Hawks embrace role as underdogs of MAC

HOUSTON — The Houston Hawks know they will be the underdogs when teams hit the Lathrop High School court for the Mid-Alaska Conference Championships tournament this week.

Houston’s the fourth seed in the four-seed tourney, and the Hawks are participating in only their second MAC championships after graduating to the conference from the 3A level two years ago.

But now the Hawks are ready to show that a game against Houston is more than just a stepping stone to the MAC championship game.

“We’ve always felt like sort of the stepchild of the conference, the stepchild of the Valley,” Houston head coach Dave Porter said on Monday. “We’re (a small school), but we’re labeled as a big school. The kids are used to that, and it’s fine by me.”

The Hawks — who open tourney play against host Lathrop Thursday at 7:30 p.m. — posted their first MAC victory in school history last Thursday with a 38-35 win over North Pole. Porter is hoping the confidence gained by that win will help his team during tourney play.

“It felt good,” Porter said. “That was a huge win for our program.”

Houston (1-5 in conference) faced Lathrop (5-1) twice during the regular season, with both meetings ending with double-digit losses. But regardless of the outcome of the games earlier this season, Porter said the Hawks have the potential to enjoy success against the Malemutes.

“We actually matchup pretty good for the most part,” Porter said.

Recent MAC action has also shown parity in the league. In late February, Lathrop edged North Pole 46-42, and a night after Houston beat North Pole, West Valley stopped a late Houston rally to hold onto a 52-46 win at HHS.

Porter said his team has steadily improved throughout the year, and in a handful of the losses, the Hawks trailed by just a possession or two late into the game.

Houston continues to shoot the ball well. The Hawks nailed nine three-pointers in the second half, during the loss to West Valley.

Captain Scott Herman can score from anywhere on the court, and guard Zack Qual is a consistent threat from outside. Porter said the Hawks have also seen quality shooting from their bench. Mitch Montreuil hit a pair of threes against West Valley.

While the Hawks could always shoot the ball, Porter said the emergence of his post players has also been key. Logan Moore and J.T. Thompson combined for 14 points during the win over North Pole. Thompson pulled down 10 rebounds against the Patriots.

“We’re getting more production,” Porter said. “We’ve got a couple of post players playing a lot better.”

Second-seeded North Pole plays third-seeded West Valley in the tournament’s other first-round game. The four-team tourney is a single-elimination event. The winners of both Thursday games move on to play in the MAC title game, scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Lathrop High. The winner of the title game earns the conference’s lone state tourney berth.

Like the Houston boys, the Houston girls are also heading into the MAC tourney as the underdog. But while Porter has a collection of seasoned veterans on his squad, the Houston girls are building for the future with a team made up predominately of young talent.

Of the 12 players on the squad, two are seniors — captains Kelsey Thamm and Ariel Katzenberger — and 10 are underclassmen.

The Hawks finished the regular season 0-6 in MAC play, but the Houston coaching staff is looking at the improvement of the players, rather than the win-loss record.

“We’re incredibly happy with the development of the younger kids,” Houston assistant coach Norm Bouchard said.

Sophomores Savannah Ritter and Amber Acton, and freshman Savanna James have emerged as impact players for the Hawks. Bouchard noted the work of another underclassman, Janae Shannon, who was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Houston opens tourney play against top-seeded West Valley (6-0) Thursday at 6 p.m. at Lathrop High School. West Valley and Lathrop play in the other first-round game. The winners of each game meet in the conference title game on Friday at 6 p.m.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.