Basketball's winning tradition a source of pride

As the last echoes of cheering fans and bouncing balls fade into the air of Valley gymnasiums and another basketball season comes to a close, it is worth noting the lofty place the sport occupies in the lives of Alaskans.

The state's version of March Madness ended on the hardwood of Anchorage's Sullivan Arena Saturday night, when two new state champions were crowned in the large school division. Earlier in the week, smaller schools also played for a championship, as prep hoopsters from every corner of Alaska converged on Anchorage for the tournament.

Boys and girls teams from both Colony and Wasilla high schools represented the Valley in this year's tourney. Though hopes were high, the competition was tough, and championship dreams will have to be put on hold for another year. But that hardly means anyone needs to hang their head.

Over the years, basketball has been a constant for Valley sports fans. It's a team sport that needs a hefty dose of communitywide teamwork to reach the level of consistency displayed by area teams. Families, youth programs, coaches, officials and all manner of volunteers play a part in building a winning tradition, and everyone involved should feel proud of the record of accomplishment.

This year's crop of area teams made its own contribution to the ongoing legacy of quality competition and good sportsmanship, providing, at once, much to look back on, and much to look forward to.

As significant as the team approach is to success, individual personalities also play a huge role in enriching that legacy and providing essential continuity. Wasilla girls coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax is an excellent example.

One of the all-time great Alaska prep players, who went on to be a Division I standout with the University of Miami in the highly competitive Big East Conference, Hebert-Truax quietly has turned the Warrior program into a perennial contender since her arrival as coach in the mid-1990s. Under her expert guidance, Wasilla has amassed an astounding 75-game winning streak in conference play - a streak that extends back five years.

Across the Valley at Colony High, girls coach Don Witzel has been the architect of a dynasty of his own. Witzel's Knights appeared in six state championship games in seven years, and won three of them. His team finished fourth this season, but Colony's 2006 tourney run marked the impressive 13th-straight state-tournament appearance for the Knights.

Wasilla boys coach Jason Marvel also has a winning tradition in the making. In just his fourth year at the helm, Marvel led his team to a fourth-consecutive tournament appearance.

In the Christian schools circuit, an upstart girls team from Wasilla Lake Christian School notched a second-place finish in the state March 11 in its inaugural season of varsity competition.

And there's no sign of a let-up. Valley teams have some of the best freshmen and sophomore players in the state, and many of them already have seen lots of quality playing time. So fans should have plenty to cheer about again next year.

Congratulations to this year's teams and everyone who had a part in building not only good basketball players, but good citizens, too. In the years to come, we hope that this year's competitors will find value off the court in lessons learned on it, and will look back with pride at what they were a part of.