Cougars

Saturday saw some fantastic high-school playoff football, with Juneau and West fighting for the right to face Service in next week’s title game. The Crimson Bears were quite active in the first half, as Phillip Fenumiai went deep to Colin Gonzelski to pick up 6 points on a 44-yard touchdown, amassing an 18-7 lead by the early third quarter. But the Eagles’ Connor Feckley would not let that aggression stand, hitting Dahmir Bell on a crossing rout. Sixty-four yards later it was the goal line that Feckley crossed, bringing the score to 18-14 Juneau.

The Bartlett boys basketball team rallied from 16 points behind to trip South, 63-54 to offer a wild beginning to the 31st Service Cougar Tip-Off Classic.  The Golden Bears were outscored to begin the game, 12-0, before marching back with a 29-10 advantage in the fourth quarter.  Damon Sherman-Newsome scored 20 points to lead Bartlett.   The Golden Bears will face defending state 2A champion Point Hope in the semifinals.  The Harpooners sank 10 three-pointers in a 75-58 rout of Lumen Christi.

The Service and South hockey teams each picked up their first victories in Cook Inlet Conference play on Tuesday night. Service blanked Bartlett, 9-0, while South took down Chugiak, 4-1. The Cougars exploded for three goals in each period and peppered the Golden Bears net all night, registering 60 shots on goal. Aaron McInnis was the only two-goal scorer for Service, while Alex Prestegard collected three assists. Service is 1-0-0 in CIC play, while Bartlett drops to 0-2-0.

Service's 42-7 win over Dimond on Saturday was enough to put them at the top of this week's Alaska Sports Broadcasting Netowrk Football Poll. Chugiak jumped up to the number two spot from last week after stomping Eagle River 35-14. Juneau jumps into the poll as well with a 2-0 record.  South's riveting win agianst Bartlett on a late two-point conversion threw the Wolverines in the poll, while Bartlett's loss dropped the Golden Bears down from number one to number five.

Service pulled the shocker of the Alaska high school hockey season on Friday, knocking off previously undefeated Dimond, 2-1 in the semifinals of the state 4A tournament in Wasilla.  The game was tied at one goal apiece until Service's Chase Crabb scored with 5:50 left in the third period.  The Cougars will face South in the championship game.  the Wolverines scored twice early and went on to deny East its first state championship game appearance since 1997, 3-0. The South-Service final will be a rematch of the 2008 title game won by the Wolverines in double overtime.

With the first high school football action of the season the Service Cougars played to a 34-34 draw Thursday night against the Leilehua Mules in Hawaii.   Officially a preseason contest there was no overtime played. Cougars Junior Quarterback Viliamu Aukusitino put forth a monster effort in the game.  Aukusitino threw for one touchdown, ran for two, and made a fourth trip to the house in the fourth quarter on a 100 yard interception return.  The returning player of the year posted a state line of 187 yard passing, 88 yards rushing, 100 yard interception return.

The 10th-ranked UAA women's basketball team capped off a perfect road trip to Hawaii with a 62-45 rout of St. Xavier, the #13 program in NAIA.  The Seawolves are a Division II program.  Hanna Johansson led three Seawolves in double figures with 15 points.  Gritt Ryder ( 14 points ) and Kaylie Robison ( 11 points ) also hit double figures for UAA, which improves to 10-2 overall.  The Seawolves led by only four points at halftime before opening the second half on a 21-4 run. UAA opens the Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of the schedule Thursday, December 29th at Central Washington.

The Dimond Lynx racked up 8 runs on 9 hits in their 8-4 victory over the Service Cougars Saturday.  The victory securing a spot in the BP Exploration Invitational Tournament semifinals Sunday against South, a rematch of the High School State Championship which the Wolverines won. The Lynx played from behind early, in the bottom of the second inning Service's Johnny Meszaros made his aluminum bat ping in a way that immediatly let the fans know, that...

The Service High Cougars are ranked among the best girls soccer teams in the country. ESPNRISE.com pegs the undefeated Cougars at No. 24th in the country. The National Soccer Coaches Association has them ranked No. 6 in Region VI. Twenty-one states hold high school soccer in the spring. Service (7-0-0) is the only Alaska school ranked in the polls.