Wrangell’s Thunderbirds basketball team had a rough week at the 69th annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament.
The yearly tournament is an invitational event, largely using High School Federation Basketball rules. Second-place winners last year, Wrangell’s team received its invitation in January.
Wrangell won its first game March 15, beating Angoon in a close match 69 to 68. The game was a rematch of last year’s B Bracket championship game, only this time Wrangell came out on top.
“It was kind of a little payback,” said Cody Angerman, one of Wrangell’s players.
The next day the team lost to Metlakatla’s Sons of Tradition in another close match, 73 to 77. Though Wrangell held the lead at the half, Metlakatla came back in the third period, and its defense rebuffed the Thunderbirds’ attempts to close the gap. The Sons went on to take second in the tournament, after Hydaburg.
With its place in the tournament on the line, the Thunderbirds played against Kake on March 18. Like the others it was a close game, with Kake leading Wrangell 85 to 84 by the final minute. A desperate drive at the end failed to close the gap, ending Wrangell’s week in Juneau.
“It was a rough tournament for us,” commented Tony Harding, a player and the team’s manager. Last year the Thunderbirds took second place at the tournament, and they finished in the top half of their bracket the year before that.
This time around, Harding felt the team’s chemistry was off, and several players were suffering from colds last week.
“There were some individuals that played well,” he added, but overall there was something missing from their game. “We didn’t do as well as we’d liked.”
“There were a couple of things we just needed to work on,” Angerman agreed. “The most important thing for us is trying to win.”
This year’s team included Harding, Spencer Stavee, Angerman, Graham Gablehouse, Dustin Johnson, Kevin Young, Archie Young, Kurt Young, Mitch Mork, and Cole Appleman. Jason Clark was unable to make the tournament, accompanying Wrangell High School’s basketball to State in Anchorage as the assistant coach.
While many of the teammates have grown up playing together, Harding suggested having a coach might help them in future, someone designated to make decisions and take the initiative.
“That’s a big thing for us too, is we haven’t had a coach really,” Angerman added. However, he was upbeat about the team’s chances next year.
“I’m always proud of our team and our guys. For us it’s about getting everybody in one place,” he said. “That’s an accomplishment in itself.”
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