Next season there will be no Simmers in the lineup and no Skipworth on the sidelines for the Anchorage Christian girls basketball team.
Debbiey Simmers, the last of three Simmers sisters to come through the program, is a senior this year, and Daniel Skipworth, who has coached at ACS for 18 years and been the head girls coach for the last nine, is stepping down at the end of the season.
Together they hope to lead ACS to a third straight Class 3A state championship next week at Sullivan Arena.
"We're all out of Simmers girls, so I figured, boy, it's a good time for me to get out," Skipworth said with a laugh before professing the real reason he's leaving.
"My wife and I adopted kids three years ago and I've been trying to work my way out of coaching since then. Now just seemed like a good time, leaving with a senior group that I've been with a long time."
Assistant coach Darrin Powers will replace Skipworth, and he'll start off by rebuilding.
The Lions (20-4) have five seniors -- Simmers, Karley Madren, Chantell Bennett, Elizabeth Leach and Charis Erhardt. That group has played in the state championship game three years in a row, losing to Barrow in 2007 before beating the Whalers in 2008 and topping Mt. Edgecumbe last year. Since their freshmen year, ACS has posted a 91-12 record.
"They've been around. For some of them this is their fourth state tournament," Skipworth said. "Debbiey, Karley and Chantell also have won back-to-back volleyball championships and three state track titles. They are prepared for the big stage and everything that comes with being at state."
Debbiey, younger sister to Anna and Malina, leads the team in points (20), rebounds (9.2), assists (2.8), steals (3.3) and blocks (.4) per game.
"She can do everything. She can play every position on the floor," Skipworth said. "She's always played in the shadow of our seniors, but she's stepped up this year."
Anna Simmers and Chelsea Dyson were the stars on last seasons's team, but this year Debbiey leads the Lions.
"It was definitely fun last year and I've really enjoyed this year too," she said. "I thought it would be a lot harder without Anna here."
Simmers wants to go out as a champion -- and she wants her coach to go out on top too.
"I definitely want his last year to be a good one and to end with a win."
While Skipworth is on his way out, ACS boys coach Ron Hoffman might want to stick around awhile. A new bunch of Simmers are headed ACS's way, led by freshman Gus, who is the oldest of three Simmers boys.
"We played together a lot growing up. We'd go out to the playground or at school if mom was still working," said Debbiey, who said her parents Jeff and Shelly were not basketball players. "My mom wanted to get us out of the house when we were like 7. She entered us into this military program and that is how we started playing basketball."
The Lions begin defense of their title at 5 p.m. Monday against Nome. Sitka and Glennallen are considered other top contenders for the 3A girls crown.
All four ACS losses this season have come against Class 4A schools -- Palmer, Bartlett, Juneau and West Valley. They haven't lost to a 3A school since the 2007 state championship game against Barrow.
"We just want to be prepared for any situation that comes up. I tell the (senior) girls this is the last time you'll play here and this is the last time I'll coach here," Skipworth said. "You do your job and I'll do mine."
Find Richard Larson online at adn.com/contact/rlarson or call 257-4335.
State Basketball first round games
At Sullivan Arena
Monday
4A Girls
Juneau vs. Kodiak, 11:30 a.m.
West Valley vs. West, 1:15 p.m.
Wasilla vs. Colony, 6:45 p.m.
Dimond vs. Chugiak, 8:30 p.m.
4A Boys
West vs. Lathop, 8 a.m.
Colony vs. Bartlett, 9:45 a.m.
Dimond vs. Soldotna, 3:15 p.m.
Wasilla vs. Juneau, 5 p.m.
3A Girls
Barrow vs. Cordova, 8 a.m.
Glennallen vs. Mt. Edgecumbe, 9:45 a.m.
Sitka vs. Monroe, 3:15 p.m.
ACS vs. Nome, 5 p.m.
3A Boys
Nome vs. Cordova, 11:30 a.m.
Glennallen vs. Mt. Edgecumbe, 1:15 p.m.
Haines vs. Galena, 6:45 p.m.
Heritage vs. Barrow, 8:30 p.m.
By RICHARD LARSON
rlarson@adn.com