Falcons boys dunk Crimson Bears for schools final Region V basketball title

Thunder Mountain High School senior Thomas Baxter slammed the lid on the Falcons’ 63-58 Region V Championship game win over the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears with a last-second, rim-shaking Friday night dunk that shook Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka.

“Man, I just knew it was over,” Baxter said when he heard the crowd explode. “And I knew we did it. And, like, I didn’t know how to feel. I was crying. It was just an emotion that I had never felt before.”

Baxter had three dribbles and launched in the air for the final score.

“Man, I don’t even know, I was just thinking, ‘Get out on the fast break,’” Baxter said of his game-defining work. “I knew when he (senior teammate TJ Guevarra) stole the ball that he really sealed the deal there. He had hit two free throws, a three before that. Man, he was awesome when it really came down to it. I was just thinking about getting out on the fast break and then I dunked that.”

The pass came from Guevarra, who stole the ball with JDHS looking for a final shot to tie the game.

“What was going through my brain was, like, I didn’t want them to score,” Guevarra said. “He had hit a three because I had helped off on Brandon (Casperson) and I was, like, I can’t let that happen again. We have to win this game and cut the net. I just tried my hardest the last minutes of the game because I wasn’t playing my best so I had to do what was right for the team.”

Guevarra already had six assists and was a terror on defense through the first three quarters, closing out on the perimeter to record two blocked shots.

“As a point guard, I know we have so many scorers on the team so I have to do my job,” he said. “Just distribute the ball to them and take some of the load off if they are being pressured and JDHS has good shooters so I have to close out on the perimeter.”

TMHS senior James Polasky landed awkwardly earlier in the first half and sprained his ankle, but gutted out his minutes on the court.

“I don’t know,” Polasky said of the injury. “There was something else that just got me through it. I told Sam (Lockhart) halfway through the game that we need to win today so I don’t have to play tomorrow. I’m just glad we could get the W.”

With the game tied at 50-50 and 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Polasky was triple-teamed in the post but pivoted and lifted a soft hook shot for a 52-50 lead.

“I was feeling good,” Polasky said. “The ball was going in the hoop, teammates were getting me open underneath the hoop.”

JDHS senior Sean Oliver would drain a three on an inbounds play to take a 53-52 lead, but TMHS senior Sam Lockhart hit a basket for a 54-53 lead.

Lockhart had been getting special attention from the JDHS defense after he put up 39 against Ketchikan on Wednesday.

“My teammates do a great job of setting screens,” he said. “I think focusing on the other guys gets me open. I didn’t have to force anything. It all just came from our offense. I can’t take credit for any of it.”

Lockhart’s stat line also included five rebounds and six assists.

“I love to crash hard,” he said of rebounding. “My center (Polasky) always gives me crap about it, he hates how I just come flying in and steal his rebounds. It is the little things I have learned over my life. It’s the little things in basketball that win you games. Making the right pass and rebounding, those are going to win you games. I take pride in doing both of those.”

JDHS senior Alwen Carrillo drove and lifted a shot over Polasky for a Crimson Bears 55-54 lead with 1:18 remaining.

The Falcons’ Guevarra then hit from the arc for 57-55 and blocked his second shot of the game, which Lockhart controlled for a timeout with 47 seconds left to play.

TMHS would work the ball under heavy JDHS pressure, and Guevarra made two free throws for a 59-55 lead with 27 seconds left.

JDHS sophomore Brandon Casperson connected on a shot past the arc with 16 seconds remaining to close the Crimson Bears to 59-58.

JDHS then fouled Lockhart immediately on the inbounds pass, sending the all-state guard to the charity stripe with 15 seconds remaining in the game.

Lockhart said he was thinking, “I’m going to make these two. I want to be the one shooting these. I’m not going to miss them.”

Both shots nestled into the nylon for a 61-58 lead and set the stage for a game-tying shot by the Crimson Bears.

With JDHS’ Carrillo getting pressure, TMHS’ Guevarra stripped the ball from behind and hit Baxter downcourt, who hammered a one-hand dunk.

“This group has just been through so much over the years, and we stuck together through it all,” Baxter said. “When it really mattered, our senior year, we all performed, we worked together and we pulled away with it. I just give props to my team. Everyone was hitting shots and playing with confidence. We scrapped for rebounds and were physical on some of their better players. We locked in on defense and worked together. It was awesome.”

To start the game, JDHS took a 1-0 lead on an Oliver free throw and TMHS’ Lockhart matched that score.

Oliver scored for a 3-1 lead and then the Falcons went on a 12-2 run, with scores and steals by Baxter, Lockhart and Polasky for a 13-5 lead after eight minutes.

JDHS pulled to within 13-12 starting the second quarter as Oliver scored on a break, senior Jhowel Estigoy hit two free throws and junior Gavin Gerrin hit past the arc.

Both teams would score in short bursts, with the Falcons holding a 10-point advantage, 27-17, with under two minutes remaining in the first half.

JDHS’ Estigoy hit a free throw and senior Alex Mallott scored inside to pull within 27-20.

Baxter gave TMHS a 29-20 driving score with 36 seconds left, but Carrillo hit a free throw and stole a ball for another basket to cut the lead to 29-23 at the half.

“The game started out slowly for both teams,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “Then TM seemed to find their rhythm early in the second half. We finally got things going, and it became a back-and-forth affair in the last few minutes of the game. It was exciting for the fans. Our guys battled, but we just ran out of time. I just wish I could have done better as a coach tonight. The kids deserved that and I came up short for them.”

Neither team showed any lack of play despite this being their third game in four nights.

Oliver started the second half with a basket, but TMHS answered with a 9-1 run for a 38-26 lead. JDHS’ Mallott hit a free throw, Oliver had a steal and Estigoy scored on a follow inside and Oliver hit past the arc to cut the lead to 38-32.

TMHS’ Lockhart hit and JDHS’ Carrillo answered with a basket and two free throws to close to 40-36, but Polasky was fed inside by Lockhart for a score at the buzzer and a 42-36 advantage with one stanza remaining.

JDHS started the fourth quarter with two Oliver free throws for 42-38.

Polasky and senior Kasen Ludeman scored for TMHS and were matched by JDHS’ Parker and Carrillo to close to 46-45.

Polasky laid a shot off the glass for a 48-45 TMHS lead, and Parker tied the game with a shot past the arc for JDHS.

Baxter gave the lead back to TMHS, and Oliver tied it up from the charity stripe for JDHS with 2:49 left in the game and set the stage for the thrilling finish.

“There is just so much emotion,” TMHS coach John Blasco said. “Working with these guys the last four years, it has been a grind. They have put in so much work in season, out of season to earn this moment. I couldn’t be more proud. I’m so happy that they got to earn it, and win it and just have such success. It is fun to watch. They believe in each other, they trust each other. Even when we got down in the last two minutes, I was never concerned because I knew these guys were locked in and they were going to make the plays they had to make.”

Baxter led the Falcons with 21 points,12 rebounds and three steals. Lockhart had 19 points, six assists, three steals and five rebounds. Polasky scored 11 points (7 RB, 1 BLK), Ludeman seven (2 AST, 2 RB, 1 BLK) and Guevarra five (6 AST, 2 BLK, 1 STL). Senior Lance Nierra had four assists and one steal.

TMHS hit 8-14 from the charity stripe, had 27 total rebounds and 18 turnovers. JDHS was 14-20 at the charity stripe, had 28 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Oliver led the Crimson Bears with 18 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one assist. Carrillo scored 15 points (5 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL), junior Ahmir Parker seven, Casperson six (1 BLK), Estigoy six (11 RB, 2 AST), Mallott three (4 RB) and junior Gavin Gerrin three.

This is the fourth region title for the Falcons. They won in 2013, 2014 and 2020.

“It’s a dream come true,” Lockhart said. “It feels surreal. I remember as a kid this is all I have ever wanted is to win regions. I remember watching Brady (Carandang) and Bryson (Echiverri) and Chase Saviers (former TMHS players) and all those guys as a kid and saying, ‘I want to be like that someday,’ and here I am. It feels amazing.”

Polasky said the Falcons “ have been waiting for this moment for the last four years. It feels great to finally get a region championship. We are all enjoying this moment right now.”

Blasco has been the Falcons only head coach in the program’s history.

“It is wild to think it has been 15 years,” he said. “It also feels like it has gone real fast. It’s a special 15 years for sure and we are enjoying this season together.”

Blasco said senior leadership and composure was the key.

“These guys just have a collective calm about them,” he said. “And they were determined. You could tell from our 8 a.m. shoot-around today that they were ready, they wanted to get this win and cut down some nets. Defense is the most important thing and you look down the stretch we made the plays to close out the game.”

The March Madness Alaska 2024 ASAA/First National Bank of Alaska Basketball State Championships begin March 13-16 for 1A/2A schools and March 20-23 for 3A/4A schools at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

“I hope this isn’t the end since we have a chance at an at-large bid for the state tournament,” JDHS coach Casperson said. “But if it is, I’m really proud of these guys, especially the seniors. They provided great leadership and valuable mentoring to the players that will be returning.”