Undefeated Kake boys aim to repeat as 1A state basketball champions

It has been nearly a quarter century since a Kake high school boys basketball team has gotten a chance to defend an Alaska state title.

After snapping a 23-year title drought at last year’s 1A state championship tournament to cap an undefeated season, the No. 1 seeded Thunderbirds have yet to lose a game at 23-0 and are favored to run it back again this year.

“We’re pretty excited to be able to go back and play for another one back-to-back,” Kake head coach and alum Anthony Ross said. “The team is ready, we’re healthy, and are coming off a great regional tournament.”

The last time Kake lost a game was its season opener to Skagway in January of 2022, and they have won 57 straight since then, including 10 wins to close out that season before a COVID outbreak robbed them of a chance to contend for a state title that March.

Several of the seniors on this year’s team were eighth graders on the 2020 team that suffered back-to-back blowout losses to Thorne Bay in February of that year and vowed to never experience that feeling again.

“We ended up losing that first game to Skagway a couple years ago, had that feeling come back on us again and they continued to work and put in the work in the classroom to get us where we are today,” Ross said.

He admits that keeping high school-aged boys on such an impressive and long winning streak that spans multiple seasons grounded can be difficult at times. However, the senior leadership of his son Dominic and nephew Tristan Ross-Shaquanie has been instrumental in ensuring their egos don’t get inflated.

“Having them two kind of lead the way to keeping everybody humble, keeping that edge, and that chip on our shoulders, always having something to prove so we can stay competitive,” is key, Ross said.

With one eighth grader and two freshmen, there are at least three members of the team who have yet to experience the bitter taste of defeat at the high school level.

“Dom and Tristan know what it feels like to lose and lose badly so they keep that edge in the classroom, in practice, and they bring it when it’s game time,” Ross said. “They really do a great job of keeping the team focused and level-headed.”

The Thunderbirds don’t want to get too high or too low and want everyone who watches them to “not be able to tell if we’re up by 20 or down by 20.”

“We want to play the same way every single time no matter what,” Ross said.

Some of the top contenders that could prove challenging this week include No. 4 seed Cook Inlet Academy with its 22-3 record with the only losses coming to 2A teams and No. 2 seed Scammon Bay with an overall record of 23-4.

“Cook Inlet is always tough, Scammon Bay has always been tough, and I’ve been watching a lot of Minto,” Ross said. “Minto looks really tough this year. They’re well-coached, compete on both ends of the floor.”

While he is sad that his time coaching his son is coming to an end, being able to coach him to a state championship and having an opportunity to do it again “has been a blessing.”

“I’ve got to have him the last five years, go through the ups and downs with him, win three regional titles in a row, win state and be 57-0,” Ross said. “All I really wanted for him was to win one championship but to accomplish all that is a true blessing.”

Their small community still hasn’t quite come down from the high of watching them win last year’s state title so to run it back and come home with some more hardware would mean the world to them.

“It would bring so much joy, so much happiness, motivation, and just uplift our community even more,” Ross said. “I think we have a really good chance of doing it. We just have to lock it in.”

1A state Tournament

At Alaska Airlines Center

Girls

Wednesday

No. 1 Klawock v. No. 16 Brevig Mission at 11 a.m. (Court 1)

No. 8 Buckland v. No. 9 Scammon Bay at 6:15 p.m. (Court 1)

No. 4 Newhalen v. No. 13 St. Mary’s at 3:15 p.m. (Court 2)

No. 5 Nunamiut v. No. 12 Birchwood Christian at 4:45 p.m. (Court 2)

No. 3 Fort Yukon v. 14 Napaskiak at 7:45 p.m. (Court 1)

No. 6 Lumen Christi v. No. 11 Napaaqtugmiut at 12:30 p.m. (Court 1)

No. 7 Bristol Bay v. No. 10 Skagway at 8 a.m. (Court 2)

No. 2 Shaktoolik v. No. 15 Akiak at 9:30 a.m. (Court 2)

Thursday

Consolations

Game 1:Loser of Klawock/Brevig Mission v. Buckland/Scammon Bay at 11 a.m. (Aux Gym)

Game 2:Loser of Newhalen/St. Mary’s v. Nunamiut/Birchwood Christian at 12:30 p.m. (Aux Gym)

Game 3:Loser of Fort Yukon/Napaskiak v. Lumen Christi/Napaaqtugmiut at 6:15 p.m. (Aux Gym)

Game 4:Loser of Bristol Bay/Skagway v. Shaktoolik/Akiak at 7:45 (Aux Gym)

Quarterfinals

Game 5:Winner of Klawock/Brevig Mission v. Buckland/Scammon Bay at 11 a.m. (Court 2)

Game 6:Winner of v. Newhalen/St. Mary’s v. Nunamiut/Birchwood Christian at 12:30 p.m. (Court 2)

Game 7:Winner of Fort Yukon/Napaskiak v. Lumen Christi/Napaaqtugmiut at 6:15 p.m. (Court 2)

Game 8:Winner of Bristol Bay/Skagway v. Shaktoolik/Akiak at 7:45 (Court 2)

Friday

Game 9:Winner of Game 5 v. Winner of Game 6 at 3:15 p.m. (Court 2)

Game 10:Winner of Game 7 v. Winner of Game 8 at 4:45 p.m. (Court 2)

Saturday

Third place

Loser of Game 9 v. Loser of Game 10 at 9:30 a.m. (Main Court)

Championship

Winner of Game 9 v. Winner of Game 10 at 2 p.m. (Main Court)

Boys

Wednesday

No. 1 Kake v. No. 16 Emmonak at 3:15 p.m. (Court 1)

No. 8 Napaaqtugmiut v. No. 9 Shaktoolik at 11 a.m. (Court 2)

No. 4 Cook Inlet Academy v. No. 13 Aqqaluk at 8 a.m. (Court 1)

No. 5 Minto v. No. 12 Klawock at 9:30 a.m. (Court 1)

No. 3 King Cove v. 14 Aniak at 12:30 p.m. (Court 2)

No. 6 Nunamiut v. No. 11 Lumen Christi at 6:15 p.m. (Court 2)

No. 7 Shishmaref v. No. 10 Kipnuk at 4:45 p.m. (Court 1)

No. 2 Scammon Bay v. No. 15 Koliganek at 7:45 a.m. (Court 2)

Thursday

Consolations

Game 1:Loser of Kake/Emmonak v. Napaaqtugmiut/Shaktoolik at 8 a.m. (Aux Gym)

Game 2:Loser of Cook Inlet Academy/Aqqaluk v. Minto/Klawock at 9:30 a.m. (Aux Gym)

Game 3:Loser of King Cove/Aniak v. Nunamiut/Lumen Christi at 3:15 p.m. (Aux Gym)

Game 4:Loser of Shishmaref/Kipnuk v. Scammon Bay/Koliganek at 4:45 p.m. (Aux Gym)

Quarterfinals

Game 5:Winner of Kake/Emmonak v. Napaaqtugmiut/Shaktoolik at 8 a.m. (Court 2)

Game 6:Winner of Cook Inlet Academy/Aqqaluk v. Minto/Klawock at 9:30 a.m. (Court 2)

Game 7:Winner of King Cove/Aniak v. Nunamiut/Lumen Christi at 3:15 p.m. (Court 2)

Game 8:Winner of Shishmaref/Kipnuk v. Scammon Bay/Koliganek at 4:45 p.m. (Court 2)

Friday

Game 9:Winner of Game 5 v. Winner of Game 6 at 6:15 p.m. (Court 2)

Game 10:Winner of Game 7 v. Winner of Game 8 at 7:45 p.m. (Court 2)

Saturday

Third place

Loser of Game 9 v. Loser of Game 10 at 8 a.m. (Main Court)

Championship

Winner of Game 9 v. Winner of Game 10 at 4 p.m. (Main Court)