Thunder Mountain (5-2 OA; 2-0 C), Juneau-Douglas (3-4 OA; 1-1 C)
The Falcons and Crimson Bears football teams face off in the final weekend of Southeast Conference with Juneau-Douglas visiting the Thunderdome for a 7 p.m. kickoff today. The only remaining unbeaten team in conference play, Thunder Mountain has secured one of the Southeast Conference’s two berths to the medium school playoffs.
Juneau-Douglas will need a win or a North Pole loss to nab the second spot. North Pole hosts Ketchikan in Southeast Conference play on Friday. Thunder Mountain has secured the outright No. 1 seed already, crucially avoiding a semifinal matchup against Soldotna, the undefeated four-time back-to-back medium school state champs.
Juneau’s two teams started their season with a Aug. 13 game at Adair-Kennedy Field. The Falcons won that non-conference tilt 50-20.
Look for coverage of Glacier Bowl in Sunday’s paper and at the Empire online Saturday morning.
Cross country state championships
The Juneau-Douglas High School cross country boys and girls teams won regionals last weekend, qualifying seven boys and seven girls runners a trip to Saturday’s state meet at Bartlett High School in Anchorage. Thunder Mountain qualified two boys and two girls.
Making the trip to Anchorage for the JDHS boys are: Arne Ellefson-Carnes (qualifying time of 17 minutes); Clem Taylor-Roth (17:28); Tim McKenna (17:55); Shadrach Stitz (18:01); John White (18:06); Kadin Doddridge (19:33); and Aaron Blust (19:53).
For the Crimson Bears girls: Sadie Tuckwood (18:12); Anna Iverson (19:40); Jessie Greg (21:32); Elizabeth Ramseth (21:36); Gillian Smith (21:50); Eva Goering (22:22); Sosan Monsef (23:15).
Thunder Mountain’s Erin Wallace (19:09) and Sally Thompson (21:21) will represent the girls while Justin Sleppy (17:46) and James Burger (17:59) will represent the boys.
Tuckwood’s 18:12 at last weekend’s regional meet in Sitka is currently the fastest girls time logged at an official meet this season. Tuckwood’s region finish is 8 seconds better than Briahna Gerlach of Glenallen’s 18:20 and 42 seconds faster than West Valley’s Kendall Cramer, who ran an 18:54 in early September and is Tuckwood’s closest 4A competitor. Last year’s 4A girls state champion, West High’s Molly Gellert, won state with an 18:57.
Though the Bartlett course is one of the state’s toughest, with a cushion of more than 30 seconds on her closest 4A competitor, the race is Tuckwood’s for the taking.
The 4A girls race starts at 12:45 while the boys race is slated for 2:15. Look for coverage in Monday’s print edition and at the Empire online Saturday evening.
Volleyball
JDHS travels to Barrow
Juneau-Douglas’ spikers travel to Barrow for matches against Monroe, Lathrup and Barrow this weekend. Falcons volleyball makes the trip to Ketchikan for two Southeast Conference matches Friday and Saturday.
Swimming
JDHS swim and dive will compete at Petersburg this weekend while TMHS’ team is heading to Sitka. Both teams will compete in one meet Friday and one Saturday.
Look to the Empire online for results.
• Contact Sports and Outdoors reporter Kevin Gullufsen at 523-2228 or kevin.gullufsen@juneauempire.com
