Crimson Bears boys rule home court, banish Kings 76-52
- Klas Stolpe
- Feb 22
- 7 min read
Juneau-Douglas ends conference regular season undefeated over Ketchikan
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé varsity boys basketball team completed a weekend sweep of the visiting Ketchikan hoopsters on Saturday at the George Houston Gymnasium with a 76-52 win over the Kings. JDHS had defeated Kayhi 53-41 on Friday.
“I think it was just the crowd that got us hyped,” JDHS senior Joren Gasga said. “The community here. There was a bunch of people here to support us. That is what got me going.”
Gasga seemed to have no problem with crowds as the senior hit from past the arc all night, drove through the lane to dish off to teammates in traffic and floated soft jumpers above the outstretched arms of defenders to score a game-high 28 points.
“Our whole team did something,” Gasga said. “That was what we were talking about on the bench when the bench got in the game and the starters were sitting down. It feels so good, just everyone feeding and everyone eating. Yeah, it was good.”
The goodness started from the opening tip as JDHS earned two free throws inside by junior Logan Carriker and fell into a full-court press that would be trouble for the Kings all night.
Gasga drove for a score and senior Brandon Casperson buried a shot from the arc to force a Kayhi timeout. The Kings came out of the huddle with a basket and free throw by sophomore Anthony Talauega and a shot from the arc by senior Edward Dela Cruz, but the Crimson Bears set up their press behind two free throws from senior Elias Dybdahl to go on a major scoring run.
Dybdahl and Gasga would trap the Kings after their first inbounds pass and each scored a basket. Gasga would add two shots back-to-back from the arc, Carriker stole a ball and scored, Gasga buried his third shot past the arc in the quarter, senior Noah Ault stole a ball and scored and added a free throw, and Dybdahl bullied his way inside for a 29-11 JDHS lead after eight minutes of action.
"I was reall happy with our defense and how it created our offensive opportunities," JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. "The ball moved quickly and found the open man."
JDHS senior Kurt Kuppert opened the second quarter with a score, then forced a turnover on the defensive side that allowed Dybdahl to score, and the Crimson Bears would not be threatened the remainder of the game as they opened a 45-25 lead at the half.
As the third quarter started B. Casperson had a steal to score, Dybdahl rebounded and passed to Gasga for a score, senior Tyler Frisby blocked a shot, Gasga floated a shot in and the lead continued to grow. JDHS led 62-38 after three quarters.
Every Crimson Bears player that came out of hibernation on the bench contributed to the win.
While Dybdahl and Gasga did most of the damage, they also showed a knack for finding open teammates. At one point in the fourth quarter Dybdahl and Gasga each hit two shots in a row and each assisted on two others.
“Well, I am a team player so I just try to help everyone,” Gasga said. “And just see what is good for the team.”
JDHS led 72-32 with under five minutes to play and freshman Zach Polasky registered his second blocked shot of the night, senior Ryland Carlson, sophomore Micah Nelson and Polasky each scored a basket. Carlson’s score brought the rested starters to their feet on the bench as he hit the game’s final 76-52 tally.
Gasga led JDHS with 28 points, Dybdahl added 14, B. Casperson 11, Carriker nine, Polasky four, Nelson, Ault, Kuppert, Carlson and Frisby two each. The Crimson Bears hit 8-9 from the free throw line.
Talauega led Kayhi with 18 points, sophomore Rylan Hanchey 10, junior Henry Vail seven, E. Dela Cruz six, junior Zyrus Manabat five, senior Maika Olap four and senior Jozaiah Dela Cruz two. The Kings were 9-18 at the line.
The JDHS boys improve to 11-9 overall, and finish a perfect 4-0 in the SEC. The Kings are 6-18 overall, 0-4 in the SEC. JDHS will finish the regular season hosting the Tri-Valley Warriors from the 1A Golden Heart Conference for senior appreciation this coming Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28.
For the Crimson Bears and Kayhi Kings their path to the state championships March 18-21 is dependent on winning the Region V Tournament at JDHS on March 3-7.
Neither of the two 4A boys teams have a strong enough R.P.I. to be awarded an at-large bid if they do not win the region crown. As of Friday the JDHS boys were ranked 11th and the Ketchikan lads 18th among Division 4A basketball schools
The Region V champion gets an automatic berth to the eight-team state tournament as does the Mid Alaska Conference champion and the top two teams from the Cook Inlet Conference and Northern Lights Conference tournaments. There are two at-large berths from among those who do not get automatic bids.
Currently the boys top eight are West Valley (16-3 OA, 3-0 MAC), Grace Christian (18-3 OA, 8-1 NLC), Lathrop (14-3 OA, 2-1 MAC), Service (19-2 OA, 10-0 CIC), West Anchorage (15-7 OA, 8-4 CIC), Colony (13-6 OA, 6-2 NLC), Bettye Davis East Anchorage (14-6 OA, 9-2 CIC) and South Anchorage 14-6 OA, 6-5 CIC).
As previously noted Friday’s nights games at the George Houston Gymnasium were the boys and girls sixth annual Take A Timeout To Talk fundraiser, co-hosted by Find Your Fire, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition, and Bartlett Regional Hospital Foundation (BRHF).
“Mental health is not something that is commonly talked about, yet it is just as important as physical health,” said Melissa McCormick of Find Your Fire. “We are hoping that this night — and the conversations we’ve had with the teams leading up to the event — will open more lines of communication and help ‘slam the stigma’ of talking about our mental health.”
The evening focused on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, encouraging open dialogue among student-athletes, families, and the broader community. Players wore purple warmups to show support and share messages of hope among the fans. The halftime event also included a dance by the Juneau Dance Team and the JDHS Cheer and Dance teams helped throw swag into the crowd, including t-shirts and stuffed animals with positive messages of hope, like "YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH" and "YOU ARE WORTHY," and the 988 crisis number.
Find Your Fire, formed in 2019 by the McCormick family after losing their son, Speier McCormick to death by depression (suicide), began Take A Timeout to Talk in 2020 at the beginning of COVID.
“It is our effort to assist other young adults living with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses,” Melissa McCormick said in an earlier interview. “The mission of the organization is to empower young adults to find their passion and what success means to them, while building a strong mental health foundation.”
In meetings with both teams prior to the games, organizers addressed the pressures student-athletes often face — from coaches, parents, teachers, peers, and themselves. Expectations to perform well, earn playing time, maintain grades, and project toughness can weigh heavily on young people. Organizers emphasized that even the strongest athlete on the court may be facing unseen struggles off of it.
Players were encouraged to look beyond statistics and scoreboards and to pay attention to one another. Warning signs such as withdrawal, expressions of hopelessness, feeling like a burden, or losing interest in once-enjoyed activities were highlighted as indicators that someone may need support. Teammates were reminded that stepping in to seek help for a friend is not a betrayal, but an act of care.
The message also stressed the importance of identifying three to five trusted individuals — such as a coach, counselor, parent, or school staff member — who can provide support during difficult times.
Facilitators of the event explained that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. “You are not weak. You are not a burden,” McCormick shared in remarks to the teams. “You matter to your team more than your stats ever will. Your life is bigger than any game, any season, any mistake.”
To learn more about Take A Timeout To Talk information is available online at www.findyourfire.net. For anyone in crisis or seeking support, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
