The King Cove T-Jacks beat out the Kake Thunderbirds by just 8 points at the boys’ 1A basketball state final earlier this month. The victory came after a season of wins – the T-Jacks led by at least 20 points in all but one of their regular season games and continued to play well at the state tournament, defeating Aniak, Lumen Christi and Scammon Bay earlier in the tournament.
But King Cove senior Jager-Sean Brandell said the championship game brought a special kind of energy.
“It felt unreal. There were so many people there and the lights were super bright,” Brandell said.
Brandell was the T-Jacks’ top-scorer this year, averaging about 25 points per game, and was named the boys’ 1A player of the year by the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches.
Although he suffered an injury during the semi-final game, Coach Kenneth Barbour said Brandell still scored at a vital time in the championship.
Barbour said that other athletes stepped up through the final.
“It was a defensive battle this time, the championship game,” he said. “We knew we could beat them if we played really good defense and you know, that’s what we did.”
Senior Ashten Gould was key to the team’s defense strategy both in the game and throughout the season, Barbour said.
“I’ve coached for 35 years and run this defense a lot and I’ve never had anybody run it like him,” Barbour said.
Barbour said that all through the season the team aimed for a state title. He said they trained frequently – first in official practices and then often after practice at the city gym.
Seniors Jager-Sean Brandell and Ashten Gould said that on and off the court the team is tight-knit, spending time playing and hanging out together. Gould said team members trust each other that everyone knows how to shoot.
“You can’t win a championship with just two people,” he said.
When asked about advice for younger athletes, Gould said to keep at it.
“You just have got to work hard. Make sure you don’t give up on what you’re trying to do. It will be a struggle sometimes,” he said.
For Coach Barbour, this team feels special. He said he plans to retire soon, and winning the state final feels like a movie ending. While he said the win is validating, what is more important for him is the morals he’s tried to impart from his coaching.
“As I get older and want to leave a legacy behind, it’s not the championship that’s the legacy. The legacy is my players, my former players, remembering some of the life lessons that could be learned from it,” he said.
Barbour was the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches’ boys’ 1A coach of the year.
King Cove celebrated the T-Jacks’ victory with a community event on Wednesday evening.
Correction: The T-Jacks beat Aniak, not Akiak, at the state tournament.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
