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Basketball players face off at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at for a basketball game in December 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Sports

Transgender sports ban now in effect, but Juneau and other school districts in no rush to comply

“I’ve never seen such unity against a policy,” local school member says after statewide conference.

George Houston, head coach of what at the time was Juneau-Douglas High School, watches his team play Colony High School in February of 2002 at JDHS. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Sports

George Houston: A remembrance

Lifelong Juneau coach, mentor, educator and friend passes.

Thunder Mountain High School’s Ashlyn Gates, seen hitting the ball past Ketchikan High School defenders during the Region V Volleyball Tournament last Saturday, was named the outstanding player for the Falcons during their elimination game against Dimond High School in the statewide 4A Volleyball Championship on Friday in Anchorage. Thunder Mountain lost the match in four sets. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News File)

Sports

Thunder Mountain’s volleyball season ends with loss to defending state champs

Strong rallies by Falcons keep match close before decisive fourth set.

The Thunder Mountain High School volleyball team, seen here in the official program for the 2023 Alaska School Activities Association’s 4A Volleyball Championship, lost their opening game of the double-elimination tournament to South Anchorage High School on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of ASAA)

Sports

TMHS loses opening game at state finals, plays elimination game Friday morning

Eighth-ranked Falcons will face either top-ranked Wasilla or second-ranked Dimond.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls swim team pose on Saturday with their first-place team trophy after the ASAA State Swim & Dive Championships at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center. (Klas Stolpe / For the Juneau Empire)

Sports

TMHS’ Foy, JDHS’ Fellman top state swimmers

Crimson Bears girls win title, Falcons girls place second at ASAA Swim & Dive State Championships.

Thunder Mountain High School players celebrate after scoring a point during their 3-1 victory over Ketchikan High School to win the Region V Volleyball Tournament in Ketchikan on Saturday. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News)

Sports

TMHS completes threepeat as regional volleyball champs

Falcons begin quest for state title Thursday; JDHS plays Ketchikan tough in elimination game.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Lamar Blatnick signed a letter of intent Wednesday in the JDHS gymnasium to play baseball for Dallas Christian College. From left are father and assistant coach Larry Blatnick, assistant coach Erik McCormick, Lamar Blatnick and JDHS head coach Chad Bentz. (Klas Stolpe for the Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS’ Blatnick signs for college ball

Catcher will exchange Alaska plate duties for Dallas heat

Thunder Mountain High School senior Olivia Mills prepares to start the 50 free at last weekend’s Region V Championships in Sitka. (James Poulson/Daily Sitka Sentinel)

Sports

Foy, Schwarting, Peimann top local title hopes as state championships come to Juneau

Two-day ASAA Swim Dive State Championships start Friday at Dimond Park Aquatic Center.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Alexander Smith battles for a puck in front of the Eagle River goal during Saturday’s 6-1 Crimson Bears win over the Wolves at Treadwell Arena. (Klas Stolpe for the Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS opens season by icing Eagle River

Crimson Bears hockey puts football-size scores on visiting Wolves

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé varsity volleyball team celebrates a comeback five-set win against Ketchikan High School on Saturday night at JDHS. Ketchikan won the first two sets before JDHS won the next three, all by close back-and-forth scores until the fifth set which the Crimson Bears won decisively. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS, TMHS volleyball teams celebrate Senior Nights with wins over Ketchikan

Crimson Bears win five-set comeback thriller; Falcons continue strong season with straight-sets win.

Emily Wright, an assistant attorney for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains legal ramifications of the state’s new ban on transgender girls participating in girls high school sports to the Juneau Board of Education on Tuesday night at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Legal, moral concerns raised by local school and city officials about state’s transgender sports ban

School board seeks more input after hearing ban violates city bylaws and maybe state’s Constitution.

Jed Davis of Thunder Mountain High School, right, and Evan Andrew of Mt. Edgecumbe High School face off in the 125-pound division during the Southeast Showdown at TMHS on Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

TMHS finishes top among boys on home mats in Southeast Showdown wrestling tournament

Ketchikan takes overall title, Falcons second in two-day, co-ed competition among eight schools.

Thunder Mountain High School’s Kara Strong (16) knocks the ball past Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Evelyn Richards (12) and Remi Starks (2) during the two local teams’ play-in game to reach the championship of the Juneau Invitational Volleyball Extravaganza at JDHS on Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

TMHS finishes second, JDHS third as Chugiak repeats as champs at JIVE tournament

Crimson Bears overcome season-long struggles to make semifinal against high-flying Falcons.

A sign opposing the participation of transgender girls in girls sports is propped against a fire hydrant outside of the George A. Navarre Admin Building on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Soldotna. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Sports

Ban on transgender girls from girls’ sports teams approved 5-3 by state school sports association

Juneau officials say enforcement specifics — and if they affect any local athletes — to be determined.

Thunder Mountain High School’s Jenna Dobson (4) knocks the ball past a Mt. Edgecumbe High School player on Saturday night at TMHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Four-four time: TMHS volleyball defeats Mt. Edgecumbe by 3-1 set scores on consecutive nights

Falcons remain among state’s best teams with pair of physical back-and-forth victories.

Juneau’s high school tennis team finished second overall in the ASAA Alaska State Tennis Championship that ended Saturday in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy of Mona Mametsuka)

Sports

Juneau tennis team swings into second overall at state tournament

Team takes first place in mixed doubles, second in girls doubles and third in boys doubles

Colony High School’s Morgan Ainsworth sprints for the finish line against Chugiak High School’s Aaliyah Fields at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Cross Country State Running Championships in Palmer on Saturday. (Peter Pounds / Alaska Sports Report)

Sports

Juneau girls finish second at state D1 cross-country championships

Local boys team finishes fifth; three Juneau girls and one boy finish in top 10 individually.

Jayden Johnson (4), a junior for the Juneau Huskies, looks for room to run against Anchorage South during their game Sept. 30 at Adair-Kennedy Field. The Alaska Sports Report calls Johnson “most explosive player in the state” as the state playoffs begin Friday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire File)

Sports

Huskies begin playoffs Friday night; here’s how the eight teams stack up

#8 Juneau faces #1 West Anchorage, but “Jayden Johnson is the most explosive player in the state.”

Nikki King (16), a senior, attempts to block a shot for Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé during the team’s game against Mt. Edgecumbe High School on Thursday night at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

JDHS volleyball, missing two key players to illness, loses to Mt. Edgecumbe

“We have to start focusing on the small wins,” coach Jody Levernier says.

Jayden Johnson (4) and Hayden Aube (2), seen here against Dimond High School on Aug. 19, were the biggest offensive playmakers for the Juneau Huskies this season and were used according during the team’s opening playoff game at Anchorage West High School on Friday night. The Huskies, seeded last in the eight-team conference, took an early lead and battled on even terms with top-ranked Anchorage for most of the first half before losing 48-7. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Sports

Huskies get into first-half dogfight with top-ranked Anchorage West before losing 48-7 to end season

Juneau takes an early lead, then loses it on a few critical plays resulting in Anchorage touchdowns.