Petersburg’s Viking basketball players are the reigning champions of this season’s 2A regional and state tournaments. It’s the first time they’ve held that title in seven years.
As KFSK’s Shelby Herbert reports, the Vikings’ head coach says it was a triumphant last run for his senior players.
Petersburg’s varsity Vikings emerged from March Madness with a state and regional title. But their head coach, Rick Brock, says they didn’t simply skate by their opponents. It was a hard-fought month, with more than a few close calls. And there’s no glamorous recipe for their success.
“It’s a process — there’s no secret sauce,” said Brock. “It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of time and commitment.”
Petersburg’s varsity Vikings entered the 2A Regional Tournament in Sitka in second seed. They won their first game against their rivals, the Wrangell Wolves, 54-to-43. Then the Vikings took on Metlakatla, defeating the Chiefs 49-to-42. Brock says his team’s balanced scoring put them ahead in the tight regional games.
“What was nice for us is that in both games, we had multiple people scoring,” said Brock. “It really took that team effort for us to be successful.”
Petersburg’s boys entered the state tournament in Anchorage in third seed. They were matched up with the Ninilchik Wolverines for their first game, which, Brock says, had his team feeling a bit nervous. He says the Vikings came to the court with the memory of a few highly-competitive games they played against the formidable Wolverines during last year’s semi-finals.
“They were the two-time state champion,” said Brock. “I knew going in that sometimes you have a team that seems to be playing a level above everybody else. But this year going in, I felt that the team that showed up and played well for three games had a chance to be successful.”
Petersburg and Ninilchik were nearly tied by the end of the fourth quarter. Ninilchik took control of the ball after a timeout and tried to pull off a full-court shot, but they didn’t make it. Then, Petersburg senior Elijah Whitacre broke through and made a basket in the last 12 seconds of the game. The Vikings pulled through by two points, winning 44-to-42.
Their next two games were similarly tight — they defeated the Cordova Wolverines 38-to-34, and then Hooper Bay Warriors 41-to-33.
Brock says he’s proud of his team for never losing their composure in the face of such tough opponents. He also praised them for the individual awards they collected over the course of the season.
“Alex Holmgrain and Nathan Kerr [got] the Good Sport Award,” said Brock. “[They’re] two guys that are always there every day working hard, but when you travel with them, they’re the first guys to jump up and help you clean up a classroom or do something that needs to get done. They don’t mind pitching in and helping. They have a great attitude about everything they do every day. Rik Cumps and Hunter Conn both got the All-Conference Award. And then three of our seniors: Elijah Whittaker, Rik Cumps and Kieran Cabral got the All-Academic award for their GPA over their high school career.”
The team came home to a jubilant community parade, with locals driving cars, buses, and even fire trucks up and down the main drag to celebrate the Vikings’ victory. Talk of their success even reached Petersburg’s Assembly Chambers. Mayor Mark Jensen commended the team at the Borough’s March 18 Assembly meeting.
“I would like to give a shoutout to our Petersburg Vikings,” said Mayor Jensen. “The boys team took Region 2A State Champion. So, congratulations and thank you for representing your community so well.”
Looking ahead, Coach Brock says the Vikings will feel the sting after many of their star players graduate in the coming months. But he says he expects they’ll leave behind a blueprint of success for his younger players — and that entails giving their all at practice until their games restart in the fall.
