Edgecumbe’s 81-55 A Bracket elimination game win Wednesday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Shakeout of teams underway as Gold Medal hits halfway point on Wednesday

You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.

Metlakatla’s Willie Hayward floats through Klukwan defenders Dave Buss (22), Erik McCormick (6) and Andrew Friske (12) during Masters Bracket action Monday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Monday madness at Gold Medal

Late night track meet, early morning celebration, mid-day shootout.

A red-winged blackbird male shows off his colorful “epaulets.” (Photo by Bob Armstrong)

Sports

On the Trails: Spring comes slowly

February ground to a halt and March slowly geared up. Days were getting longer, but the tedious pseudo-spring…

Mt. Edgecumbe’s Richard Didrickson Jr. (21) shoots from past the arc over Barrow’s Ethan Goodwin (2) during the Braves’ 81-73 win over the Whalers in the 3A boys 3rd/5th-place game Saturday at 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Braves win shootout over Whalers for third place

Mt. Edgecumbe earns 81-73 win over Barrow at state tournament.

Sitka junior Trey Johnson scores past Nome sophomore Stanley Booth during the Wolves’ 62-43 loss to the Nanooks on Saturday in the 3A championship game of the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Sitka falls to Nome in 3A state championship

Wolves lead Nanooks in third quarter, but lose 62-43.

Ketchikan senior Jonathan Scoblic shoots under pressure from East Anchorage senior Muhammed Sabally (23) during the Kings’ 43-25 loss to the Thunderbirds on Saturday in the 4A championship game of the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 4A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Ketchikan gives East Anchorage a run for 4A title

Kings fly close to sun, fall to defending state champ Thunderbirds.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé dance team performs a portion of their Region V tournament routine during halftime of the East Anchorage/Ketchikan state championship game Saturday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS dance team brings magic to state tournament

Crimson Bears return to state venue for first time in 18 years

Hydaburg’s Devin Edenshaw looks for a move against Hoonah’s (#2) during a C bracket game Sunday at the the 76th Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament on Sunday, March 23, at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Opening day of 76th Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament sets the bar high

Big games, little games, games of all shapes and sizes are underway at weeklong tournament at JDHS.

JDHS junior Gwen Nizich hits a shot past the arc over Mountain City Christian Academy’s Jasmine Schaeffer (23) during the Crimson Bears’ 57-37 loss to the Lions in the 3rd/5th-place game Saturday at 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 4A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS girls fall to Mountain City to finish state play

Crimson Bears place fifth in 57-37 loss to Lions on Saturday

Zosha Krupa in action at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 1A/2A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Southeast referee Zosha Krupa picks stripes over clipboards

Former star player giving back to community through officiating gets lead duties at state tournament.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Layla Tokuoka (14) gets a shot off over Colony senior Hallie Clark (22) as JDHS juniors Cambry Lockhart (3) and Gwen Nizich (11) move down court in the Crimson Bears’ 56-34 loss to the Knights in a Friday 4A girls semifinal at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS girls fall to Colony 56-34 in state semifinal game

Crimson Bears will play for third, Knights advance to title contest.

Ketchikan senior Gage Massin (5) hits the game winner in the Kings’ 46-43 semifinal overtime win against the Grizzlies on Friday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Ketchikan boys top Grace to earn championship game

Ketchikan senior Gage Massin hit a fade-away shot in the key with 1.5 seconds remaining to give the…

Hoonah’s Melissa Fisher and Taryn White (24) challenge a shot by Angoon’s Tasha McCoy during their elimination game in the 2015 Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Gold Medal returns with hearty schedules

New division is expected to draw some new fans

Sitka junior Trey Johnson (24) challenges a shot by Mt. Edgecumbe senior Richard Didrickson Jr (21) during the Wolves’ 64-62 semifinal win over the Braves on Thursday in the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Wolves tip Braves in epic state semifinal hoops battle

Number two Sitka, number three Mt. Edgecumbe go down to the buzzer

Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears cheer team celebrate after being announced as the Division I 2025 ASAA Cheer State champions Tuesday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.

Sports

JDHS cheer team wins state championship

Crimson Bears spirit finger dynasty snatches fifth title in a row.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Gwen Nizich scores form past the arc over Bartlett senior Kaylee Lealaisalanoa (15) during the Crimson Bears’ 49-44 win over the Golden Bears on Wednesday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS girls defeat pesky Bartlett 49-44 to open state tourney

Crimson Bears defeat higher-seed Golden Bears in full-court action.

Ketchikan junior Jozaiah Dela Cruz (11) hits a three-point shot over Dimond sophomore Tavarius Wrice (14) during the Kings’ 52-48 first-round win over the Lynx on Wednesday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Ketchikan opens state with win

Kings survive tough first-round opponent Dimond.