One of the most popular Southeast basketball tournaments showcased the state’s top non-high school talent over the weekend in the 18th Annual Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational at Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. The adult tournament is a fundraiser for MEHS and students are present throughout in various duties.
“We had 22 teams and 190 players,” MEHS residential principal and tournament director Andrew Friske said. “This is our one large student activities fundraiser of the year. Teams attending know this and I think really appreciate our student-athletes helping in many different ways throughout the tournament. Players also enjoy the strong support from the Sitka community and, of course, the amazing facilities of the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium.”
Standing out among the many players attending was Juneau’s Travis Dybdahl.
A competitive player ever since he picked up a basketball, the 1997 Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé graduate was honored with the tournament’s Iron Man Award and singled out as what best makes the game special.
“I was lucky enough to play with Travis in two divisions this year,” Friske said. “About time after battling him for over 20 years. He is one of the names always mentioned when people talk about Southeast basketball.”
Juneau’s Travis Dybdahl received the Iron Man Award for his outstanding play in three separate divisions at last week’s Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament at the MEHS B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. (Photo courtesy MEHS)
Dybdahl, truly a basketball ambassador, played in the Men’s 45 Division for Juneau, the Open Division with Metlakatla and the Men’s 37 Division with Klukwan. He averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds in the Masters and 37 divisions.
In one standout game in the Men’s 37, a 112-109 loss to Hydaburg, Dybdahl scored a game-high 41 points, teammate Brian Friske added 22, A. Friske 16 and Alex Huemann 16. Hydaburg got 22 from Freddy Hamilton 22, Vinnie Edenshaw 17 and Darren Edenshaw 17.
“I can tell you I’m paying for that honor at the moment,” Dybdahl said. “Pulled my hamstring seven games in and now because of that my back has me laid up, lol. Honestly, I wanted to say I played three brackets in one tournament at least once in my lifetime and to help springboard me into getting in shape for Gold Medal. Despite destroying my body in the process the whole experience was well worth it. To be able to play with former rivals and longtime friends in three brackets with different generations of hoopers was an experience I’ll cherish forever. My only regret is that due to playing 10 games in three days time I know my performance suffered as the game count went up and it may have cost my teams a better chance to win championships in each bracket.”
The four-division tournament saw Anchorage’s Snow City defeat ANB, made up of players from Wasilla and Kake, in double overtime 105-99 to win the Men’s Open Championship. Top scorers for Snow City were Nick Chichenoff with 27 points, Lim Nou added 21, and Esai Montes 15. For ANB Jerome Carl had 32, Ed Keok 22 and Tristan Tickett 21.
The Men’s Open All-Tournament Team selections were Trent Roos and Zach Anderson (Sitka Mountaineers); Christ Bryant (Metlakatla); Simon Friday (Kake); Kaleb Tompkins (Lucky J’s); V. Edenshaw and Clayton Edwin (Hydaburg); Tickett, Keok, Carl and Bobby Pate (ANB); Nou, Tom Jarel, and Andrew Bennett (Snow City); and Snow City’s Chichenoff was awarded the Most Valuable Player.
Members of the Men’s Open all-tournament team at last week’s Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament at the MEHS B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. (Photo courtesy MEHS)
In the Men’s 37 Championship Hydaburg defeated Metlakatla 90-81. Hydaburg’s top scorers were Clayton Edwin with 26, Darren Edenshaw 24 and Carl Arts 15. Metlakatla was led by Chris Bryant with 29 and Clifton Guthrie 24.
The Men’s 37 all-tourney selections were Adam Johnson (Yakutat); Alex Heumann and Brian Friske (Klukwan); Guthrie and Bryan Hayward (Metlakatla); Arts, D. Edenshaw and Freddy Hamilton (Hydaburg); and Hydaburg’s Edwin was chosen the Most Valuable Player.
In the Women’s Open Championship, Juneau fell to Anchorage 63-34. The Anchorage visitors to Southeast were led by Kendall Jenson with 22 points, Sierra Afoa 19 and Savannah Afoa nine. Juneau was led by 12 points from Caitlin Pusich and Alxyn Bohulano added 10.
The Women’s All-Tournament Team were Zosha Krupa (Juneau/Sitka); Rose Fraker (Yakutat); Pusich, Michaela Demmert, Emily Pierson and Mary Berry (Juneau); Savannah and Sierra Afoa, Karen Tollefson and Hannah Counter (Anchorage); and the Most Valuable Player was awarded to Anchorage’s Jensen.
In the Masters 45 Championship game Team Sitka defeated Juneau 81-72. Scoring results were not available at this time. The Masters All-Tournament Team were Tom Anderson and Matt Love (Sitka); Rich Krupa (Team Alaska); David Buss, Yuri Morgan and Andrew Friske (Juneau); and Syd Eubanks (Sitka) received the Most Valuable Player honor.
In high school Dybdahl helped the Crimson Bears to three trips to the state tournament and a state championship in 1997. He played two years of college basketball in the NWAC, helping Grays Harbor win the title, and another year at Southern Oregon before becoming one of the all-time leading scorers in Gold Medal and a 2014 Gold Medal Hall of Fame member.
“I do feel blessed to be able (to play) high-quality basketball for so many years and to not have suffered any major injuries during that time,” Dybdahl said. “I try to stay in good shape all year round, and I enjoy the grind and challenge of playing against younger generations to see if I still got it. I want to thank Andrew Friske (my teammate in two brackets) for always putting on a fantastic tournament and for structuring it in a way that something like this can be done.”
Members of the Men’s 37 Division all-tournament team at last week’s Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament at the MEHS B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. (Photo courtesy MEHS)
Other top tournament honors went to Richie Hayward (Metlakatla 37 and Team Alaska 47), voted the Most Inspirational Player, and Linda Blankenship whom cheered loudest for the Super Fan Award. Hayward has been bringing youth teams to the tournament the past six years and also officiates. Sitka youth team “9” defeated Edgecumbe B for this year’s boys title while girls featured scrimmages. The tournament is hoping to expand youth participation.
Friske said teams can sign up for next year’s tournament at any time, all year round, by messaging the Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational page on Facebook.
“We won’t turn you down,” he said. “I received some very personal and amazing stories from a few folks who have participated in our tournament over the years. It was very touching to know how this tournament has made a positive impact in people’s lives. We hope to continue this tradition for many more years as it is a win-win for our students, the community of Sitka and the community of Alaska.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
Members of the Men’s 47 all-tournament team at last week’s Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament at the MEHS B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. (Photo courtesy MEHS)
