Young JDHS girls team off to Anchorage

For a team primarily consisting of freshmen and sophomores, the Juneau-Douglas High School girls basketball squad is coming together quite nicely.

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This is not only on the court, but prior to Tuesday's practice, where the team gathered in the JDHS commons to write thank you cards.

"I'm amazingly pleased," JDHS coach Lesslie Knight said. "We're definitely young, but we're coming together nicely. Just watching the kids out in the commons - they're bonding, playing together, and the communication is improving."

The Crimson Bears (1-4) will face their first Anchorage test this week. JDHS will visit Bartlett at 7 p.m. today before taking on Kodiak in the opening game of the Lady T-Bird Classic on Thursday at East Anchorage High School.

"I'm pretty excited," freshman Hannah Swofford said. "I'm ready to play teams I haven't seen before. I'm ready for the competition."

Swofford heads a trio of freshmen who've made an immediate impact on the team.

Taylor Larson and Swofford are both freshmen who can score inside as well as run the floor, while guard Karli Brakes brings a strong work ethic and a fearless attitude to the team.

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For a video preview of the JDHS boys and girls hoops teams,check out www.juneauempire.com.

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JDHS girls basketball

This week's schedule:

Today: JDHS at Bartlett, 7 p.m.

Lady T-Bird Classic:

Thursday: Palmer vs. Service, 2 p.m.

JDHS vs. Kodiak, 4 p.m.

Colony vs. Ketchikan, 6 p.m.

East Anchorage vs. Soldotna, 8 p.m.

Friday: Palmer/Service loser vs. JDHS/Kodiak loser, 2 p.m.

Colony/Ketchikan loser vs. East Anchorage/Soldotna loser, 4 p.m.

Palmer/Service winner vs. JDHS/Kodiak winner, 6 p.m.

Colony/Ketchikan winner vs. East Anchorage/Soldotna winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday: 7th place game, noon.

5th place game, 2 p.m.

3rd place game, 4 p.m.

Championship game, 6 p.m.

Editor's note: JDHS finished third in the 2007 and 2006 Lady T-Bird Classic tourneys and second in 2005. The Bears won in 2004.

While they may be in the ninth grade, the trio aren't wide-eyed rookies. They are veterans of the HoopTime junior basketball system and are familiar with Knight and the Bears. Swofford and Larson also both had older sisters play for Juneau.

"All three freshmen are not afraid to attack the basket, and that's huge," Knight said. "They'll get in there and bang. A lot of times with freshmen, they're tentative. But they're fairly strong and will get after it."

The difference between middle school and high school hoops hasn't been lost on the newcomers.

"It's so much different," Larson said. "It's a higher level of basketball. It's harder, but it's more fun. It's better. You have more of an opportunity."

As a whole, the team showed flashes of what it can do two weeks ago at the Capital City Classic.

The Bears fell twice to Washington powerhouse Redmond High School. JDHS, however, hung tight against the more experienced and seasoned Mustangs before wilting in the fourth quarter.

For a team playing its first couple of games together as a unit, the competitiveness JDHS showed at the Classic provided evidence for optimism.

"I was really proud and pleased with how we matched up with Redmond for 3½ quarters," Knight said.

The Bears' elder stateswomen - junior Kayla Harrison and senior Nicole Fenumiai - are off to strong starts to the season.

Fenumiai showed rebounding skills and ability to score from a variety of spots on the floor along with Harrison's intensity.

Sophomores Brittany Fenumiai, Mahlet Tingley, Annette Highley and Emily Johnson all boast previous varsity experience and performed well this year.

As for tonight's opponent, Bartlett (3-3) owns wins over Houston, North Pole and Class 3A Grace Christian but lost to Lathrop, West Anchorage and Homer.

Thursday's game against Kodiak will be a rematch of the Crimson Bears' 45-30 home win on Dec. 28.

"The biggest thing for them is to get comfortable seeing other teams in the state because hopefully we'll see them in the end of the season," Knight said. "To see them early on will help them prepare for later in the season."

• Contact sports editor Tim Nichols at 523-2228 or sports@juneauempire.com.