Episodes

Valdez High School took first place in Aurora Regional Conference Cheerleading competition

Boys Basketball – Coach Hinkle

2018 Valdez Buccaneer (Boys) Aurora Conference Tournament Wrap-Up

Thursday (March 8th):

After receiving a first-round bye, the Buccaneer boys took the floor for their first 2018 Aurora Conference Regional Tournament game Thursday afternoon against an Eielson Raven team that had advanced by defeating the Galena Hawks earlier in the day.

The Bucs exerted their will early on, jumping to a 16-7 first quarter lead and a 27-16 halftime advantage.  That lead was extended to 42-20 after the Bucs held the Ravens to a total of 4 third quarter points (outscoring them 15-4), and ultimately paced the Bucs to a 54-32 victory.  The win advanced the Buccaneers to Friday evening’s championship game to face the #1 seed Monroe Catholic Rams.

The Bucs had four players in double figure scoring (Jalen Freeman – 14, Ike Watson – 11, Logan Heckathorn – 11, Tyler Mann – 10).  Jalen Freeman and Ike Watson also had 9 rebounds apiece. The Buccaneer defense held the Ravens to a 31% FG percentage (including 1-of-11 behind the arc), and forced the Ravens into 16 turnovers.  Tyler Mann drew an offensive foul.

Ike Watson 

Friday (March 9th):

The Buccaneers struggled from the onset in Friday’s championship game, yielding a 14-6 first quarter lead that Monroe extended to a 29-12 halftime advantage.  After halftime, the Bucs outscored the Rams 32-25, closing the gap to 5 points at one point. However, the Rams were able to hit a pivotal baseline 3-pointer and make their free throws down the stretch to seal a 54-44 win.  The loss dropped the Buccaneers to the 2nd place game Saturday afternoon, with a berth to the State championship on the line.

The Buccaneers had four players score, led by Jalen Freeman (15 points) and Ike Watson (14 points).  Ike Watson also registered 9 rebounds- marking the 3rd straight game in which he has had at least that many.

Defensively the Buccaneers forced Monroe into 14 turnovers and held them to 5 offensive rebounds for the game, but could not overcome the 47% (10-21) shooting the Rams displayed beyond the arc.  Ike Watson, Logan Heckathorn, and Aidan Hinkle all successfully drew an offensive foul.

Saturday (March 10th):

For the second straight year the Bucs found themselves playing in the 2nd place game against the Eielson Ravens.  In 2017, the Bucs needed a dramatic 13 point comeback in the fourth quarter to secure their State tournament berth.  In 2018, the Bucs controlled the game and outscored the Ravens in each quarter en route to a 49-38 victory. The win secured 2nd place in the Aurora Conference Regional Tournament as well as guaranteed a State tournament berth.

The Bucs were led offensively by Ike Watson (14 points, 4 rebounds) and Bennett Hinkle (13 points, 3 rebounds).  Aidan Hinkle and Jalen Freeman each chipped in 8 points, with Jalen Freeman also dishing 6 assists in the contest. The Buccaneer defense forced 17 Eielson turnovers and held the Ravens to 3 offensive rebounds.

Notes:

• The Buccaneer Boys enter the 2018 State Tournament with a 22-5 record
• All five Buc losses have come at Boileau Hall (Monroe Catholics home court) – 4 against Monroe and 1 against Grace Christian
• The Buccaneers will not be playing any games at Boileau Hall during the 2019 season

Sportsmanship Awards:

Per tradition, each team nominated players that best represented the values of ASAA and good sportsmanship – on and off the court.  The Valdez Buccaneers were proud to have Kyle Sodergren and Aidan Hinkle as their representatives. The contributions of these two seniors to the Valdez Buccaneer basketball program cannot be overstated.  While most of their contributions do not show up in standard statistical categories, the value of the intangibles they bring to practice, the locker room, and in leadership is hard to quantify.

All-Conference Awards:

Also an annual tradition, the Aurora All-Conference team was introduced at the conclusion of the tournament.  The All-Conference team is based on the players’ performance throughout the year while facing Aurora Conference opponents.  The All-Conference team is selected by the coaches of the Aurora Conference (Delta, Hutchison, Eielson, Galena, Monroe, and Valdez).  This year the Valdez boys were represented, as Bennett Hinkle, Jalen Freeman, Tyler Mann, and Logan Heckathorn were selected to the 2017-2018 Aurora All-Conference Team.

State Tournament:

• The Valdez Bucs enter the State Tournament as the #4 seed and will be taking on the #5 Barrow Whalers at 6:30 Thursday evening.
• The Bucs played the Whalers earlier this season (January 4th), winning 53-49

Girls Basketball – Coach Fleming

 The VHS Lady Bucs went into the regional tournament with a perfect 10-0 regular season record. Game one saw the Bucs match up against the tournament host Monroe Catholic Rams, after beating the twice two weeks earlier the girls knew what to expect. What the girls didn’t expect was Monroe to come out and push them in the first half, score 24-20. After halftime the Bucs responded and played their game defensively. Final score 58-39. The Bucs were led by Bobbi Mott’s 23 points and 10 rebounds, Sydney Johnson and Ashley Ramoth added 12 points each.

The Championship game saw Valdez match up against the Galena Hawks for the fourth time of the season. The Bucs came out ready to play jumping out to a 16-4 1^st quarter lead. Galena responded in the 2^nd quarter letting the Bucs know this wasn’t going to be a blowout, halftime score 22-16. The 2^nd half was a repeat of the first with Valdez winning the 3^rd quarter and Galena winning the 4^th. In the 4^th the hawks all but erased the lead. With a few changes to the defense the Bucs responded and stopped the Hawks run. This was truly a team effort by the Lady Bucs. The Bucs were led by Bobbi Motts 24 points and 10 rebounds, Sydney Johnson added 11 points and 11 rebounds, defensively Carlee Fleming stepped up and came away with 8 steals on the night. Final score 49-46 Bucs. This win helped the VHS Lady Bucs earn their 4^th consecutive Aurora Conference Championship and the 6^th consecutive trip to the state tournament.

Aurora Conference Player of the Year was Bobbi Mott, all conference selections were Carlee Fleming, Sydney Johnson and Ashley Ramoth.

Senior Bobbi Mott was named MVP of the Aurora Conference Regional Tournament.

During the annual Valdez Fire Department awards banquet in

February, Firefighter Erick Garcia was named 2017 Firefighter of the Year and

Emergency Medical Technician Grace Huhndorf was named 2017 EMT of the

Year. Both personnel serve as volunteers with the department.

Firefighter Erick Garcia was recognized for his positive attitude, work ethic, and

commitment to skill development and professional education. After receiving his

Firefighter I certification, Garcia immediately began working on his EMT 1

certification so he could contribute even more to the department and the safety of

the Valdez community. Garcia also used personal leave from his full-time job to

attend the Alaska Fire Training Conference in Sitka. In addition to his outstanding

commitment to training and professional skill development, Garcia responded to

47 calls for service in 2017.

EMT Grace Huhndorf was recognized for volunteering her time and expertise in a

variety of capacities, including serving as a mentor for new members of the

department. Committed to supporting others, Huhndorf selflessly donated

registration for the 2017 EMS Symposium to another department member when

she was unable to participate. She attended over 141 hours of training and

responding to 37 calls for service in 2017.

Allie Ferko, Public Information Officer

City of Valdez, Alaska

Boys Varsity Basketball – Coach Hinkle

Valdez vs. Kodiak Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday (March 2)-

The Buccaneers basketball program traveled to Kodiak for games this weekend- the first such trip that anyone in the Valdez boys program could recall.  After taking in some local sights, touring the USCG airbase, and learning a bit of the WWII history of Kodiak Island, the Buccaneer boys got to business early in the game- taking a 33-14 lead into halftime.  The Bears were able to keep pace in the second half due to effective 3-point shooting (10-of-26 for the game), but the Buccaneers ultimately walked away with a 64-48 victory.

The Buccaneers were led statistically by Bennett Hinkle (18 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals), Logan Heckathorn (17 points, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc), and Ike Watson (12 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals).  Derek Berg and Aidan Hinkle each drew an offensive foul. As a team, the Buccaneers had over a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio [17 assists, 8 turnovers].

Saturday (March 3)-

Saturday marked the regular season finale for the Bucs, and they found themselves in a tight game early on.  Playing in their last home game of their high school careers, the senior-laden Bears put on an impressive shooting display to start the game (sinking 6 first half 3-point baskets).  The Bucs were able to counter will dominant interior play and trailed by one (27-26) at the half. Both teams scored 16 points in the third quarter – with the Bears sinking 4 more 3-point baskets and the Bucs continuing to dominant the interior.

In the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers’ willingness to drive to the basket and get the ball to the post began to pay dividends, as the Bears found themselves in foul trouble and unable to convert any 3-point attempts, going 0-for-7 in the quarter.  Down 11 with about 3:30 to go in the game, the Bears employed the Hack-a-Buc technique and repeatedly sent the Bucs to the free throw line. Bennett Hinkle and Jalen Freeman were the primary beneficiaries of the strategy – ultimately attempting 24 free throws between them (making 19).  For the game, the Bucs attempted 31 free throws, converting 23. The strategy served to prolong the game, resulted in 4 Bears fouling out, and paved the way for a 67-49 Valdez victory.

Five Buccaneer players contributed in the scoring column (Bennett Hinkle with 22 points, Jalen Freeman with 17, Ike Watson with 14, Derek Berg with 8, and Logan Heckathorn with 6).  Defensively, Bennett Hinkle registered 5 steals, Ike Watson snagged 11 rebounds, and Logan Heckathorn grabbed 8 rebounds and drew 2 offensive fouls.

NOTES:

• The Buccaneers enter the Aurora Conference Regional Tournament as the #2 seed, and will play the winner of the #3 (Eielson Ravens) vs. #6 (Galena Hawks) game at 5:00 pm Thursday.

Varsity Girls Basketball – Coach Fleming

The Lady Bucs had a good weekend in their split with Kodiak, in Friday night’s game the Valdez played well

coming out on top 49-40. Bobbi Mott lead all scorers with 25 followed by Sydney Johnson’s 11 points and 15

rebounds. Saturday’s game was a little different, to start the game the ladies just weren’t executing on either

end of the floor. Going down 16-5, a margin they just couldn’t come back from even after winning the final 3

quarters final score 39-44. It did give us the opportunity to work on a few items prior to regionals and to know

what to focus on this week.

JV Girls Basketball – Coach Hill

The JV girls had a great last trip to Kodiak. We only took five players; Marianne Prax, Savannah Cockerham, Sophia Palomar, Rylie King and Shaylah Toro. The trip was a first for me and I enjoyed the beautiful Island with over a hundred bald eagles in one location, at the dump waiting for food.

Saturday we did a much better job of scoring, putting up 43 points to 21 for Kodiak. Ally Seiber was high scorer both days putting in 10 on Friday and 13 on Saturday.

JV Boys Basketball – Coach Lee Chadwick

We had a great weekend to finish our season in Kodiak. I heard several students talking about being on their first island, and other novel comments. The players found Kodiak to be hospitable and unique. We had the opportunity to tour the Kodiak Coast Guard Base, and climb in their aircraft and such.

We were successful on the court as well, competing against a very quick Kodiak team. We won Friday by a score of 61-50. Raymond Martel led the scoring with 18, followed by Kyler Labonte with 16.

On Saturday, Kyler Labonte made two free throws with 9 seconds left to put us ahead by one point. On the next possession after a failed Kodiak attempt, they again fouled Kyler where he again made both free throws, ;leading to the winning score of 47-44. Labonte led all scorers with 17.

During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting (March 6, 2018), Council members will vote to approve a list of priorities for the State of Alaska. At the top of the City’s list, is the Alaska Municipal League and Alaska Conference of Mayors urging of a “Legislative Adoption of Sustainable Budget Plan” that includes drawing from the Permanent Fund earnings to support government and “generating revenue with some combination of one or more broad-based taxes”.

CLICK HERE to read the complete list of Priorities to be discussed by City Council

Kyle Henderson,

2018 State Middle School Wrestling Champion at 160 lbs

GMS Spring Fling Volleyball Tournament Results 2018