Skagway boys, Hoonah girls earn second Southeast berths to 1A state

They lost the title the night or days before and worked hard through the morning to reach another championship game less than 24 hours later. Such was the life of the teams at the double-elimination Region V 1A Basketball Tournament at Thunder Mountain Middle School.

With the Kake Thunderbirds boys topping the Klawock Chieftains 56-40 on Friday for the Region V Championship and Klawock’s girls team nipping the Hoonah Braves 34-33, the two losers had to battle through morning games on Saturday to continue into evening clashes for the runner-up berths to the 1A/2A state tournament March 12-15 in Anchorage.

Boys runner-up game

The Klawock boys would find themselves in another athletic showcase Saturday evening, this time facing Skagway, a team they had manhandled 47-26 back on Thursday.

The Panthers would turn the tables this time, defeating the Chieftains 53-49 and book tickets to Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center courts.

Skagway held a 15-9 lead after the first quarter and held Klawock to just two points in the second eight minutes of play for a 31-11 lead at the half. The Chieftains outscored the Panthers 16-8 in the third quarter to trail 39-27. Klawock’s Conner Bagby outscored Skagway by himself in the final eight minutes, tallying 16 of the Chieftains’ 22 points in the final stanza, but Skagway held on for the win.

Royce Borst led Skagway with 17 points, Camden Lawson added 12, Malcolm Lawson nine, Kaleb Cochran and Ryder Calver six apiece and Landon Rodig three.

The Panthers hit 17-24 at the charity stripe, the Chieftains 9-14.

Bagby led Klawock with a game-high 29 points, Tanner Smith eight, Raymond Fairbanks six, Tristin Ryno five and DJ Peele one.

The Skagway boys had a long road on Saturday, rising for an early morning game to defeat Hydaburg 60-36.

The Panthers led early 17-6 after the first quarter, 34-10 at the half, and 47-19 with eight minutes of action remaining.

C. Lawson led Skagway with 13 points, Borst 11, M. Lawson and Calver eight apiece, Rodig seven, Cochran six, Dane Ames five and Arthur Aribam two. They hit three of eight free throws.

Hydaburg was led by 12 points from Maika Olap, Tyrone Carlson added 11, Ricky Alander nine, Alan Kaneki and D’Artagnan Peele-Guthrie two apiece. They hit 10 of 15 free throws.

Girls runner-up game

The Hoonah girls kept the taste of their one-point loss in the title game in their weary bodies, turning a close first-half contest against the Skagway girls into a 31-19 win and a spot in the upcoming state championships.

Hoonah held a 8-1 first quarter lead and thanks to five points from Easton Ross in the second stanza held off Skagway at the half 13-9. Ross and Jora Savland hit from past the arc in the third stanza, and Nevaeh Campbell controlled the paint for a 24-16 lead with just the final eight minutes to play. Both weary teams played physical, but legal, defense down the stretch with Hoonah claiming the 31-19 win, decided in the last two minutes.

Ross led Hoonah with 13 points, Savland eight, Paige Woitte six and Campbell four. The Braves hit six of 10 free throws.

Kaitlyn Tronrud led Skagway with nine points, Amelia Myers seven and Lennon Jennings three. The Panthers hit two of six free throws.

The Skagway girls rose earlier Saturday to oust Kake 34-32.

Kake found just one field goal from Brooklyn Hallingstad in the first quarter, while Skagway connected on four for a 9-2 lead and kept that advantage at 15-9 for the half.

Kake won the third quarter 13-8 to close to 32-23 and the final stanza 10-9 to force four minutes of extra play. The Thunderbirds could not find a basket in the overtime stanza while the Panthers hit two free throws for the win.

Tronrud led Skagway with 15 points, Kelsey Cox eight, Kenadie Cox six, Myers four and Jennings one. They hit nine of 24 free throws.

Lilyida Jackson led Kake with 11 points, Lydia Chang six, B. Hallingstad five, Eden Hallingstad and Aurora Davis four apiece and Kristine Jackson-Williams two. They hit three of nine free throws.

Saturday awards

Good Sport Team – Angoon’s Angel Jack, Jessie Nelson, Luke Jack and Denny Fredrickson; Hoonah’s Jenna Jack, Charlie Jack, Riley Neal and Dashel Huskey; Thorne Bay’s Jordan Kohn and Jayden Kohn; Klawock’s Kendra Yates, Layla Gregory, Cesar Vasquez and David Friday; Kake’s Madison Padgett, Aurora Davis, Tyler Davis and Erik Davis; Skagway’s Lila Lawson, Mackenzie Mixon, Camden Lawson and Landon Rodig; Hydaburg’s Jazmin Afualo, FriedaMae Peele, Alan Kaneki and Make Olap.

All-Academic Team – Krista Howland (HNH), Macy Alander (HYD), Landon Rodig (SKG), Kaitlyn Tronrud (SKG), Kenadie Cox (SKG), Lea Armour (KLWK), Kaiya Marvin (KLWK), Rodney Moler (Kake), Luke Jack (ANG), Tatum Johnson (ANG), Stephen Campbell (TB) and Tanner Smith (KLWK).

Boys All-Conference – Ricky Alander (HYD), Keontay Jackson (Kake), Davin Hamby (TB), Aiden Clark (Kake), Connor Bagby (KLWK), Royce Borst (SKG), Tyrone Carlson (HYD), Tanner Howland (HNH), Tanner Smith (KLWK), Talen Davis (Kake), Beebuks Kookesh (ANG) and Landon Rodig (SKG).

Girls All-Conference – Lea Armour (KLWK), Anna Congdon (TB), Kaitlyn Tronrud (SKG), Paige Woitte (HNH), Aliana Nelson (ANG), Lennon Jennings (SKG), Aurora Davis (Kake), Kia Robert (HYD), Keira Sanderson (KLWK), Kaiya Marvin (KLWK), Lisa Kookesh-Booth (ANG) and Easton Ross (HNH).

Free Throw Champs – Tristin Ryno (KLWK) and Macy Alander (HYD).

Three-Point Champs – Alan Koneki (HYD) and Paige Woitte (HNH).

Team Sportsmanship – Kake Thunderbirds.

Region Boys Champion – Kake Thunderbirds. Runners-up Skagway Panthers.

Region Girls Champion – Klawock Chieftains. Runners-up Hoonah Braves.

Game officials receiving recognition included Juneau’s Kendrick Peyton, Felix Lee and Koneal Lagudao; Klawock’s Joyce Moore and Robert Jackson; Haines’ Mike Ganey and Matt Jones; Skagway’s Adam Smith; Klawock’s Joyce Moore and Hoonah’s Rachel White.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.