Yakutat wins Icebreaker girls, boys Silver brackets
- Klas Stolpe
- 18 hours ago
- 8 min read
Lady Eagles and Eagles defeat host Thunder Mountain Middle School
Against all odds…small but dangerous…fundamentally sound…never give up…feisty…the Yakutat Lady Eagles middle school basketball team brought the game back to their hoopster roots as they defeated the Thunder Mountain Lady Falcons 30-24 on Sunday in the TMMS Icebreaker Invitational Basketball Tournament, and the Yakutat Eagles toppled the TMMS Falcons in the boys Silver Bracket title game, 36-28.
“It is exciting,” Yakutat Lady Eagles fifth grader Talia Johnson said. “We are going to be good basketball players, maybe a high school state championship.”
Johnson had the game’s first steal and dribbled full court through defenders to make a pass to sixth grader Gracie Johnson, who scored to pull Yakutat to within a point, 3-2, in the opening minutes of action.
Thunder Mountain eighth grader Fine Aliki had scored the game's first basket and was fouled, making the extra free throw for the initial 3-0 lead, and the Lady Falcons had set up in a full-court press.
Both teams would use the high-pressure defense across and up and down the length of the TMMS gymnasium.
Yakutat fifth grader Brooklyn Jensen would earn a free throw and then pressure away a steal to feed Johnson for a basket and a 6-3 advantage.
TMMS seventh grader Harper Carriker scored inside to pull TM within 6-5, then added a free throw to tie the score. With four minutes left in the first half, Lady Falcons’ seventh grader Alee Bohulano scored to tie the game at 8-8.
Both sides increased the pressure, stifling their opponent until Bohulano took an inbounds pass deep on the side and put in a bank shot past the arc for a TMMS 11-8 lead as the first half ended.
TMMS’ Bohulano would open the second half with a steal for a 13-11 lead just seconds into action.
Yakutat struck back with their press earning a free throw by T. Johnson, a basket by seventh grader Ellaina Johnson, another by T. Johnson, one from sixth grader Trinity Ross and then B. Jensen hit from deep and was fouled for a 19-13 advantage. The extra free throw would not go in, but Jensen followed for rebound possession and pulled the ball out to work time off the clock.
“I like making sure that everyone can get a shot up,” B. Jensen said. “They were tall, but we played defense and did not stop.”
TMMS’ Bohulano would score seven straight points, including another backboard shot from distance, for a 20-19 lead with seven minutes remaining.
Yakutat’s T. Johnson hit from distance for a 22-20 Lady Eagles lead, E. Johnson scored for 24-20 and eighth grader Avery Jensen made it 26-20.
“My mindset is, like, making sure I see the court,” E. Johnson said. “Making sure everyone gets the ball, making sure that everyone has a chance to get the shot.”
Two free throws by TMMS’ Carriker closed the Lady Falcons to 26-24, but Yakutat’s pressure kept the host team off the scoreboard.
The TMMS pressure put Yakutat on the free-throw line down the stretch, and the Lady Eagles’ E. Johnson and T. Johnson both hit a pair of free throws for the final 30-24 score.
“It is just exciting,” E. Johnson said. “It is just very calming to play with my teammates, to know that everyone has your back, like you are never alone.”
Yakutat, once a power on the state high school level, has struggled to field both a girls’ and boys’ program due to population fluctuations and eighth graders are allowed to play up. This season A. Jensen will play for the high school’s coed squad.
“This win means a lot because it is my last year in middle school and I am kind of sad,” A. Jensen said. “My advice to young players is just play hard and do your best in the game.”
Yakutat’s Ellaina Johnson and TMMS’ Alee Bohulano and Ngai Kivalu and cheerleader Karli Morris were selected for Icebreaker MVP awards. Yakutat’s Talia Johnson and Brooklyn Jensen, and TMMS’ Minali Reid and cheerleader Lucy Burke were selected to the Icebreaker All-Tournament Team.
All players on both teams were crucial to morale. Yakutat included G. Johnson, T. Johnson, E. Johnson, T. Ross, A. Jensen, B. Jensen, Kenzie Ross and Audrina Knutsen. TMMS included H. Carriker, A. Bohulano, F. Aliki, Kaneisi Talamai, Minali Reid, Coralynn Nelson, Aurora Sutherland, Chloe Haube, Cisca Seludo, Ngai Kivalu and Khaleesi Woodbury.
In the boys Silver Bracket championship game, the Yakutat Eagles and TMMS Falcons White-C team played another nailbiter with Yakutat coming out on top 36-28.
TMMS jumped out to an early 6-0 lead behind baskets by Gavin Ribao and Roman Tyler and free throws from Liam Batac.
Yakutat seventh grader Shea Jackson sandwiched two scores around baskets by TMMS’ Batac and a rebound score by TMMS’ Tyler to keep the Eagles in the game trailing 10-4.
With under seven minutes remaining in the half, Yakutat would get a basket by George Converse and TMMS answered with a basket by Ethan Estigoy to lead 12-6. Yakutat would get two scores from Ethan Schumacher and a free throw by Jackson to trail 12-11 going into halftime.
“We have always been kind of the underdog,” eighth grader Converse said. “It really means a lot to me to actually be winning games now. I have been going to this tournament since sixth grade.”
Yakutat opened the second half with a score by Converse for a 13-12 lead and was answered by TMMS’ Batac to go up 14-13. Yakutat’s Converse stole the ball and scored and Carson Woodbury added a score for a 17-14 lead.
TMMS answered with another Batac score, an inbounds play score by Aaron Burke and a rebound score by Tyler for a 20-17 lead. Yakutat’s Jackson would dribble through full-court defense to pull to 20-19, but TMMS answered with an inbounds play score by Tyler for 22-19.
“It feels great coming here and winning,” Jackson said. “The hardest part of this game was their defense… My mindset was just to try and get past them and find my teammates.”
Yakutat would score the next 11 points on a basket by Jackson, an assist by Jackson to Schumacher, a rebound by Converse and a score by Woodbury, a rebound by Tyas Jackson who fed S. Jackson for a free throw, a rebound by Noah Cavanaugh and an outlet pass to S. Jackson for a basket and a drive by S. Jackson for a 30-22 lead with four minutes remaining.
“Being left-handed makes me a better rebounder and shooter for some reason,” T. Jackson said. “I am the funny one on the team, my teammates laugh at the stuff I do and it keeps us up.”
TMMS made a run with two scores by Estigoy and Batac to pull to 30-26 with 3:20 remaining and then Tyler battled for another score to pull to 30-28 with 1:19 left.
Yakutat’s Converse banked in a bucket for a 32-28 lead with 40 seconds left and TMMS was forced to foul. Yakutat’s Jackson hit four free throws down the stretch for the 36-28 win.
Yakutat’s Shea Jackson was selected for an Icebreaker MVP award. Yakutat’s George Converse and TMMS’ Gavin Ribao were selected to the Icebreaker All-Tournament Team.
Yakutat’s Converse will play for the Yakutat high school coed team this season.
“I am very excited for high school ball,” Converse said. “I think it is going to be funner basketball, faster paced and harder work.”
Players for both teams included Yakutat’s S. Jackson, G. Converse, E. Schumacher, Noah Cavanaugh, Tyas Jackson and C. Woodbury; and TMMS’ G. Ribao, Liam Batac, Martin Stepetin, Raiden Johnson-Katzeek, Ethan Estigoy, Roman Tyler, Shaunde Ahshapanek, William Olmstead, Leo Colindres and Aaron Burke.
The complete tournament Icebreaker MVP Awards went to Ivy Elliott - Haines; Lila Tarleton - Haines; Kennedy Wilson - Angoon; Alee Bohulano - Juneau; Ngai Kivalu - Juneau; Juliana Acebo - Whitehorse; Addison Smith - Hoonah; Ellaina Johnson - Yakutat; Parker Baumgartner - Haines; Nathan Sweet - Haines; Zian Cabudol-Manuel - Sitka; Jace Wolfe - Sitka; Connor Kookesh - Angoon; Thane Ligsay - Juneau; Marquis Lim - Juneau; Gavin Ribao - Juneau; Landon Lane - Hoonah; Shea Jackson - Yakutat; Karli Morris - Juneau cheer.
The complete Icebreaker All-Tournament Team selections were Brinley Ganey - Haines; SuniMaRae Duncan - Angoon; Minali Reid - Juneau; Ellie Macht - Whitehorse; Trissa Shepard - Hoonah; Talia Johnson - Yakutat; Brooklyn Jensen - Yakutat; Parker Baumgartner - Haines; Garrett Johnson - Sitka; Fredrick Washington - Angoon; Colin Daniels - Juneau; Devlyn Smith - Hoonah; George Converse - Yakutat; Lucy Burke - Juneau cheer.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
Additional photos from the TMMS Icebreaker Invitational Basketball Tournament
(Klas Stople / Juneau Independent)
