The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys basketball team split a pair of home games against Service High School this week with a win on Wednesday and a loss on Thursday.
Wednesday’s game was Military Appreciation Night, which welcomed members of the Alaska Army National Guard. Sgt. Heather Byrd of the Alaska National Guard, Staff Sgt. Sean Smack of the 297th Infantry Battalion and Thunder Mountain High School graduate Pfc. Kyrell De La Rosa of the 297th Infantry Battalion, were set up at the entrance of the gym to hand out T-shirts and other related swag while meeting and greeting the crowd.
Members of the Alaska Army National Guard, Sgt. Heather Byrd, Staff Sgt. Sean Smack and Private First Class Kyrell De La Rosa hand out t-shirts and towels during Wednesday night’s Military Appreciation Night at JDHS. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
“I think it’s great for us to come out to events like this,” said Smack. “It’s important for people to see us and know that we’re here to help them, that they’ve got people in their community serving, and it’s also great for us to meet veterans of other services. So, on a Military Appreciation Night like this, it just kind of brings us all together and shows a lot of people that there is a community of veterans out here and we love to meet everybody.”
Members of the Alaska Army National Guard, Staff Sgt. Sean Smack and Private First Class Kyrell De La Rosa, throw shirts and towels into the crowd during halftime on Thursday night’s JDHS game against Service High School. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
JDHS was slow to take the lead on Wednesday, trailing 19-29 by halftime. By the third quarter, however, the Crimson Bears managed to keep the score far more competitive with only trailing by one point at the end of the third quarter and an eventual win and final score of 52-50.
JDHS Senior forward Orion Dybdahl would lead the Crimson Bears in scoring Wednesday night with a total of 16 points. He had two-points from two free throw opportunities, plus four-points on top of that during the first quarter. He scored two-points in the second and four-points in the third and finished the fourth quarter with two-points from free throws and two more points, as well.
JDHS senior forward Orion Dybdahl looks to take a shot against Service High School on Wednesday night. Dybdahl led the Crimson Bears in scores with a total of 16 points in game one of two against Service. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
Junior guard Alwen Carrillo had two points in the first quarter, two points and a 3-pointer in the third quarter and two points in the fourth quarter for a total of 10. Junior guard Sean Oliver missed a pair of free throw shots in the first quarter, but came back with a 3-point shot plus an additional two points in the second quarter, and another three-point shot with two points and two free throws in the fourth quarter for a total of 12 points.
Senior guard Joseph Aline scored two-points in the second quarter and made both free throw shots in the third for a total of four, while senior forward Kai Hargrave had two-points in the second quarter and six-points in the third with an additional 3-point shot for a total of 11 points.
Thursday night’s game was another close call with JDHS and Service exchanging the lead often throughout much of the game, but as the final seconds of the fourth quarter ran out, it was Service that came out on top with a final score of 40-37.
JDHS junior guard Sean Oliver looks for an open pass against Service High School in game two. Oliver would lead the boys team in scores Thursday night with a total of 14 points. (Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire)
Oliver would lead the team in points for the second game with a total of 14. He had two 3-point shots in the second quarter, two-points in the third and four more in the fourth. Carrillo managed to score every quarter with two-points for the first three quarters and then finished with three of his four free throw shots for a total of nine points.
Dybdahl had two points plus an extra point from a free throw in the first quarter. He would go on to score another two-points in the third and finish with three more points from free throws in the fourth quarter for a total of 8 points, while Hargrave managed to put up two-points in the second quarter.
Aline had six points in the first quarter but would later have to leave the game after suffering a face injury during a fall.
Next up for the Crimson Bears, they’ll take on Colony High School at home at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, which is being recognized as Take a Timeout to Talk – Suicide Prevention Awareness.
• Contact reporter Jonson Kuhn at jonson.kuhn@juneauempire.com.
