JDHS honors seniors with weekend wins over Patriots

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears boys and girls varsity basketball teams swept the visiting North Pole Patriots this weekend during homecoming senior night games at the George Houston Gymnasium.

The JDHS boys toppled North Pole 76-54 Friday and 53-42 Saturday.

“I’m just happy I’m able to play one last game here and I’m able to play with the teammates I played with growing up,” senior Pedrin Saceda-Hurt said before Saturday’s game. “I’m just going to give it my all.”

When asked about the final regions next week he said, “I’m sure I’m going to feel more emotions, like, that is the last time I will face those opponents. I feel jittery right now honestly. I’m itching to go play right now and I’m just going to go enjoy the moment when I can.”

When asked whether it would be big tears or a big smile when the final buzzer rings Saceda-Hurt said, “Big smile for sure… I’d like to thank Juneau for the big opportunity to play basketball.”

Saturday featured a close game throughout with JDHS and North Pole playing an even first quarter at 10-10. Saceda-Hurt hit two shots past the arc for the Crimson Bears.

JDHS would lead 19-18 at the half and broke out of their slower pace with 17 points in the third quarter, including a pair of shots past the arc from junior Brandon Casperson, five battle-earned points inside from junior Elias Dybdahl and four from junior Tyler Frisby. North Pole stayed in the game with senior Landon Swinning earning five points with hard inside work.

JDHS added another 17 points in the fourth quarter and North Pole another 12 for the 53-42 final.

B. Casperson led with 11 points, senior Ahmir Parker and Frisby nine apiece, Saceda-Hurt eight, junior Kurt Kuppert three, seniors Damian Efergan and Ben Sikes one apiece.

JDHS hit 13-26 at the free throw line, North Pole 9-19.

Swinning led the Patriots with 15 points, junior David Wiehl seven, sophomore David Hollett and senior Nico Mesa five apiece, junior Andrew Choi and senior Payton Jones four apiece, and senior Gian Patrick Salas two.

“I’m just really happy,” JDHS senior Ben Sikes said prior to the game. “It’s very fun, I’m excited, a little sad, but it’s bittersweet. The program here is a great program. You hear about it all over the state how special it is and it is. It’s really fun and it’s hard, but it’s worth while.”

On Friday JDHS had 10 players reach the scorebook.

The Crimson Bears held an 18-11 first quarter lead and went off for 22 points in the second quarter to lead 40-19 at the half and were up 56-35 with eight minutes left in the game.

Parker led JDHS with 13 points, Saceda-Hurt and B. Casperson added 10 points apiece, senior Gavin Gerrin and Dybdahl nine apiece, Sikes eight, Kuppert six, Efergan and Frisby four apiece, and sophomore Logan Carriker three.

JDHS hit 15-18 at the charity stripe, North Pole 6-14.

Swinning led the Patriots with 31 points, Wiehl added 16, Mesa four, Hollett two and sophomore Stephen Langer one.

“I liked the way we moved the ball on Friday and found guys in open areas and converted offensively,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said on Saturday. “I thought defensively our energy was incredible because we were communicating a lot more and rotating quickly. North Pole did a good job tonight to make some adjustments. They kept the game closer throughout and I liked that we had to battle through that and stick together, and I thought we did a good job. Plus all the emotion and excitement around senior night tonight. We like that event, but it can certainly bring an unexpected element to the game and I thought our guys did a good job playing through all that too.”

Coach Casperson noted the importance of the competition before the regionals.

“We appreciate any opportunity to compete,” he said. “I feel like we are in a good spot heading into regions down in Ketchikan. The way our guys are playing and the way they are working for each other, I like our chances. Ketchikan is a tough opponent and Ketchikan is a tough place to play. But I like our focus and I like the way we are executing at this point. Regions will be a rowdy and raucous environment so we’ll do what we have to do to prepare for that. Regions is always a fun time of year.”

Senior boys Saceda-Hurt, Sikes, Efergan, Parker and Gerrin were honored before the game.

Senior girls Mary Johnson, Addison Wilson, Kerra Baxter and Cailynn Baxter were also honored on Saturday.

The JDHS Crimson Bears girls team defeated North Pole 59-29 on Friday and 55-26 Saturday.

“It was very good,” Wilson said after Saturday’s win. “We were all just very happy to be out there. We’re all just playing for each other and stuff, just having fun. It’s been amazing. I love the people I have been playing with, especially this year of course playing with new people I didn’t expect to be playing with. But they are really fun to play with and I’m going to miss them.”

On Saturday JDHS led 15-8 after the first quarter, 26-12 at the half and 43-18 with eight minutes remaining to play.

C. Baxter led JDHS with 14 points, sophomore Layla Tokuoka 12, K. Baxter 11, Johnson and Wilson six apiece, sophomores June Troxel and Bergen Erickson and freshman Athena Warr two each.

The Crimson Bears hit 6-10 at the charity stripe, the Patriots 6-7.

Sophomore Jade Skipps led North Pole with eight points, sophomore Taimane Skipps six, sophomore Alyssa Pearson and freshman Dawson Smothers four apiece, senior Madison Glynn and junior Julia Good two apiece.

“Unreal,” JDHS’ K. Baxter said of senior night on Saturday. “I don’t know. Just amazing. And I’m just so proud of the girls.”

Added JDHS’ C. Baxter, “It means a lot. I don’t know, there’s a lot to think about it.”

On Friday JDHS went up 20-5 in the first quarter and led 38-8 at the half. They pushed the advantage to 52-18 with eight minutes remaining in the game.

K. Baxter led JDHS with 14 points, C. Baxter added 12, Tokuoka eight, junior Gwen Nizich seven, Warr six, junior Cambry Lockhart five, Troxel three, Wilson and Erickson two apiece.

The Crimson Bears hit 7-8 at the line, the Patriots 1-1.

Sophomore Siyah Guzman led North Pole with 11 points, T. Skipps seven, J. Skipps four, Glynn three, senior Izzy Kizer and Pearson two apiece.

“Obviously it was such a special weekend being senior night weekend and everybody came out with intensity,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said. “We’ve been talking about that this later part of the season, just showing up every game. And emphasizing having fun. Going out and doing what you know how to do, what you love to do, and playing basketball. Making things exciting and showing everybody who we are, and what we have been working on all this season…North Pole has played some very competitive teams this season. We were preparing for them and focusing on them this weekend. We weren’t looking ahead we were just focusing on this set of games because they were important for us to kind of get back up on our feet a little bit…I think our seniors did a great job with all of that. Being seniors they came out so strong, and they just gave us such inspiration and excitement out on the court, and everybody just had a wonderful time.”

The four time defending state champion JDHS Cheer team was honored on Saturday and included Ayla Keller, Stefano Rivera, Gabby Ely and Sophia Percy.

Rivera said he first began cheering this season.

“Initially the team did not have that many stunt people,” he said. “So I decided to try it out and it seemed pretty fun. It has really pushed me outside my comfort zone and it has made me try new things…some people said they would have joined if they knew I was going to do it…It means a lot to represent JDHS. It takes a lot of hard work. Our practices are filled with conditioning and rigorous work.”

Keller is a four-year team member and first cheered in sixth grade.

“Cheer has become my entire life,” she said. “It’s surrounded all that I do and it surrounds how I see myself athletically and how I see myself respected because coach Carlene (Nore) has taught us a lot of lessons and we’ve just been able to learn from all the things that happen on the team.”

Ely started cheering in December.

“This team has meant that I get to be part of something bigger than myself,” she said. “And that the hard work that I have put in creates more than just what I can do, it shows that what I put in magnifies what my other 19 teammates can put in too and see what we can create.”

Percy is a first-year team manager, she also does duty as MAC the Crimson Bears’ mascot. She had been a dance team manager in the past.

“It is really hot,” Percy said, removing MAC’s head piece. “Managing is a lot of making sure everyone has everything…setting everything up at the beginning of the day and cleaning everything up at the end, running to get stuff when we need it and making sure we have everything..basically the coaches’ right-hand man I guess. I try to work hard on my end of it so it makes it easier for them. I never felt like cheerleading wasn’t a sport, but I didn’t realize how hard it is. I got Stefano to join and I remember the first day I brought him his shirt was soaked. I mean, he did football and did the gym, but when he got to our conditioning, well, he has to bring extra shirts every day. It is just amazing because the cheerleaders look so good, they look so effortless out there and I have always cheered them on, but never knew how difficult it was.”

Teammates call her “Momma Bear” for how much takes care of them.

Said Percy, “Sometimes I pick them up, I get them water every day, I make sure they have everything…I do feel like they are my kids some times, I feel a sense of responsibility over them definitely.”

As MAC, who wears a 24 jersey in honor of last year’s senior class which purchased the new costume for the school, she is present during the game and on the court for the fight song, player introductions, fan interaction and various cheers.

“It is really hard, and really hot,” Percy said. “I feel like I am going to have a heat stroke…the hardest part is, like, being fun. I wouldn’t say I am boring, but it was hard to step out of my comfort zone and just start high-fiving people and be a crazy fun character that I am not in real life.”

MAC loves the pep band’s Band Chant, which is played after the first quarter.

“It’s the most dance like,” she said. “It feels like I am having so much fun.”

The JDHS Dance Team seniors were honored on Friday and performed their light routine during the weekend. Their senior members are Captain Isabella Cadigan McAdoo, First Lt. Bristol Casperson, First Lt. Reonna Maloney, Officer Serena Crupi, Officer Amelia Yadao, Officer Haylee Baxter, Officer Shaelynn Lee, Stella Moran and Laura Gibb.

“It’s been a great four years,” B. Casperson said on Saturday. “I’ve had the most fun ever on this team. It’s really a special team, and we’re very excited for regions and for state coming up soon.

She said JDHS is “a place where you feel like you can really belong and you can find your crowd of people. I feel like everyone mixes with everyone and we really just enjoy showing up for each other for any different activities, events and what not, for our community too.”

The JDHS Pep Band seniors were honored on Friday. Those seniors are Sam Day, Hayden Soboleff, Alison Tingey, Elijah Levy, Kajson Cunningham, Lucy Bennett, Quentin Curtis, Gracie Kohuth, Scott Pleasants, Trygve Hermann, Maisey Messing, Isabel Tanner, Jm Batac, Dori Germain and Marzena Whitmore.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stole@juneauempire.com.