Saturday senior night shelters hoop fans from the snow
- Klas Stolpe
- 3 minutes ago
- 7 min read
The expected, the unexpected and a few things in between final JDHS home basketball games
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
Ah sports! The expected and the unexpected.
With two minutes and 14 seconds left in the final quarter of the final regular season basketball game the JDHS Crimson Bears boys ran a play that put senior Tyler Williams in the corner near his home bench.
Williams, a 5’10” forward on the C team, had never played a varsity minute before that night.
But sports! Oh man. Sports.
The ball must have felt like hot lava fire because Williams barely touched it before tossing it towards the rim.
Fans could count the ball’s revolutions as it ever so slowly searched for a soft landing spot. And it found one.
The nylon strands of the basket tucked it softly, held it briefly, and let it drop to the court as the entire bench exploded skyward with exultations. The cheers, the pep band, the dance team and student body, the entire crowd… maybe even a Tri-Valley fan or two - were euphoric.
“It feels great,” Williams said. “My last game. My first varsity point. It felt so good being out there with those guys. It feels like a family, it has been a good journey. They were so happy for me, it makes me really happy and excited.”
The expected starting seniors and starting junior willingly gave up the tip off and shared the court equally the whole evening across the entire roster.
And yes, Williams may have struggled a bit throughout. But the team had his back. They all played and shot and rebounded and defended.
Each time Williams put a shot into the air the entire crowd was fixed to the flight of the ball, but they would sigh in despair, not scream in delight.
The game went as expected.
The tip-off saw bench seniors Williams, Christian Rielly, Ryland Carlson, Veron Brewer and sixth man Noah Ault on the floor. It was a night of substitutions, full of smiles. The JDHS boys held a 21-9 lead after eight minutes.
Junior Logan Carriker hit a three point shot as the first half was ending for a 40-15 lead. That ballooned to 51-29 after three quarters and 66-43 at the end. JDHS hit seven shots past the arc in the game. Six taken were expected to go in. One taken was not. it was the last of the game but the first for a player.
The final score was expected. The final points of the night were not.
“It was pretty cool,” senior standout Elias Dybdahl said of Williams ending the game from the arc. “He played on C team but we brought him up for senior night and we have never done that. But it was really cool to see him go there and play with us and hit that… The whole night was good. I thought I would have gotten a little emotional but I didn’t, I held it in. Just all the support from the crowd and everything really helped us today, it being our senior night and everything and everyone cheering us on.”
Senior Joren Gasga led JDHS with 15 points, senior Kurt Kupper 10, Carriker seven, Ault and Rielly six apiece, Brewer and junior Hunter Carte five apiece, seniors Dybdahl and Brandon Casperson four apiece, Williams three and freshman Zachary Polasky one. The Crimson Bears were 3-9 from the line and totaled 28 field goals, 21 inside the arc.
Isaiah Mayo led Tri-Valley with 14 points, Owen Jusczak 13, Henry Miner and Miciah Graham eight apiece. The Warriors hit three shots past the arc, 15 closer in and went 4-11 from the line.
The first game of the evening held no surprises as the JDHS girls defeated Tri-Valley 53-27.
It was expected the team would send their three starting seniors out in style and that began with tye-dyed shooting shirts.
Then JDHS junior Layla Tokuoka honored her teammates in the best way she knew how - displaying an homage to the graduating class in a first quarter display of basketball artistry.
Tokuoka opened the game with a shot past the arc - just like senior Gwen Nizich does… then drove through traffic to score - just like senior Cambry Lockhart does… Tokuoka then rebounded a missed shot to score - like senior Raynona Fraker does… blocked a shot, grabbed a rebound, was fouled and hit both free throws - pretty much like the seniors do.
Tokuoka scored the games first nine points, then grabbed a rebound that led to Lockhart making two free throws, then assisted on a Lockhart jumper, then had a steal and scored her 11th point, and then wrestled away a loose ball that resulted in Lockhart hitting from the arc. Nizich would steal and score for a 21-1 first quarter lead.
“Tonight meant a lot, not only just because it’s the last normal home game of the season but the fact it was the last with Gwen, Cambry and Raynona,” Tokuoka said. “Gwen and Cambry have been the people I have played the most with growing up, ever since my first day of basketball at hooptime. I have always looked up to them so much and they have always been there on and off the court. It is just so cool to see them as they grow throughout the years and become the people they are today. Tonight meant a lot to me and I am so fortunate to have played the way I did to make this night special for them. I believe that when I have a good attitude during a game it really picks the team up and we play the best like I know we can. Today seemed that we started off strong which is so amazing and how it needs to be from now on going into the next games! I know Cambry is always so focused on helping the team and I knew tonight was important for me to make their night special and to just play the game of basketball.”
JDHS would lead 33-13 at the half and 42-21 after three quarters. With 28 seconds left in the game, and the score in favor of JDHS 53-27, with nothing on the line, Tokuoka gave up her body to take a charging foul from a Tri-Valley player.
In a pure love-of-the-game basketball moment, Tokuoka set her feet solidly, squared in perfect defensive position and let the impact dictate the referee’s whistle - like any of her senior teammates would.
Nizich led JDHS with 16 points, C. Lockhart and Tokuoka 12 apiece, sophomores Freyja Shelton-Walker and Athena Warr four apiece, Fraker and sophomore Lydia Goins two and freshman Blythe Lockhart one. The Crimson Bears hit five shots past the arc, 15 closer in and were 8-12 at the line
Sierra Bohanan led Tri-Valley with 10 points, Lydia Miner eight, Iris Wappel seven and Faith Mudge two. The Lady Warriors had one shot past the arc, 10 closer in and were 4-8 at the line.
As expected the JDHS pep band were enthusiastic throughout. And when the night ended, each senior gathered in the band room, put paint on their palms, said their name and pep band years, stated ‘I am signing out’ and left their hand print on a poster.
“It means the world to me,” senior drummer Rowen Barr said. “You are up there on the balcony and you feel like a God, man. It is awesome! I broke four sticks within the last two nights during my two favorite pieces, Corazon and Zoot Suit. I just love being up there playing with everybody. Kind of sad to go but, I mean, if they are ever down a drummer and need me to come back I am still going to be in Juneau. But yeah, it means everything to me, the best way I can spend my time, honestly.”
As expected the dance team was electric with a Pom and a Hip Hop performance Saturday evening.
“Hip hop,” JDHS dance senior Yetke Mertl said of her favorite dance of the weekend. “I think the crowd really loved it, making it a really enjoyable and memorable last basketball performance.”
And as expected, the JDHS cheer team were on from opening tip to closing buzzer.
“6,7,” JDHS senior Hadley Bex said when asked what her favorite fun memory of the weekend was.
The ‘6,7’ or ‘6-7’ is a TikTok viral craze, a meaningless Gen Alpha slang trend that became popular in 2025, originating from the 2024 drill rap song “Door Door (6 7)” by Skrilla. Hugely popular but essentially meaningless, its meme became so popular it was named 2025 Word of the Year by Dictionary.com. It is sometimes accompanied by a hand gesture.
It so happens that both the girls and boys teams won on Friday with a 67 as their score.
“The team that scored 67 on senior night that united the whole gym,” Bex said. “My favorite memory. The whole gym united with 6,7, even parents were doing it!”
Sometimes sports do the unexpected.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
