Varsity Boys Basketball
Aurora Conference Regional Tournament [March 10th-12th]
Dennis Mott & Payton Gage, Photo by Joe Prax
Courtesy of VHS Coaches – The Buccaneers and their contingent of supporters, received an unexpected gift earlier this season when it was learned that the annual Aurora Conference Regional Tournament was unable to be held at the school whose turn it was in the rotation to host (Hutchison) and that Valdez was selected as the replacement destination for the 2021-2022 event. The Bucs entered the tournament healthy and undefeated in Aurora Conference action (8-0), the #1 seed, well-rested from not having to travel, and intent on capitalizing on such a boon.
This year was also the first year in which the boys bracket consisted of five teams, creating a situation in which the Bucs awaited the winner of the #4 (Eielson Ravens) / #5 (Galena Hawks) game as their first-round opponent. Thus, the Bucs’ first game was the semi-final contest and would feature an opponent playing for the second time that day.
Thursday, 5:00 Semi-Final: Valdez Buccaneers 65, Eielson Ravens 16
The Eielson Ravens earned their opportunity to face the Bucs after defeating the Galena Hawks 54-38 in the Thursday morning play-in game. Having an initial bye can be both a blessing and a curse at times, as occasionally a lower-seeded team will get an initial victory, seize momentum, and then spur on a winning streak in the postseason (see UAF Nanooks men’s basketball team).
The Bucs made relatively quick work of dismissing any notion the Ravens may have had about pulling an upset. Despite less-than-stellar play, they established an early 9-2 first-quarter lead that remained until the first minute of the second quarter. After that, it was evident the Bucs found their rhythm, as they poured in 23 points in the second quarter while holding the Ravens to 6 of their own and entered halftime with a 32-8 advantage.
During intermission, the Bucs identified a team goal of holding the Ravens to 16 points or less for the game. And they came out in the third quarter focused on their efforts, steamrolling the Ravens for a 27 point stanza, while limiting them to a mere 4 points. The 57-12 lead at the start of the fourth quarter activated the mercy-rule for the remainder of the game. During the shortened final quarter scoring was minimal, as the Bucs recorded only 6 points – but held the Ravens to 4 of their own and achieved their goal as they recorded a resounding 65-16 victory.
As the score suggests, the Bucs were dominant in every category. The Bucs forced 26 turnovers, recorded 21 deflections and 12 steals, scored 29 points off of turnovers, committed a mere 6 turnovers of their own, and held the Ravens to zero second chance points.
All 12 rostered Buccaneers played and contributed statistically in the game. Bryce Tucker led the Bucs in scoring with 14, followed by Payton Gage and Dennis Mott with 13 and 11, respectively. Dillon Fowler and Hunter Mathews each grabbed 7 rebounds, with Mathews also successfully drawing an offensive foul. Allen Watson recorded 6 deflections, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Nick Alfaro single handedly outscored the Ravens in the second quarter with 8 points.
Bryce Tucker, Photo by Joe Prax
Friday, 7:30 Championship: Valdez Buccaneers 69, Delta Junction 41
The other semi-final game on Thursday featured the #2 Hutchison Hawks and #3 Delta Junction Huskies. Delta was victorious in that contest, setting up a Valdez vs. Delta matchup for the 3rd time in 7 days. The previous two games resulted in 36-point and 44-point Valdez victories.
On Saturday the Huskies played with energy and handled the Buccaneer pressure defense much better than the weekend prior. The Bucs even found themselves in an early deficit, albeit only at 0-2. The Bucs went about the remainder of the game in a workman-like quality, steadily increasing their lead without doing anything especially flashy or eye-popping. They found themselves with a 17-10 lead after one quarter and a 30-18 advantage at the half.
The Bucs outscored the Huskies in each quarter and the lead steadily increased in the third and fourth quarters, resulting in a 48-26 lead after the third and an eventual 69-41 victory.
All 12 rostered Buccaneers entered the game and contributed statistically. Payton Gage led the Bucs with 23 points – including five 3-pointers, followed by Dennis Mott and Bryce Tucker who chipped in 14 and 10, respectively. Mott was able to record a double-double for the game by snagging 10 rebounds.
With the win, the Bucs increased their overall season record to 20-4 and secured the first Aurora Conference Regional Tournament championship since the 2018-2019 season.
Dillon Fowler Tip Off, Photo by Joe Prax
Awards:
Another advantage of not being on the road for the tournament was that the Bucs were not forced to haul all their hardware back with them. In addition to the aforementioned team championship trophy, there were awards presented for All-Conference Team and All-Sport Team based off of performance throughout the season. There were also shooting contests held Friday morning, and individual shooting medals awarded to the 3-point champion and free throw champion. Lastly, each year a head coach is recognized as Aurora Conference Coach of the Year.
Shooting Awards:
Payton Gage was named the 3-point champion after posting a score of 14 (out of a possible 25) made three pointers during the shooting competition.
If you have read this column (or seen many Buccaneer games), you will not be surprised that the Bucs were unable to win the Free Throw shooting contest.
All-Conference Team:
All-Conference selections are based upon regular season conference performance (not necessarily the Regional Tournament) and are voted on by opposing coaches. As is fitting for a team that went undefeated in dominant fashion during the regular season, the Bucs had five members selected to the All-Conference Team this year:
#5 – Bryce Tucker
#14- Payton Gage (Most Valuable Player – Aurora Conference)
#20- Dillon Fowler
#33- Allen Watson
#42- Dennis Mott
All-Sport Team:
Each team in the Aurora Conference is tasked with identifying a member of their team that exhibits positive attitude on and off the court as well as excellent sportsmanship. The 2021-2022 representative from the Valdez Buccaneers was:
# 21 Nick Alfaro
Coach of the Year:
The Coach of the Year award is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference.
Deservedly so, this year’s recipient of the Aurora Conference Coach of the Year award was none other than Coach Cronk.
Notes:
● The Buccaneers await final ASAA determination as to their seeding as well as who (and when) they play in the State Tournament. The selection show is to be aired Sunday, March 20th, at 6:00 pm on the NFHS network.
Varsity Girls Basketball
Aurora Conference Championship 2022
Results: Valdez Girls
Ambrosia Woodgate battles for ball at Regional Tournament, Photo by Joe Prax
Courtesy of VHS Coaches – The Aurora Conference for girls consisted of 6 girls’ teams: Delta, Eielson, Hutchison, Galena, Monroe, and Valdez. Valdez entered the tournament ranked second, with 8 wins and 2 losses in conference play.
Thursday, March 10: (Valdez 64 – Eielson 13)
On Thursday, the Valdez girls played one of their best games of the season. They got
off to a quick start, scoring 18 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Once again the teams pressure defense held Eielson to only 5 points in the first half, while Valdez scored 30. The girls did not let up the intensity in the second half and scored 17 points each quarter.
All eleven players scored in the game. Kylie Gilbert lead all scorers with 14 points and 4 steals; Carsyn Hinkle had 13 points and 8 rebounds; Kelsey Prax had her best game of the season with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 6 steals, and 7 assists; Lily Brown had 6 points and 3 rebounds; Ambrosia Woodgate had 4 points and 4 steals; Lucy Selanoff had 4 points, Mya Christoffersen had 3 points, and Izzy Kiser, Carlie VanBuskirk, Sofia Ramos, and Katarina Taylor each added 2 points.
The team worked together on defense, and on offense had the highest number of team assists of the season with 18!
Friday, March 11: (Valdez 25 – Monroe 58)
On Friday, the girls played Monroe for the 3rd time this season. Valdez had played
Monroe two close games in Monroe, and had only lost the second game by 8 points.
Friday was a much tougher game. Monroe came out in a full court press and played a very physical game. The girls got frustrated early and could not get their offense going once they broke the press. Down 4 – 31 at half time, the girls battled back in the second half, but the intense physical nature of the game kept them from scoring. Kylie Gilbert had 8 points, Carsyn Hinkle had 7 points and 5 steals, Ambrosia Woodgate had 5 points, Kelsey Prax had 3 points, and Carlie VanBuskirk had 2 points.
Lucy Selanoff dives to the floor, Photo by Joe Prax
Saturday, March 12: (Valdez 54 – Eielson 26)
Looking to earn a berth to the State Tournament, Valdez found themselves facing the Eielson Ravens once again. The girls got off to a quick start in the first quarter,
outscoring Eielson 19 -3. Eielson when got their offense on track and outscored the
Bucs in the second quarter and third quarter. The Valdez girls then got their defensive pressure back on track and outscored the Ravens 21-6 in the 4th quarter.
Kylie Gilbert had 16 points. Lucy Selanoff had her best game of the season with some intense defense and scored 12 points (hitting 2 three point shots in the first half). Carsyn Hinkle had 8 points, Kelsey Prax had 7 points, Katarina Taylor and Carlie VanBuskirk had 4 points each, and Ambrosia Woodgate had 3 points. Ambrosia had the toughest defensive assignment of the game in trying to shut down Tobias Paige who is 6’0 and very tough and aggressive.
It was a good team win and allowed the girls to qualify for the State Tournament as the second place winner from the Aurora Conference.
Kylie Gilbert, Ambrosia Woodgate, and Carsyn Hinkle were named to the Aurora All-Conference Team, and Katarina Taylor was named to the All Sport Team.
Carsyn Hinkle on the Floor, Photo by Joe Prax
A big thank you to all the volunteers who made this Conference Tournament happen in Valdez! It is Spring Break and a lot of volunteers and fans were out of town and everyone really stepped up to make this a positive experience for the teams in our Conference. Thank You!!