Juneau-Douglas began its second straight baseball season with a new manager calling the shots, and the defending 4A state champion Crimson Bears would love to see a similar end result.

JDHS is back with a brand-new look for the 2011 season after losing eight starters, and the Crimson Bears have turned the page on the undefeated in-state title run from 2010.

Gone is 2010 Gatorade Alaska Baseball Player of the Year Dylan Baker and teammate Aaron Cohen, who helped power the 2010 team to a record 37 home runs in 24 regular season games. Baker also was the Bears’ ace on the hill.

Juneau-Douglas returns a balanced and deep track and field team looking to improve on last year’s eighth- and 12th-place finishes for the girls’ and boys’ teams at the state track and field championships.

JDHS has about 55 kids this year, and coach Janette Gagnon thinks the Crimson Bears boast a lot of depth and balance to cover nearly every event. This year’s captains on the boys’ side are seniors Zach Bursell, Andre Bunton and Jesse Miller. And Maya Rieselbach, Karissa Jackson, and Emily and Samantha Sharp will lead the girls.

The Hydaburg Haida avenged an opening-round loss to Huna ANB with a loser-out 95-82 win Thursday on the fifth day of the 65th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Tournament at Juneau-Douglas High School.

“The first game was a tough one because we only had six players — not to take anything away from those guys because they played hard and played well. But we kind of ran out of gas at the end of that first game,” Devin Edenshaw said after the win Thursday. “But this time, we had a lot more bench and they helped us out a lot.

The action was fast and furious with a title-fight feel Thursday night as Angoon and Haines squared off for a spot in Saturday’s B Bracket championship game.

And it was pandemonium in the Juneau-Douglas High School gym for a rematch of last year’s B Bracket finale.

Angoon withstood a furious rally by the Merchants in the second half and held on for a 95-92 win in a classic Gold Medal finish in the tournament’s 65th year, earning a spot in Saturday’s championship game.