Riley Traxler shoots as Thunder Mountain High School plays against Ketchikan High School on Feb. 22, 2020. (Heather Holt | Courtesy photo)

Riley Traxler shoots as Thunder Mountain High School plays against Ketchikan High School on Feb. 22, 2020. (Heather Holt | Courtesy photo)

Juneau teams play close games, end losing streak in competitive weekend

TMHS girls ended a 5-year losing streak against Ketchikan on Friday.

Juneau high schools boys and girls basketball teams played competitively home and away in a hard-fought weekend.

“It was two very competitive intense games,” John Blasco, coach of the Thunder Mountain boys team in a phone interview. “We won Friday on a last second shot.”

TMHS visited Ketchikan this weekend, winning Friday 47-46 and losing Saturday 51-46.

“Collectively, I was pleased with their performance,” Blasco said. “Braden Jenkins hit the game winning jumper with five seconds.”

TMHS will play Wasilla High School here in Juneau this weekend.

Mary Neal Garcia shoots as Thunder Mountain High School plays against Ketchikan High School on Feb. 22, 2020. (Heather Holt | Courtesy photo)

Mary Neal Garcia shoots as Thunder Mountain High School plays against Ketchikan High School on Feb. 22, 2020. (Heather Holt | Courtesy photo)

“They’re a big physical team,” Blasco said. “They’re gonna create some challenges there.”

TMHS girls had a good weekend, too. They ended a half-decade losing streak against Ketchikan on Friday, 48-44 before losing on Saturday, 45-38.

“This weekend was good,” said coach Andy Lee in a phone interview. “We broke the five years losing streak against Ketchikan.”

Lee said that the Falcons played some solid basketball this weekend, with several players standing out.

“I thought we played one of our best games of the season on Saturday,” Lee said, as TMHS lead until the last quarter. “I thought we played six very good quarters this weekend. We had some great performances.”

Letasi Fenumai shoots as Thunder Mountain High School plays against Ketchikan High School on Feb. 22, 2020. (Heather Holt | Courtesy photo)

Letasi Fenumai shoots as Thunder Mountain High School plays against Ketchikan High School on Feb. 22, 2020. (Heather Holt | Courtesy photo)

Twin juniors Mary Khaye Garcia and Mary Neal Garcia turned out solid performances, Lee said.

“The twins did a great job for us this weekend,” Lee said. “We’re starting to get strong performances from Sydney Strong.”

The TMHS girls will play Kodiak High School this weekend.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys won both games against Mt. Edgecumbe this weekend, winning in overtime on Friday 53-47 and 54-40 on Saturday. They’ll play at home against Ketchikan this weekend.

The JDHS girls team had the weekend off, and will play Ketchikan this weekend.

• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757.621.1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.

More in Sports

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Nordic Ski Team member Ida Meyer competes at the Region VI Championships Friday in Fairbanks. Meyer placed seventh overall in the girls 7.5km Mass Start. The JDHS girls team placed second in the two-day regions, the boys third. JDHS senior Finn Lamb led the Crimson Bears boys with a sixth place finish in the 7.5km. (Photo courtesy JDHS Nordic Ski)
JDHS Crimson Bears take snow show on the road

Nordic Ski Team girls second, boys third at Region VI Championships.

Twigs of red huckleberry are green all year, but brighter in summer than winter. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
On the Trails: Tree bark

The center of a tree or shrub stem (from roots to trunk,… Continue reading

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Layla Tokuoka (14) floats a jump shot over Wasilla senior Layla Hays (52) during the Crimson Bears’ 46-30 loss Saturday to the Warriors in the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
A small Layla, a tall Layla give highlight plays on Saturday

JDHS’ Tokuoka, Wasilla’s Hays key second matchup of the weekend as Warriors prevail 46-30.

Lucas Bovitz of Juneau-Douglas: Yadaa.at Kale carries the puck with attention from Kenai Central goalie Evyn Witt and William Howard at the First National Cup Division II state hockey tournament Saturday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna. (Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Crimson Bears hockey place third on state ice

Juneau-Douglas gets revenge win over Kenai

Wasilla junior Katie Jackson drives and passes around Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé seniors Cailynn Baxter and Addison Wilson (10) during the Warriors’ 65-34 win Friday over the Crimson Bears in the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Wasilla girls storm Juneau-Douglas home court

Warriors down Crimson Bears in George Houston Gymnasium

In this file photo Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Dylan Sowa (35) is congratulated on a scoring goal by senior captain Luke Bovitz (4) during senior night weekend against Kenai. Sowa had two goals Friday in the Crimson Bears’ 5-2 loss to Palmer at the 2025 ASAA Division II Hockey State Tournament in Soldotna. JDHS will face Kenai in the 3rd/5th-place game Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Moose push Crimson Bears aside 5-2 in state semifinals

Palmer will play for title, JDHS for third at state hockey tournament.

Snow is also a four letter word with more than one proper use. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Pure Sole: WTF with the F word

The F word. F… U… and no need for that third and… Continue reading

Jessica Larsen of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute describes her research on Alaska’s Mount Churchill at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
Alaska Science Forum: The threat within an Alaska mountain

Mount Churchill stands in a white corner of the Alaska map, deceptive… Continue reading

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Dylan Sowa (35) beats Bartlett senior Wyatt Rust (13) in a faceoff earlier this season. Sowa scored four goals in Thursday’s 5-4 extra-time win over the Houston Hawks to open the 2025 ASAA Division II Hockey State Tournament at Soldotna. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)
Crimson Bears open postseason by devouring Hawks on extra-time ice

Sowa wears big hat for sixth-seed JDHS in win against third-seed Houston at state hockey tournament.

Most Read