Hydaburg defends C Bracket title with 98-87 win over Hoonah
- Klas Stolpe
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
Community support highlights the team values as they champion family
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
It was a highlight reel of offensive and defensive action in Hydaburg’s 98-87 win over Hoonah in Saturday’s C bracket championship game at the 77th annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball tournament. Those plays gave the standing room only crowd a reason not to sit down but it was overshadowed by arguably the defining moment of the gathering.
As fans rushed the court, star player Ben Young met his 11-year-old son, Hiilangaay Christian Young, halfway and lifted him high into the spotlight. It would be higher than any team trophy, higher than any accolade this top player would earn. Their joy shone brighter than the gold medals and golden trophy to follow.
It showed the love, support and community that Hydaburg basketball is all about.
“For us, this is a family event,” Ben Young said. “And it is not just us coming here. It is about connections. Connections with our kids, our families, this is a reunion, right? I have heard that before. It makes it that much better that we can share it with our kids...It is about being here, being healthy and it is good competition. And we have connections with Hoonah, Kake and all over Southeast, and it is good competition but once we are off the court we are all family again. It just makes it that much better that we could share it with the blessings in our life.”
And Hiilangaay — which means Crack of Thunder in Haida — noted of his father winning the championship, “I like it, I like the Gold Medal…Being here is fun, hanging out with my dad and all my uncles, too.”
The game was great as well.
Hydaburg was seeking to avenge their Thursday 75-65 loss in the semifinals to Hoonah and defend their title won in 2025 (85-70 win over Metlakatla — Hydaburg had lost in the title game in 2024 to Hoonah 75-64). Hydaburg was reaching for their community’s 13th championship (7 B, 6 C).
Hoonah was looking to show their 75-65 win on Thursday was their stamp on a title as they strived for the community’s 30th championship (9 B, 8C, 4 masters, 4 AA, 3 A, 1 women’s).
“This means everything,” Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw said. He would tally 27 points in the championship and be named the bracket’s Most Valuable Player. “Last year we won and this is back-to-back so it means a lot. And this is just the cherry on top, it is good for the community. We love seeing so many young kids here. They look up to us and that is our future. It is good for our community and I am glad our kids are here. My advice to them is just to keep working, do everything you can to be the best you can…and know we love you no matter what.”
Hydaburg and Hoonah would play a tight first quarter with 2026 Hall of Fame inductee Devin Edenshaw hitting the first shot of the game from past the arc and Hoonah’s Joseph Coronell Jr. answering immediately on a layup at the other end.
A blocked shot by Hydaburg’s B. Young led to a Darren Edenshaw score, and Devin Edenshaw added a shot inside the arc and another outside the arc for an 11-4 lead as Hoonah’s Brian Koenig put in a rebound shot.
Hydaburg would lose their lead just once in the game. Leading 20-17 with two minutes to play in the first quarter, Hydaburg’s Devin Edenshaw scored on a drive and Darren Edenshaw scored on a rebound for a 24-17 lead.
Hoonah’s Travis Dybdahl, who had been double-teamed whenever possible throughout the game, found space and hit from outside the arc. Jon Torres rebounded a missed Hydaburg shot and outlet a pass to Anthony Lindoff for a score and Coronell Jr. hit from the arc for a 25-24 lead with 15 seconds left in the stanza.
Hydaburg’s TJ Young hit from the arc at the buzzer to regain the lead 27-25.
Hydaburg opened the second quarter on a 17-4 run behind five shots from the arc by TJ Young, Darren Edenshaw, TJ Young, Devin Edneshaw and Eric Hamilton. Devin Edenshaw added a pair of free throws.
Hoonah had baskets by Lindoff and Dybdahl in that run. Hoonah would begin a trip to the free throw line with Lindoff hitting two and Dybdahl four. They would close out the half with scores by Torres, Jordan Coronell, Lindoff from the arc and Dybdahl inside.
Hydaburg ended the half with scores by Hamilton (46-33), Darren Edenshaw past the arc (49-35), a free throw by Devin Edenshaw (50-37) and a score past the arc by Darren Edenshaw as the buzzer sounded for 53-44 at the half.
“We are all player-coaches,” Hydaburg’s Tony Peele said. “We all just do our part. This is a culture so we try and include everyone, all the way down the ages and even up to 60, 50 and in our 40s we are still acting competitive and having good sportsmanship, representing our community pride. So having our kids here, mixed with the elders and bringing our culture and generational wealth here to cheer for us, to have that sense of pride and to bring home something to our community is wonderful.”
Peele noted that Thursday’s game was “rough-tumble and we got sloppy. We didn’t push the ball as hard as we could have. They have a really good drop-back defense. They keep the backcourt really well protected so tonight we had to keep pushing the ball. So I went smaller with the lineup, kept the quicker guys out there and did not stop pushing it because eventually their guys would get tired. And that is what happened, their legs just went a little bit, just enough. You see how young our guys are, most are in their early 40s and some younger guys coming up so I think a three-peat is a big possibility for this team.”
The second half began to wear on Hoonah but not before they made a huge run and with under three minutes left in the third quarter trailed 69-61. J. Coronell hit two shots in a row to trail 69-65. A free throw by Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw pushed the lead to 70-65.
With 42 seconds left in the third quarter, No. 42 Travis Dybdahl pulled Hoonah to 70-68 as he drained a shot past the arc. That score as answered by Hydaburg’s TJ Young on a fast break to end the stanza 72-68.
Hydaburg opened the fourth quarter with a 10-4 run for an 82-72 lead. Both teams relied on their top scorers down the stretch.
Hoonah closed to within four points at 84-80 with five minutes left and to 86-83 with four minutes remaining but Hydaburg pushed back out to a 91-83 lead with two minutes left to play. Hydaburg would close the game outscoring Hoonah seven to four as both sides continued to exchange hard drives and tough defense until the buzzer sounded for the final time.
“Seeing all those kids, that is kind of what we do it for,” Hydaburg’s Joe Young said. “When we grew up we saw the same thing and it kind of made us want to be better. The older players would tell us, you guys are going to be here pretty soon, in a few years. So they would kind of make sure that we were playing hard because you have to play at a high level to win at a high level. Just seeing all the families and having the kids play in their own little tournament, we didn’t have a little kids tournament, we just came and visited in the crowd. But these kids get to play and have their own tournament and get to play with each other at a young age.”
The Hoop Rats Spring Jam has been running in conjunction with the Gold Medal Tournament in recent years at local middle school and auxiliary gyms, and teams from Hoonah, Hydaburg, Haines Sitka, Metlaktala, Wrangell, Yakutat and Juneau, among others, participated in boys and girls action.
“It is awesome to see all these kids here supporting us,” J. Young said among the throngs of community members that spilled onto the court. “Because we are going to be supporting them in four, five or six short years. My boy (Asanggadaa) is in eighth grade now so he will be here in five years and be able to play in the Gold Medal Tournament.”
In addition to Darren Edenshaw’s 27 points, Devin Edenshaw added 21 and TJ Young added 20. Hoonah was led by 30 points from Travis Dybdahl.
The Hydaburg roster included Sid Edenshaw, Derick Edenshaw and Joe Sanderson and Hoonah’s included Donald Dybdahl, Lucas Johnson and DJ Lindstrom.
The C bracket All-Tournament team was Derek Knudsen (Kake), Travis Dybdahl (Hoonah), Devin Edenshaw (Hydaburg), Adam Johnson (Yakutat), Rudy Bean (Kake), Joseph Coronell (Hoonah), TJ Young (Hydaburg) and Mace Hayward (Metlakatla). Most Valuable Player: Darren Edenshaw (Hydaburg).
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
C Bracket Championship - Hydaburg 98 (4-1), Hoonah 87 (3-1)
Hydaburg 27 26 19 26 — 98
Hoonah 25 19 24 19 — 87
Hydaburg — Darren Edenshaw 27, Devin Edenshaw 21, TJ Young 20, Joe Young 13, Ben Young 9, Eric Hamilton 8. 16 2PT / 18 3PT / 12-21 FT / 11 fouls - Devin Edenshaw 3, B. Young 3.
Hoonah — Travis Dybdahl 30, Joseph Coronell Jr. 17, Jordan Coronell 16, Anthony Lindoff 13, Brian Koenig 4, Jon Torres 4, Lucas Johnson 3. 24 2PT / 10 3PT / 9-10 FT / 12 fouls - J. Coronell 4, T. Dybdahl 4.
