Crimson Bears girls basketball has roster for state title

The 2024-25 Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls basketball team graduated, in reality, 13 seniors from both the now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School and JDHS.

And to be real, they return a combined roster that can lead them farther than either school went last year.

“We are strong with veteran varsity players joining forces, and they have the ability to be extremely successful,” JDHS head coach Tanya Nizich said. “We have leadership from past starters, and they all bring basketball maturity and IQ of the game to our team.”

Last season, the Thunder Mountain High School girls (23-5 overall, 7-1 Southeast Conference) won the Region V championship and lost in the third/fifth-place game at state to the Mountain City Christian Academy Lions. The Falcons then graduated seven seniors. JDHS (14-12 OA, 5-3 SEC) lost to TMHS in the Region V championship game and graduated six seniors.

Senior forwards Kerra Baxter, Cailynn Baxter and Addison Wilson and junior guard Cambry Lockhart started for the Falcons; junior guard Gwen Nizich and sophomore forward Layla Tokuoka for the Crimson Bears.

Add in strong minutes from senior guard Mary Johnson (JD), sophomore guards Bergen Erickson (TM) and June Troxel (JD), plus a strong freshmen class with post Athena Warr and guard/forwards Lydia Goins and Sadie Lockhart and Juneau could be cheering for a state champion.

“We have the capability to out-run our opponents, push the ball, score from the inside and outside and have the potential for five to six players to reach double figures each game,” coach Nizich said. “I am very excited about our incoming freshman class as well…Lydia Goins, Sadie Lockhart and Athena Warr. I expect to see a strong performance from Athena Warr. She has been in the gym starting the very first day of open gym and into preseason. She’s working very hard and improving every day. We have the defending state champion Wasilla Warriors coming to town for a series along with other competitive basketball programs.”

Those programs will include alumni games on Dec. 23; Chugiak, Kenai and Tikagaq in the Capital City Classic Dec. 27-28; Soldotna Jan. 10-11; Dimond Jan. 24-25; Wasilla Feb. 7-8; Ketchikan Feb. 14-15; Monroe Feb. 21-22 and North Pole Feb. 28-March 1.

Defending state champion Wasilla, a 35-32 title winner over Colony, returns 6’5” all-state senior Layla Hayes, senior leading scorer and all-state selection Mylee Anderson, and six juniors who played key roles, including one with Southeast ties to Kake, Katie Jackson.They graduated three, two of whom had limited minutes.

Colony, which defeated TMHS in the semifinals, returns Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches (AABC) 4A Player of the Year senior Hallie Clark, four classmates who score, rebound and defend (including sharpshooter Alycia Shelley and all-tourney selection Tony Karpow) and four sophomores who played (including player of the game Jericho Wuestenberg). They graduated just one player who had limited minutes.

Dimond and North Pole both played at state last season, placing fourth and seventh, respectively. The Lynx (58-47 loss to TMHS in quarterfinals) graduated four and return three seniors, including one with Southeast ties, 6’2” all-state selection Evan Hamey, and player of the game Mecca Goldsberry. The Patriots return two seniors, two juniors and five sophomores. All had state minutes.

Monroe (3rd at 3A state) returns all-tourney sophomore Leila Church and senior Shannel Kolvalsky; Tikagaq (runner-up to Metlakatla at 2A state) returns senior leading scorer and all-state selection Jennifer Nash; Soldotna returns six seniors and four juniors; Kenai, two seniors and five juniors; and Chugiak, which plays in the tough 4A Cook Inlet Conference, and had their last state appearance in 2019 (3rd), returns four seniors and two juniors; Ketchikan graduated two, returns eight and played both Juneau schools tight into the fourth quarter.

“Our community has always supported our young athletes,” coach Nizich said. “I want to see the George Houston Gymnasium packed every home game for these players. This group is built up of some tremendous athletes. Our fans will see hard work, hustle, enthusiasm and heart every game.”

Three co-captains were selected to represent the Crimson Bears.

“I’m just honored that I get to represent our whole team and I really want to take this position to be an advocate for the rest of the team beside me,” junior co-captain Gwen Nizich. “I am so excited that we get to all come together. We’ve all played together in middle school for a club team. I’ve been dwelling over just getting to have that team back and I think we can take that and go really far this season.”

G. Nizich was a key component of JDHS last season as the Crimson Bears gave TMHS their only SEC loss.

“I think that I am a very determined and intense player, and I think I see the whole court,” G. Nizich said. “So I’m excited to create smart plays with using the whole team that is on the floor. I think that JDHS stands for hard work because you have to work hard to get whatever you are trying to strive for. I’m just excited to display that this year.”

Senior co-captain Kerra Baxter was key last season to helping the Falcons reach the state tournament and recently signed to play for the University of Alaska Anchorage.

“I’m really excited, obviously, really happy to have the position,” Baxter said. “And I’m just excited to show the community and younger kids a good role model for the sport.”

Baxter notes she had help last season from their graduates and from sister Cailynn Baxter, Wilson, Erickson, junior Raynona Fraker and junior co-captain Lockhart.

“They (JDHS) have their own intensity themselves. I am just really excited to be on the team with them so we can combine and be even better,” K. Baxter said. “I am just really excited to play with them. On the bench or on the floor I try to lift up my teammates and keep them positive. I’ll give them high fives and keep their chins up, never saying anything bad. I’m just really excited to play.”

Co-captain Lockhart said, “Being a captain to me is being a leader and a role model for the other girls, whether that is on the court or off the court or in practice. I am really glad that the three of us were chosen because I think we all show different strengths of the game. I think we will be strong leaders…A captain is a good sport and a good role model that a lot of other girls can look up to. I think that I bring a lot of vision on the court. I think I am a good distributor and I feed my teammates the ball where they are successful, and I really look to do that the most. I think JD has a lot of really great girls that are coming together, and I am really excited for Coach Tanya because I have had her in the past and I really enjoy her style of coaching with the intensity. I think with all of our characteristics and players we can really go far this year.”

The three were teammates on HoopTime and Hoop Rats, Juneau’s Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) organization, while in elementary and middle school, along with many of the current team.

“I would say that we are going to put in a lot of hard work, which takes away a little bit of the stress and the pressure,” Lockhart said. “I also think we are really going to come together and be here for each other. That also takes another aspect of the stress away. I think we have a lot of really nice and helpful girls that make this less stressful and worrisome.”

Added G. Nizich, “Only one team can win state in the end. I think it really comes down to who works the hardest, who are you going to outwork. I think all these practices every day, us working hard and intense, I think that intensity will carry over to state and contribute to who that team will be.”

Said Baxter, “Just as long as we put in the hard work we’ll have a good outcome.”

Reaching state, however, is never a sure thing, especially with SEC opponent Ketchikan looming.

“I love playing them,” Baxter said. “I think that they bring a lot of intensity, them and their coach. Like defense especially, so it pushes me to do better. I think they are going to be a good team this year.”

Added G. Nizich, “Ketchikan is an intense team, they are coached well and I’m excited to play them, it is always fun games.”

Lockhart added, “I think they are a very determined team. I think that when you play them they are not ever giving up, they are pushing no matter the score. I think it will be competitive and I am really excited to see the turnout at regions.”

Last season, Ketchikan finished with a 5-20 overall record and 0-8 in the SEC. They lost their first-round region game by three points to JDHS and were eliminated by the Crimson Bears a day later. They graduated just two seniors so return a team with many minutes of game time and will host the Region V Tournament March 5-8.

“We’re being realistic,” Ketchikan head coach Kelly Smith said. “This Juneau group has five all-state players on that team. They are loaded. And they are hungry. I know they have the lumps of learning to play together, but they have all the pieces of a state title. I know they are going to make us better. I hope we can make them better and get them prepared to reach their goals.”

A big key for Kayhi will be senior Shyla Abajian. She suffered an injury at the end of a fantastic sophomore year, came back as a junior last season but not at full strength and is continuing to rehabilitate.

“We are hoping she comes back in the next month,” Smith said. “She was a big minute person from the last two years.”

The Lady Kings will also rely on junior Kali MacManus, who is also starting this season on light duty.

Senior Aspen Bauer and junior Kari Klinger also had rotations in the starting lineup.

“So they will be filling in those roles,” Smith said. “Lilli Goodwin (senior) has played three years for us, she got quite a bit of time, she’ll be right in the mix. Kylie Brendible (junior) will be our biggest healthy key returner right now. She has been starting since her freshman year. She will be the one with the most experience and healthy starting right now.”

Four freshmen have made their way onto the varsity squad as well. Of the 23 players in the program, 13 are freshmen.

“We actually just have one of those big freshmen groups coming through,” Smith said. “Everyone is going to fall in love with this young lady because she is just 4’11”, her name is Peyton Nickich and she’s a competitor. Kali Jones is one I am expecting to get some minutes. She is one of the bigger kids in our program, a big strong kid. Once we take our freshmen lumps for a couple months she’ll be ready to really contribute and compete for us…We have a couple other freshmen who can come in as athletes and compete at the varsity level athletically, Claire Ruaro and Ezrah Harney.”

Smith is starting his 16th season as the Lady Kings coach. Before that he was an assistant for the KTN boys and was the Craig head coach for four years.

“For years and years when I first started out the whole goal was to just be the hardest working team in the state,” he said. “And then we kind of had a string of success with some really talented groups, some kids that just really worked their tails off. At times in the last couple years I think we went away from that blue-collar attitude. So we have been focusing on working hard and positive energy…I have pulled out a lot of my stuff from 10-12 years ago so far this year already. I’m excited. They’re working hard, practice is loud, they’re building each other up…For a 4A school that probably shouldn’t be a 4A school — we finished at 470 kids last year — for being in the division we are in, we are just small. We don’t have 5’10” or 5’11” kids, we are 5’9” and under.”

Kayhi led TMHS by double digits in three games last season, twice in Juneau and once at home.

“We shell-shocked them,” Smith said. “We got out, we got running, we got playing but they were so talented they just eventually wore us down.”

Kayhi was also in contention of every game against JDHS.

“I believe we played JD six times last year,” Smith said. “We lost all of them, but I think we had a lead in the fourth quarter in four of them. And I just remember thinking that Layla (Tokuoka) and Gwen (Nizich) just killed us…Yeah, we had a rough record year, but when I go back and look, 10-12 of those games we had a lead or were within one possession in the fourth quarter. So last year definitely could have looked a lot different.”

Smith said a major positive from last season was getting their young players time.

“Thunder Mountain was a top-five program and we competed with them,” Smith said. “JD had two all-state players and we had fourth quarter leads. Mt. Edgecumbe was a top three 3A team in the state and we split with them here at the end of the season…We don’t dwell on results right now. We’re going to harp on effort and the positives we can take from things and figure out how to get better…We’re just going to play hard. We’re going to compete. We write two goals on the board every year and that is to be the hardest working team in every game and to represent Ketchikan the way it deserves to be represented. If we do that people will want to watch us play.”

The Ketchikan girls’ and boys’ first test will be at the Sitka Invitational Dec. 18-22 and then their home Clarke Cochrane Christmas Classic Dec. 27-29.

The Crimson Bears’ first test is traveling to Las Vegas for the Tarkanian Classic Dec. 18-21. The JDHS boys will also be playing in that tournament.

THE 2024-25 JDHS CRIMSON BEARS GIRLS:

Seniors – Cailynn Baxter (#23, 6’2” Forward), Kerra Baxter (#22, 6’2” F), Mary Johnson (#4, 5’4” Guard), Addison Wilson (#10, 5’4” G).

Juniors – Cambry Lockhart (#3, 5’3” G), Gwen Nizich (#11, 5’9” G).

Sophomores – Bergen Erickson (#12, 5’8” G), June Troxel (#5, 5’3” G), Layla Tokuoka (#14, 5’6” F).

Freshmen – Lydia Goins (#15, 5’8” G/F), Sadie Lockhart (#13, 5’8” G/F), Athena Warr (#21, 6’0” F).

Managers – Nadia Wilson (senior), Jadyn Cook (junior).

Head coach – Tanya Nizich is starting third year at JDHS. Head coach at TMHS (2009-2016) and has nine years as middle school, club and private coach. Nizich played for JDHS (1996-2000) under coach Jim Hamey.

Assistant coaches – Nicole Fenumiai, Jasmine James, Angie Kemp, and volunteer Chase Saviers.

JV/C roster:

Juniors – Grechael Estigoy, Raynona Fraker.

Sophomores – Cassie Chenoweth, Sunny Dutton, Keirstin Johnson, Rachel Maghinay, Analia Perry.

Freshmen – Sofia Contreras, Aurelia Field, Shandlin Frommherz, Adelyn Hartman, Mya Hayes, Ari Make, Heaven McGraw, Kyndal Saceda, Freya Shelton-Walker, Mikenna Swanson, Madeline Tingey,

KAYHI LADY KINGS VARSITY ROSTER:

Seniors – Carol Frey (#4, 5’4” G), Shayla Abajian (#5, 5’7” G), Aspen Bauer (#13, 5’7” G/F), Lilli Goodwin (#21, 5’2” G).

Juniors – Kali MacManus (#1, 5’7” G/F), Lauren Tucker (#11, 5’8” G/F), Kari Klinger (#20, 5’7” G/F), Kylie Brendible (#32, 5’8” F).

Freshmen – Peyton Nickich (#2, 4’11” G), Claire Ruaro (#10, 5’8” G/F), Ezrah Harney (#14, 5’6” G), Kali Jones (#33, 5’9” F).

Head coach and athletic director – Kelly Smith.