Teams from around the Bristol Bay region headed to Anchorage for the 1A Basketball State Championship tournaments last weekend.
The King Cove T-Jacks won the boys’ championship, outscoring challenger and last year’s champion, Kake. The T-Jacks were undefeated this year.
The Koliganek Huskies also competed in the boys’ State Championship tournament last week but did not advance beyond Thursday’s consolation game.
For the girls’ championship, the Newhalen Malamutes placed second behind Fort Yukon. The Malamutes were 2022’s champions and showed their skills on the court throughout this season, winning all but two of their games. The Malamutes also competed in more games than any other team in the Girls 1A Aleutian Chain Conference, a total of 33.
Finally, the Bristol Bay Lady Angels finished strong at their first 1A State Championship. After losing to Shaktoolik in the quarter-final game, the Lady Angels went on to win their consolation game against Napaaqtugmiut by one point. They placed sixth in the tournament overall, after losing to Buckland.
Several athletes from around the region made the All-Tournament Team, including King Cove’s Jager-Sean Brandell and Thomas Mack, Newhalen’s Ida Lester and Dannika Wassillie, and Bristol Bay Borough’s Olivia Harvilla.
Beyond the State Championships, athletes from around the region made the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches' All-State team. Check out the full list of All-State players below. King Cove's Jager-Sean Brandell was named the 1A boys' Player of the Year and King Cove's coach, Ken Barbour, was named 1A boys' Coach of the Year by this association.
Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches All-State team:
1A Boys
First team:
Jager-Sean Brandell, King Cove
Second team:
Thomas Mack, King Cove
Jethron Nanalook, Manoktoak
Rowdy Tripp, Sand Point
Third team:
Michael Gould, King Cove
Keilan Wassillie, Bristol Bay
1A Girls
First team:
Ida Lester, Newhalen
Second team:
Olivia Harvilla, Bristol Bay
Arianna Wilson, Sand Point
Third team:
Kelisha Gloko, Manoktoak
Analeigh Wassillie, Newhalen
Dannika Wassillie, Newhalen
Update: This article was updated with the full list of All-State players from around the region, as well as the 1A boys' Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awardees, on 3/27/24.
Correction: The article was later corrected to specify that the All-State team, and the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards are given by the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches, not the Alaska School Activities Association.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
