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Seniors honored with throwback jerseys
- Klas Stolpe
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Juneau-Douglas Falcons a classy way for Crimson Bears to celebrate teammates
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
In a nod to the last of the former Thunder Mountain High School baseball team, the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears honored their graduating teammates with a tip of the hat, so to speak.
For Saturday’s senior appreciation games the Crimson Bears baseball team wore JD baseball hats colored blue and black, and the recognizable blue Falcons name outlined in silver on black jerseys. Four of the team’s eight seniors had attended the now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School and the 2026 JDHS team, in true Esprit de Corps, voted unanimously for the throwback fashions.
“I thought it was cool and I appreciated that they acknowledged that some of us came from TM before the schools merged,” JDHS senior Christopher Andersen said. He last wore the TMHS uniform in 2024, the school's final year.
“We brought up the idea, but would only do it if there was a consensus,” JDHS coach Luke Adams said before Saturday’s first pitch. “We had an idea to show respect to those TM families, these players that started at TM and their brothers that played in the program and those coaches. This group came together and all these seniors wanted to show that respect to the boys that played at TM…it has just been really cool to see that come together. They are a special group of kids that are making good connections for life. But really it is overcoming those adversities that everybody at that time thought was a big deal, but these kids put those things aside and now they are just playing baseball. We are happy to be a part of it as coaches. If the kids didn’t take the reins on this and go with it then it would not have happened. It is a good moment, but at the same time the kids know it is time to play baseball.”
Andersen and classmates Ryland Carlson, and brothers Madden Mendoza and Marcus Mendoza played for TMHS and Falcons coach Joe Tompkins as freshmen and sophomores. They joined classmates Cayman Huff, Tyler Kookesh, and brothers Nathan and Riley Fick as juniors and now into senior year.
“I am very happy to see the boys given a good sendoff because they played two years for each school,” former TMHS coach Tompkins said. “That was a respectable way to close a chapter being the last boys from Thunder Mountain. Hats off to Luke and his staff, but also from their teammates who agreed to wear the colors for one game for their teammates — just my guess, but I am sure Luke gave them the choice. I have watched the JD boys all through Little League into high school. Good, respectful young men.”
Of his former TM players, Tompkins said, “Carlson, my nephew, lived at my house for four years and I got to coach him. He always hustles and listens to coaches. I have known the Mendoza twins since their first week of birth! Good young men. Andersen, last but not least, a good young man who was always trying to beat his older brother, and has good competitive attitude and he works hard.”
Tompkins, coaches Juneau’s Auke Bay Post 25 American Legion team along with manager Jeremy Ludeman, also noted that Tyler Kookesh and brothers Nate and Riley Fick were, “competitors and good athletes with good attitudes that like to compete and play with heart.”
“And Cayman Huff. I have a lot to say about this young man,” Tompkins said. “One of the best teammates I have ever seen. Always there to help the team whether on the field or traveling or just helping a teammate who is struggling. I had the pleasure of getting to know him last summer during legion. I saw it when we were on the other side of the field too. I will get to meet the Ficks and Kookesh this summer for Legion. Looking forward to it after they show the state tournament what they all can do. Good luck to JDHS and the team!”
All eight seniors were joined on the field by family and friends.
The blue-and-black-themed uniforms were worn in Saturday’s doubleheader against an opponent that both TMHS and JDHS had faced countless times, the Sitka Wolves.
JDHS won the pre-ceremony game 5-3 and Sitka took the post-ceremony game 15-2.
In the JDHS win (the second in two days - defeated Sitka 5-4 on Friday), Marcus Mendoza pitched the complete seven-inning game, allowed just two hits and three runs, walked five batters and struck out two. Sophomore Micah Nelson and junior Hunter Carte had two runs batted in apiece. Nelson, Madden Mendoza and Carte had one hit each. R. Fick, freshman Myles Pasion, Marcus Mendoza, Kookesh and Madden Mendoza scored one run each.
Sitka senior Brett Ross (3.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 6 BB, 3 SO) and freshman Fisher Steinson (2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) shared the Wolves’ mound. Junior Brian Campbell led with two RBI and two hits. Steinson, Campbell and sophomore Olen Weathers scored one run each.
In the JDHS loss, the two teams were tied 1-1 after one inning and Sitka scored four runs in the third inning to hold a 5-1 lead until JDHS scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sitka scored 10 runs in the top of the seventh and JDHS stranded a runner in the bottom half.
JDHS’ Huff (2.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB), junior Drew Cadigan-McAdoo (3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB), freshman Henry Maier (4 H, 5 R) and R. Fick (1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 SO) shared the mound. N. Fick, Kookesh and R. Fick had hits. N. Fick and Kookesh scored the lone runs.
Sitka senior pitcher Caleb Calhoun (7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 6 BB, 14 SO) earned the win. Weathers led with four RBI and junior Josh Partido three. Calhoun, junior Jude Gluth, Weathers and Campbell led with three hits each. Calhoun and Weathers led with three runs scored each.
JDHS plays at Ketchikan next weekend and will host the Region V tournament on May 28-30.
JDHS is 4-2 in the Southeast Conference (7-2 overall), Sitka is 3-6 in the SEC (6-8-1 overall) and Ketchikan is 2-1 SEC (5-6 overall). The Region V tournament winner earns the conference’s single berth to the state championships. The eight-team Cook Inlet Conference gets three berths, the four-team Railbelt Conference two berths and the three-team Mid-Alaska Conference one berth. One at-large bid is chosen from across the state after conference tournaments are settled.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
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