Episodes

State Championship Tournament  [March 21, 22, 23]

Photos courtesy of Joe Prax

Courtesy of VHS Coaches

Thursday, March 21:

The Lady Buccaneer Basketball team entered the state tournament as Aurora Conference Champions, and the 6 seed.  They were matched up in the first round against a very good Nikiski team, who was awarded the 3 seed. The Lady Bucs started slow, and could not overcome that slow start in a 58-45 defeat.  After being down by nearly 20 points early, the Bucs rallied to tie the game in the 4th quarter. However, Nikiski, and 3A Player of the Year Bethany Carstens, proved to be too much as the Bulldogs rallied down the stretch for the win.

The Lady Bucs were led in scoring by Ashley Ramoth with 10 points, while Reese King added 9 and Jade Watts chipped in 7.  Jade Watts also added 7 rebounds, and was named the “Player of the Game” for the Lady Bucs. At the conclusion of the game, Jade Watts and Macy Hansen were named to the “Sportsmanship” Team.

Friday, March 22

On Friday, the Lady Bucs took on the #2 seed Galana Hawks, in a rematch of conference rivals.  The Hawks had been upset in the first round by the 7th seeded Barrow Whalers. The Lady Buccaneers could not overcome an extremely poor shooting performance, and eventually lost 47-42.  The Bucs had a chance to tie the game late, but just could not get a bucket to drop. One of the bright spots was how the Bucs responded in the 2nd half, both defensively and rebounding.  The Lady Buccaneers secured 17 offensive rebounds, and held the Hawks to 12 2nd half points. Despite the efforts, they just could not get enough shots to fall.

Ashley Ramoth led the Bucs with 12 points, and Ally Seiber added 10 points and 8 rebounds.  Ashley Ramoth was named the Valdez “Player of the Game” for her performance.

Coach’s Comments:

“I am extremely proud of this team.  Advancing to the state tournament is a privilege and a reward for their season.  In many ways, this team exceeded expectations this year. This season was part of a process that we began back in late November, and it was fun to watch them steadily improve throughout the year. We obviously didn’t play as well as we would have liked this weekend, but the experience will be invaluable.  I thought the girls had a fantastic year as they adjusted to a new coach and new system. I am extremely proud of them for their hard work.”

VHS Cheerleading

The Cheerleaders traveled and competed at the ASAA state cheerleading championships. They performed amazingly, much to the Pride of all Parents and Coaches. They were very much appreciative of our basketball teams that showed up and cheered them on during their competition, and all had a wonderful time getting to show off their skills at a state championship level.

The ladies cheered hard for the teams during the basketball games. During tournament games, “Cheerleader of the Game” was awarded by Visit Anchorage to Anna Agcaoili twice, and once each for Paris Pennington, Dezi Wiley, and Kat Taylor.

Anna Agcaoili and Paris Pennington were awarded spots on the all-state cheer team based on their athletic ability, knowledge of the game and enthusiasm while cheering during the weekend for our Valdez teams.

State Championship Tournament  [March 21, 22, 23]

Courtesy of VHS Coaches

Thursday, March 21st:    Valdez 52, Monroe Catholic 42

Photos courtesy of Joe Prax

The Valdez Buccaneers were rewarded for their Aurora Conference championship by being seeded #2 overall entering the State Tournament, and earning an opening round matchup against Aurora Conference rival- and #7 overall seed- Monroe Catholic.  The matchup represented the 18th time the two teams have played over the last 4 seasons.

Given the level of familiarity with the Rams, the game preparation focused on things such as ball security, converting free throw opportunities, winning loose balls, and not allowing Monroe to penetrate into the paint for easy baskets.  The Bucs performed well in all those areas; they only committed 7 turnovers, went 15-20 from the free throw line, won most of the loose balls, and held Monroe to 4-of-22 shooting on 2 point field goals.

The game remained close after one quarter of play (with Monroe holding an 11-10 edge), but the Buccaneers took control of the game in the second quarter by outscoring the Rams 20-9 to establish a 10 point advantage at the half.  The second half was even (8 points apiece in the 3rd quarter, 14 in the 4th) as the Bucs secured a 52-42 victory and a berth to the semifinals.

The Buccaneers featured a balanced scoring attack, with 4 starters in double figures [Bennett Hinkle (14), Logan Heckathorn (13), Kyler LaBonte (11), and Jalen Freeman (10)].  Bennett Hinkle led the team with 7 rebounds and successfully drew an offensive foul.

Friday, March 22nd:  Valdez 62, Grace Christian 50

Thursday night’s other contest saw the Grace Christian Grizzlies defeat the Barrow Whalers, setting up a semifinal contest of Valdez vs. Grace Christian (the #3 overall seed).  The matchup represented only the 2nd time the two teams have played one another over the past 4 years.

The Bucs put forth an impressive and consistent scoring effort – notching 15 in the 1st quarter, 11 in the 2nd, 16 in the 3rd, and 20 in the 4th en route to a 62-50 victory.  The Bucs were efficient from all aspects, shooting 21-of-36 from the floor, including 5-of-12 from beyond the 3-point arc, and 83% (15-of-18) from the Free Throw line.  Additionally, the Bucs committed a mere 8 turnovers.

Valdez again featured a balanced scoring attack, with 4 starters in double figures [Kyler LaBonte (19), Jalen Freeman (17), Logan Heckathorn (11), and Bennett Hinkle (10)].  Logan Heckathorn led the team with 6 rebounds and successfully drew 2 offensive fouls.

The win secured a State Championship berth against the #1 overall seed Anchorage Christian School Lions, who defeated the Eielson Ravens in the other semifinal game.

Saturday, March 23rd:  Valdez 53, Anchorage Christian 56

The ACS Lions entered the State Championship game boasting a 27-1 overall record – with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Dimond Lynx at the Valdez Elk’s Tournament.  The Lions also sported a season-long #1 ranking in 3A, 8 Seniors on their roster, and an average winning margin of nearly 23 points per contest.

Undaunted, the Bucs entered the State Championship game with energy and confidence.  The pyrotechnics used during introductions weren’t the only thing lighting up the gym in the first quarter, as the Bucs jumped out to a 21-16 lead after the first quarter.  Scoring slowed for the Bucs a bit in the second quarter, with the half ending all knotted at 31-31.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth affair that ultimately came down to the final few possessions – during which time the ACS Lions outlasted the Bucs for a final score of 56-53.

The Bucs committed 9 turnovers while forcing ACS into 17 of their own.  Logan Heckathorn and Kyler LaBonte each netted 13 for the Bucs, while Jalen Freeman chipped in 10.  Bennett Hinkle led the team with 6 rebounds, and Ike Watson successfully drew an offensive foul.

State Championship Awards:

After each game, a Player of the Game was announced:

• Thursday (Bennett Hinkle)
• Friday (Kyler LaBonte)
• Saturday (Logan Heckathorn)

Additionally, following Thursday’s game, 2 players were announced as recipients of the Good Sportsmanship Award (as nominated by their head coach).  The players representing the Bucs:

• Douglas Cummins
• Hayden Howard

The awards ceremony for 3A took place immediately after the boy’s championship game.  The following awards were bestowed upon the Bucs:

• The 2019 Good Sportsmanship Award [Team] (for the 2nd year in a row)
• Kyler LaBonte was named to the All-State Tournament team
• Jalen Freeman was named to the All-State Tournament team
• 2nd Place State Championship trophy

Notes:

In addition to the aforementioned ASAA awards, the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches (AABC) also announced its’ postseason awards.  Logan Heckathorn and Bennett Hinkle were named First Team All-State (3A), and Jalen Freeman was named Second Team All-State (3A).  Additionally, for the second consecutive year, Todd Wegner was named the 3A Boys Coach of the Year.  Wegner also received Coach of the Year honors in 2004, which is the last time the Valdez Buccaneers were in the State Championship game.

Congratulations and Thank You to the following Seniors:

Logan Heckathorn

Bennett Hinkle

Kyler LaBonte

Justin Prax

Isaac Watson

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) released the 2017-2018 Report Cards to the Public for each school district and school in Alaska.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires every State and district to publish a report card. The report cards provide parents and the public with important information on State, district, and school performance and progress.

CLICK HERE for Parent Guide to reports

See how Valdez Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS)

compare to the rest of Alaska:

Hermon Hutchens Elementary

HHES English Language Arts

HHES Math

CLICK HERE for complete HHES Report Card

Gilson Middle School 

GMS English Language Arts

GMS Math

CLICK HERE for complete GMS Report Card

Valdez High School

VHS English Language Arts

VHS Math

CLICK HERE for complete VHS Report Card

Monday, April 1st at 7pm

Civic Center Cinema

Free showing

Rated PG-13. 2 hrs.

Sponsored by First Baptist Church

CLICK HERE for video

Double amputee, Israel Hale, competes in his first snowmachine race and finishes

Israel Hale at the Valdez Mayors Cup

VALDEZ – “They say it was the gnarliest race ever, pouring down rain the whole day and holes and bombs that were over five feet,” said Israel Hale of the Mayors Cup Race held in Valdez Saturday. “I feel very lucky to have finished the gnarliest Mayors Cup ever”. Hale said he was tempted to scratch while he was riding the 24 mile lap as the course grew more difficult with every one of the six laps he rode. Hale did not win the race, but said he set a new record and had something else under his belt as the first double amputee to ever run the race.

“It’s quite a physical challenge not having your legs to hold yourself on your machine and take the many hundreds of thousands of bumps as you fly over them with your knees,” said Hale. Hale said that at one point in the race, he flew off of his machine and fellow semi-pro class racer Charlie Potter helped him get back on his machine… “I’ve got to give credit to the 2^nd place finisher Charlie Potter who stopped and helped me get unstuck”, Hale said. “I was pretty much done. Being in 2^nd place and doing that, I have to hand him a great credit for doing that”. Hale completed the race, but the rough conditions proved troublesome for some veteran riders.

Riders lining up for the start of the Valdez Mayors Cup

Valdez Snowmachine Club volunteer said they had more than 20 Pro Class riders compete on Sunday in Valdez. “A lot of perennial favorites that have raced this race for years had a scratch of some sort and that left some opportunities for some of the younger guys to come up and show us all what they had. That’s exactly what happened in the form of Robbie Schachle who was a first time winner of the Valdez Mayors Cup.

Despite the rainy weather and rough conditions, Matt Smelcer of the Valdez Snowmachine Club said the Pro Class drew more than 20 riders. The 2019 Pro class was won by Robby Schachle. Tyson Johnson took 2^nd place and Cody Barber finished 3^rd. In the Semi-Pro Class, Sam Durdik finished 1^st, Charles Potter took 2^nd and Blake Elder took 3^rd place. Aidan McDonnell took 1^st place in the Semi-Pro class for Juniors and Keldin Nicoll finished 1^st in the Pro Class for Juniors. This was the first year the event has had a Junior Class.

Valdez Snowmachine Club

valdezsnowclub@gmail.com

CLICK HERE for KVAK’s Full Audio Interview with Israel Hale

CLICK HERE for KVAK’s Full Audio Interview with Valdez Mayors Cup Volunteer Matt Smelcer