Sports fans living in Juneau, or visiting, will be treated to a possible preview of this season’s girls state basketball championship game as Alaska’s number-one ranked Wasilla Warriors, the defending state champions, will visit Juneau to play Alaska’s third-ranked Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears.
The JDHS/Wasilla Friday tipoff is 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. to accommodate the 4A Northern Lights Conference Warriors travel back north. The JDHS boys junior varsity will play the 2A Haines Glacier Bears varsity before Friday’s game, tipping off at 5:30 p.m., and after Saturday’s game, tipping off at 6:30 p.m.
Undefeated (12-0 in Alaska this season) defending state champion Wasilla returns 6’5” all-state senior Layla Hayes (University of Iowa commit), senior leading scorer and all-state selection Mylee Anderson and six juniors who played key roles, including one with Southeast ties to Kake, Katie Jackson. They graduated three players, two of whom had limited minutes. The teams have just one common opponent this season, Chugiak. JDHS defeated the Mustangs 51-38 and Wasilla topped the Mustangs 52-9.
At state last season now defunct Thunder Mountain High School Falcons lost to Colony 69-35 in the semifinals and Wasilla defeated Colony 35-32 in the championship (JDHS lost to Wasilla 55-20 in regular season play last year). Current JDHS senior forwards Kerra Baxter, Cailynn Baxter and Addison Wilson and junior guard Cambry Lockhart started for TMHS last season, earning a fourth-place state tournament placing. Along with JDHS junior guard Gwen Nizich and sophomore Layla Tokuoka the hometown Crimson Bears (12-3 overall, 10-1 in Alaska) and their bench have enough quality to protect the George Houston Gymnasium.
“We expect Wasilla to be a tough series with lots of full-court pressure,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said. “We need to be able to contain Layla Hayes inside, but also recognizing they have scorers from anywhere on the court.”
HOCKEY
The sixth-seeded Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears hockey team will open the First National Cup 2025 DII Hockey State Championships against the third-seeded Houston Hawks, Thursday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
In the JDHS half of the bracket second-seeded Palmer Moose faces the seventh-seeded Tri-Valley Warriors. In the upper half of the bracket top-seeded Soldotna Stars face eighth-seeded Delta Huskies, and number four North Pole Patriots take on number five Kenai Kardinals.
Friday are semifinals and Saturday finals. JDHS lost to Houston 6-1 early in November and won 8-2 in early January.
JDHS BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears boys (5-12 overall) will travel to the island of the Kodiak Bears (2-9 overall, 1-7 4A Northern Lights Conference) for Friday and Saturday games. Kodiak features five seniors, three juniors and four players over 6’1.
“Kodiak is a well-coached team that plays hard all game long,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “Their guards do well-controlling tempo and attacking the basket. Kodiak plays in a very tough conference and they are ready for a battle every night, while playing in front of a very supportive home crowd, so these games fit right in with our scheduling approach. This will be our first time to ‘The Rock’ in a number of years, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
Common opponents this season have included Soldotna, Homer and Monroe.
JDHS defeated Sodotna 64-49 while Kodiak lost to the Stars 53-32 and 61-50; JDHS defeated Homer 71-46 and Kodiak topped the Mariners 70-57; JDHS lost to Monroe 84-71 and Kodiak fell to the Rams 58-35.
NORDIC SKI
The JDHS Nordic Ski Team will compete at the Region VI championships at Fairbanks’ Birch Hill Recreation Area this weekend. Friday will be a 7.5K Freestyle Mass Start and Saturday races are a 4x3K Mixed Technique relay of dual discipline, meaning two legs of classic and two legs of freestyle.
“Birch Hill ski area boasts some amazing skiing and we feel lucky to be offered a bid to the Region VI Championships,” JDHS coach Abby McAllister said. “I think the team will surprise themselves. They have worked so hard this year, both mentally and physically to overcome a tough winter. The entire coaching and volunteer crew are excited to see them hit the trails. The state championships have just been moved to Fairbanks as well so I think it’s great we can practice racing on their trails ahead of time.”
The 2025 ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Nordic Ski State Championships are scheduled for Feb. 20-22. JDHS will take seven females and seven males to the event. The first day of races are the 5K Interval Start Classic Technique (males first race, females second), the second day is the 7.5K Mass Start Freestyle (females first race, males second) and the third day is the 4x3K Mixed Technique – Classic-Classic-Free-Free (females first race, males second).
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
