Boys defeat Petersburg in battle for second place, win spot at state

In four days of tough battles on the hardwood, including an overtime win in the third round, the Wrangell High School boys basketball team took second place in the Southeast regional championships last Saturday in Juneau and a berth at the state tournament

The boys and girls varsity teams, along with the cheer and pep squads, traveled to the capital city to vie for a chance to compete for the state championship in Anchorage.

Like the boys team, the cheer squad took second place to qualify for state.

Boys varsity

The boys began their bid for the Southeast championship against the Petersburg Vikings, a team the Wolves have only beaten once in their previous four matchups. The two teams, though different in size and strategies, are equally matched, and the game last Wednesday in the Thunder Mountain High School gym showed just that.

Where Petersburg had a size advantage with Kyle Biggers and Jack Engell and the shooting power of Rik Cumps, Wrangell had the speed of Devlyn Campbell and Daniel Harrison and the shooting strength of Ethan Blatchley, Jacen Hay and Kyan Stead.

The Wolves led in the first period and the Vikings in the second, but Wrangell retook the lead in the third period. And just like all their games this season, the two teams stayed neck-and-neck until the final few seconds. Petersburg won, 32-21, sending Wrangell to the consolation round.

The next day, the Wolves took on the Craig Panthers. As Craig began to surge ahead with baskets, Wrangell wasted no time in catching up. They ended the first half tied at 21. In the third period, Wrangell turned on the three-point spigot and drained shot after shot. Harrison and Hay were dropping baskets from downtown to give the Wolves a 14-point lead at the end of the third period.

The team didn't let up in the fourth, and Wrangell won 68-41, sending them to play against Haines on Friday to continue their run to second place.

It was another tight game on Friday, with both teams staying tied or within one point of the other. Near the end of the fourth period, Harrison was fouled and given two free-throw attempts. Had he gotten those, the Wolves would have won. He missed, and the game was tied at 42, sending it into overtime.

Wrangell added 15 points in overtime, about double Haines, and won 57-50, advancing to Saturday's game.

Saturday was the Wolves' last chance to secure a trip to state, but they had to get through the wall of Vikings. Wrangell put the first points on the board in the first period and it was almost halfway through the period before Petersburg put any points on the board.

Both teams kept up a strong defense, but where Wrangell was landing shots, Petersburg was having trouble.

Wrangell led 18-13 at halftime. In the third period, a series of fouls by Wrangell allowed Petersburg to close the gap, eventually tying and then taking the lead by one point. But Campbell took it right back with a drive and a two-point basket in the paint.

Between the cheers and all the bands playing at the same time during timeouts, there was hardly a quiet moment in the gym.

The third period ended 32-30, Wrangell.

Thirty seconds into the fourth quarter, Petersburg took the lead again. It wasn't long until Wrangell surged ahead and started widening the gap. As the clock wound down, the Vikings began fouling the Wolves repeatedly, which only helped Wrangell retain their scant lead with free throws.

A few seconds remained and Petersburg had possession but couldn't catch up and Wrangell won the game and second-place seed, 45-41.

Metlakatla took first place in the regional tournament.

"Obviously, it feels good. We've been in the same situation five years in a row, so to come out on top feels amazing," said head coach Cody Angerman, who spoke with a hoarse voice that came from exuberant coaching for four days. "I'm excited for the kids. To get a shot up there (in Anchorage) that's all we asked for. We played the best we could this tournament and that's what we worked for all this year."

The state Division 2A tournament starts Thursday morning at the Alaska Airlines Center on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus and runs through Saturday's championship game. Wrangell will face No. 3-ranked Tikigaq at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. Petersburg was picked in a wild card draw and will also compete at state.

Girls varsity

The girls started strong at regionals last Wednesday, defeating Petersburg 50-10, with Kiara Harrison, Christina Johnson, Kayla Meissner and others sinking three-point shots throughout the game.

It was a different situation as the Lady Wolves took on the Metlakatla Miss Chiefs on Thursday. Metlakatla took an early lead and never let go. Wrangell didn't make it easy on them, however, and came on as aggressively as possible. A tie late in the fourth quarter gave the Lady Wolves a shot at besting the Miss Chiefs, but Metlakatla was able to score just one more basket than Wrangell, winning 49-47.

Metlakatla went on to win the tournament.

The Lady Wolves still had a chance to get the second-place slot when they faced the Haines Glacier Bears on Friday. At first, it looked like it was going to be Wrangell's game. Both teams put up a strong defense, while keeping the fouls to a minimum. Haines used its speed but had trouble landing baskets.

By the end of the first half, Wrangell led Haines 20-10 and kept the lead throughout the third quarter. Coordination, solid passing and getting into the net helped Wrangell maintain a solid lead. The fourth quarter was the game changer. Haines took advantage of free throws and three-pointers to gain on Wrangell, eventually tying the game at 41 points and sending it into overtime.

Haines outscored Wrangell by just enough in overtime to win, 47-45, ending the Lady Wolves' hopes for a trip to state.

Cheer squad

The Wrangell cheer squad almost wasn't able to go to regionals until last-minute fundraising made it possible. Coach Stephanie Cartwright said the win was a complete surprise.

"We didn't expect to place," she said. "We knew Petersburg would take first. They were amazing this year! So, we were all shocked when they called Wrangell for second place."

Along with winning a place in the state competition, cheer squad members Brodie Gardner and Alisha Armstrong were selected for all-tournament honors, 16 cheerleaders picked by all cheer coaches in Southeast. "It is usually the best of the best, most spirited girls or guys who know the fundamentals of cheer and are great team leaders," Cartwright said.

Wrangell's squad will continue to work on their routines for state, using corrections given to them by the Southeast judges.

Cartwright said the squad has a lot of fundraising to do before they head to state next Monday for Tuesday's competition at the Alaska Airlines Center on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus.

Fundraisers will include four small cheer day camps, which includes sideline cheer and dance, tumbling, stunting and a dance clinic. There are also plans for a spring carnival and a bake sale, all of which Cartwright said are being planned by a parent group.