The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears varsity soccer teams continued their road series in Fairbanks playing Fairbanks on Friday and West Valley on Saturday.
The JDHS boys defeated Lathrop 5-0 Friday and West Valley 3-1 Saturday. The Crimson Bears had defeated Fairbanks 7-0 Thursday.
On Friday freshman Bryce Haygood scored with an assist by senior Ryan Thibodeau, senior Ahmir Parker scored unassisted, junior Kevin Flores-Lopez scored with an assist by senior Reed Maier, sophomore Sam Mazon scored with an assist by senior Kai Ciambor and Ciambor scored with an assist by Parker.
In the first half on Saturday Ciambor scored with an assist by Parker and Parker scored with an assist from junior Elliot Welch. In the second half West Valley scored to pull to 2-1, but then Ciambor scored with an assist by freshman Troy Edgar.
“We are just playing so well,” JDHS coach Gary Lehnhart said. “We are doing all the little things. And given the fact that we have new guys, they have just adjusted so quickly. I am really blown away at how much Elliott (Welch) and Erik (Thompson) have seized the spots and run the defense.”
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé freshman Marigold Lindoff (22), freshman Ayla Erickson (16) and senior Natalie Travis (10) are shown in action last week against Soldotna at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)
JDHS has recently lost junior defenders Noah Ault and Jesper Bennetsen to injury, and was without senior outside backs Owen Rumsey, who was participating in a national honors competition, and Ryan Thibodeau, who was suffering from food poisoning.
Maier and junior Emmett Mesdag filled the outside back positions.
“They both played the whole game and played brilliantly,” Lehnhart said.
Thompson was the starting keeper, but was placed in a back defensive role to keep Parker up front with Ciambor on the offense. Freshman keeper Callen Walker has now earned his fourth win in the box.
“So we were playing with three subs on the third day of three days of games,” Lehnhart said. “It was hot and they are the best team. I have to admit I was a little worried going in, but we just outworked them. And our defense just didn’t let them shoot enough to make a difference…and then our offense. We are just so dangerous. If we get a chance, those two guys up top (Ciambor and Parker), it was pretty clear this weekend, both teams had no answer for Kai or Ahmir. Both of them scored highlight-reel goals in all the games. But Kia’s second goal today was spectacular.”
Lehnhart said he had made a mistake playing Parker in defense when the initial back line injuries had occurred, even though Parker played well there.
“It just hurt our offense too much,” Lehnhart said. “Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. So having these guys being able to play defense and still have our best offense that is the best way through and that is what we have seemed to have landed on. When you can defend and be dangerous on offense, that is a good combination.”
JDHS’ back line and middle defense has been crucial in the past weeks.
“They have kept shots at a minimum,” Lehnhart said. “It was really just textbook defense by the outsides and the insides and then Callen (Walker) did what he was supposed to do. He caught the ones he was supposed to and he is getting better every game.”
The JDHS girls fell to Lathrop 2-0 Friday and freshman Ayla Erickson earned the team’s Hard Hat Award. The Crimson Bears lost 3-2 to West Valley on Saturday. They had defeated Lathrop 2-1 on Thursday and needed one more win to secure a state tournament berth.
“West Valley scored in the first half, in the first five minutes or so,” JDHS coach Matt Dusenberry said. “Then they got another one about 10 minutes into the second half to lead 2-0.”
The Crimson Bears had battled brilliantly and finally broke through in the 64th minute.
Erickson played a ball to junior Peyton Wheeler at the top of the box, and Wheeler turned and put a hard shot low and under the diving West Valley goalkeeper to trail 2-1.
JDHS would add a second goal roughly eight minutes later.
Wheeler was attacking on the dribble and was fouled 25-30 yards from the goal.
Crimson Bears senior Natalie Travis took the penalty kick and placed a shot just under the crossbar, but over the goalkeeper to tie the game at 2-2.
“We had several more close chances as time was winding down,” JDHS coach Dusenberry said. “But unfortunately they had a quick transition late to get one in to win 3-2.”
Wheeler earned the JDHS Hard Hat Award.
“She played with unrelenting pressure and drive and pulled us back into the game today,” Dusenberry said.
The girls are now on the outside of the state tournament bubble and need Colony to defeat Wasilla on Tuesday, and then the Crimson Bears need to defeat Wasilla twice next weekend at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park to earn one of the three state tournament berths from the Railbelt Conference.
Friday game times are boys at 5:15 p.m. and girls at 7 p.m.
The Crimson Bears will be honoring their seniors on Saturday, the girls at 5 p.m. before their 5:30 game and the boys following the girls game and before the boys 7 p.m. game.
Wasilla currently leads the girls’ RBC with a 4-1 record (14-3-1 overall), with Colony second at 5-2 (12-5 OA), Lathrop third at 4-4 (8-5 OA), JDHS 2-4 (5-7-1 OA) and West Valley 2-6 (6-7-1 OA).
The JDHS boys moved to the top of the RBC and now own a 4-0-2 record (7-1-3 overall). Colony is second at 4-1-2 RBC (14-1-2 OA), West Valley 4-3-1 (8–5-1 OA), Wasilla 2-2-1 (10-5-3 OA) and Lathrop 0-8 (4-9 OA).
Four teams earn berths from the Cook Inlet Conference, three from the RBC and one at-large berth is selected from the two conferences as well.
All state qualifiers are then seeded by the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) soccer RPI – or strength of schedule – rankings.
The top 10 girls teams are South Anchorage (CIC), Dimond (CIC), Wasilla (RBC), Service (CIC), Colony (RBC), Lathrop (RBC), Chugiak (CIC), West Valley (RBC), West Anchorage (CIC), and JDHS. CIC’s Bartlett, Eagle River and East Anchorage are out of contention.
Current RPI DI boys top-10 rankings are Colony (RBC), JDHS (RBC), West Anchorage (CIC), Dimond (CIC), West Valley (CIC), Service (CIC), Wasilla (RBC), South Anchorage (CIC), Chugiak (CIC) and Lathrop (RBC). CIC’s East Anchorage, Bartlett and Eagle River are out of contention.
“I think we have to win both to win the conference,” Lehnhart said. “But honestly that doesn’t mean a whole lot. We qualified for state through the conference but winning it doesn’t really help us other than it puts a feather in our hat. What we need to do is win two against Wasilla to have any shot at the number-one seed. That would be the ideal thing.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
