Haines tips Metlakatla in ‘mini Gold Medal’ as 2A Region opens
- Klas Stolpe
- 9 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Wrangell's Powers scores 23 to lead the Wolves over Craig Panthers
Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Haines and Metlakatla High School boys played like their historic namesakes in a second-seed versus third-seed Wednesday night cap basketball game in front of a packed Region V 2A crowd at the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé George Houston Gymnasium.
The ‘mini Gold Medal’ style game featured hard-nose pressure defense like their fathers played, fast breaks and shots from distance like their grandfathers put up, and a 42-31 Glacier Bears win over the Chiefs that wasn’t decided until the final minutes.
“It means a lot,” Haines senior Colton Combs said. “I am a senior and this is the first time I have made it to the finals at regions, so it is a pretty big moment. We came out on defense from the start. All year we have only do good on offense if we start on defense, for bringing the energy.”
Metlakatla junior Cruz Lindsey it a pair of free throws for the game's first points and after Haines senior James Stickler hit inside, Cruz hit from past the arc for a 5-2 lead, the last time the Chiefs would have the scoring advantage.
Both teams were athletic in their defensive work and the score would not be changed until halfway through the stanza. Stickler muscled inside for a basket and followed a missed shot on Haines’ next possession for a 6-5 lead. C. Combs drove the lane on Haines’ next possession and scooped a shot in for an 8-5 lead that held to the start of the second quarter.
Haines senior JC Davis stole a ball to open the second quarter and fed sophomore Isaac Jones for a layup, Stickler hit inside and junior Brady Ferrin hit from the arc for a 15-5 lead with 3:10 remaining in the first half.
Metlakatla senior Bryce Olin hit from the arc to close to 15-8, but Haines junior Wade Lloyd answered from distance to lead 18-8. Metlakatla junior Gianni Scudero-Hayward hit a free throw to close to 18-9, but Haines’ Stickler followed a missed Glacier Bears shot and tipped it in for a 20-9 lead to end the half.
Metlakatla struggled to hit shots in the first half, missing numerous attempts in the key. The Chiefs opened the second half with a shot past the arc from Olin to close to eight, 20-12, but Haines’ Stickler rebounded a missed Glacier Bears shot and put the lead back to 10 points, and teammate Davis stole the next Metlakatla possession and scored for a 24-12 lead, and C. Combs added a free throw for 25-12.
Metlakatla’s C. Lindsey hit from the arc to close the score back to 10 at 25-15. Haines’ C. Combs hit a free throw for the 26-15 score with eight minutes remaining to play.
Haines junior Kyran Sweet stole a ball and scored to start the fourth quarter, and Stickler added a free throw for a 29-15 lead. Metlakatla countered with scores from Olin and C. Lindsey to trail 29-19.
A shot past the arc by Haines’ Davis and a steal by C. Combs who fed Sweet for a score pushed the lead out to 24-19, but Metlakatla’s Cash Martinez buried back-to-back scores past the arc to trail by seven, 32-25, with 3:45 left in the game.
Haines’ C. Combs scored on an up-and-under drive through traffic and Metlakatla’s Scudero-Hayward answered from the arc to trail 36-28.
Metlakatla would be forced to foul and Haines’ C. Combs and Sweet each hit a pair to push the lead out to 40-28 with under a minute left to play.
C. Lindsey closed Metlakatla to 40-31 with 28 seconds remaining, but Haines’ Ferrin and Stickler hit one free throw for the 42-31 final.
Stickler led Haines with 12 points, C. Combs eight, Sweet six, Davis five, Ferrin and Jones four apiece, and Lloyd three. The Glacier Bears hit three shots past the arc, 12 closer in and hit 9-18 from the charity stripe.
Olin led Metlakatla with eight points, S. Martinez and C. Lindsey seven apiece, freshman Cash Martinez six, and Scudero-Hayward three. The Chiefs hit eight shots past the arc but just two closer in and were 3-7 at the line.
“That is a very first for me,” Haines coach Bryan Combs said. “And it is the very first for the boys. It is an emotional win today. We knew we could beat them. We beat them twice earlier in the year, but that just shows all the work that we put in. Defensively first, defense-minded first. That’s an effort. All effort. And we just made a few more shots than they did.”
On watching his son play, coach Combs said, “He handled it well. He dealt with the pressure, he dealt with the adversity really well, so I couldn’t be happier. And we made free throws down the stretch. It is a big win, but we have a big game Friday. That is where our heads are now. That is where our focus goes - Friday night.
Haines advances to Friday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game against the winner of Thursday’s 10:30 a.m. game between number one seed Petersburg, who had an opening tournament bye, and number four seed Wrangell who defeated five seed Craig earlier Wednesday. Metlakatla plays an elimination game Thursday at 1:30 p.m. against Craig.
WRANGELL 61, CRAIG 43
The number four seed Wrangell Wolves ran with the number five seed Craig Panthers and then ran away with a 61-43 win to open their 2026 Region V Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé George Houston Gymnasium.
Craig freshman Tate Arndt scored the game's first point on a free throw, but Wrangell junior Everett Meissner answered with back-to-back baskets and the Wolves would never trail again.
The Panthers kept it close in the first quarter pulling within a point at 4-3 as senior Josh Bennett scored on a drive.
Wrangell’s Aadyen Gillen hit two free throws for a 6-3 lead and Craig’s Arndt answered for 6-5.
Wrangell sophomore Kai Wigg scored on a steal for 8-6 and Craig pulled to within one point for the last time as Arndt scored on an inbounds play for 8-7.
Wrangell would pull to a 15-9 lead after eight minutes and inch into a 22-13 lead midway through the second stanza on scores by sophomore Lucas Stearns, Powers and Gillen.
Craig stayed in the contest with an Arndt shot off glass and a shot past the arc by senior Adam Vickers to trail 22-18.
Wrangell would close the first half on a 15-2 run that included a final trio of baskets of steals by senior William Massin (one) and Stearns (two) all within 25 seconds that gave the Wolves a 37-20 lead at the break.
The Wolves pushed out to a 51-36 lead after three quarters and coasted to the win.
Powers led Wrangell with 23 points, Gillen added 12, Stearns 10, Meissner five, Ben Houser and Massin four apiece and Wigg three. The Wolves hit two shots past the arc, 21 closer in and were 10-18 from the line.
Bennett led Craig with 15 points, Arndt 11, Vickers 10, freshman Jack Conaster five and senior Aiden Goheen two. The Panthers made four 3-point shots, 11 closer in and hit 9-16 at the line.
“It feels really great,” Stearns said. “It means we are working our way towards the state tournament. Just defense and getting stops was important. Stopping them from getting set up in their offense.”
Wrangell advances to play top seed Petersburg at 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Craig plays an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Thursday against Metlakatla.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
