WHS senior is top player

MAT-SU — Before Jenna Johnson’s senior season at Wasilla High School, Warriors head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax challenged the WHS standout.

“I told her when you leave us in March, make us better than we are right now,” Hebert-Truax said.

Johnson answered by leading a Wasilla team, which featured five sophomores who see regular playing time in the Warriors lineup, to a runner-up finish in the Northern Lights Conference Championships and the third-place spot in the state tourney for the second consecutive year.

Now Johnson’s efforts are being recognized. Just days after she was named the Gatorade Alaska Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Johnson has been tabbed as the 2009 Anchorage Daily News/Alaska Media 4A Girls Player of the Year.

“She pretty much single-handedly carried her team to third place. That’s pretty tough to vote against,” Colony head coach Don Witzel said of Johnson’s efforts during the three-day state tournament earlier this month.

A two-time NLC Player of the Year, Johnson averaged 21.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.9 steals per game during her senior season. She’s a four-time all-state tournament selection, and this season, she is on the Alaska Media All-State team for the third consecutive year.

After Johnson was named the Gatorade Player of the Year, Hebert-Truax said there was one simple fact that separates Johnson from the remainder of the Alaska basketball talent.

“No one person can stop her,” Hebert-Truax said. “If you put three on her, you’ve got a good chance.”

Johnson is one of three Valley players on the 4A girls’ first team. Joining the Wasilla standout are Colony seniors Alex Coon and Allie Grazulis.

Coon has a spot on the first team for the second straight year and Grazulis is a two-time first-team All-NLC selection.

Both helped Colony win a second straight NLC title and advance to the 4A title game for the second time in as many years.

Witzel said Coon and Grazulis were appropriately called two of the top players in the state.

“They certainly deserved what they got. They both played very well,” Witzel said .”Allie and Alex were both consistent throughout the season.”

Chugiak senior Lorie Clifford and Ketchikan junior Lacie Effenberger were also named first-team.

Coon and Johnson were the only players to be named first-team for the second straight year.

Chugiak head coach Tracy Adams, who led the Mustangs to an upset win over Colony in the 4A title game, was named the coach of the year.

Wasilla sophomore Kelsey Cottle represents the Valley on the girls second team. The 6-foot-4 center continued to grow into her role as a dominant post during her second varsity season. That became especially apparent during the first round of the state tournament where she posted 14 points and 15 rebounds during a 61-46 win over Dimond.

Dimond sophomore Keiahnna Engel, West Anchorage junior Tessla Rennie, Chugiak junior Emily Watzke and Chugiak senior Liz Meddaugh were also named second-team.

Colony senior Kara Larson and Palmer senior Mikaela Bolling were named honorable mention.

No Valley boys player was named first-team by the Alaska Media, but Colony junior John Palmer and Wasilla senior Adrese LaVern were each named second-team.

Colony senior Bryce Jacobson, Palmer senior Mitch Swetzof and Wasilla junior John Knowles were all given an honorable mention.

Dimond senior Colton Lauwers, who helped the Lynx score an overtime win over Soldotna in the 4A boys title game, was named the 4A boys player of the year.

Matthew Johnson, who led Soldotna to the title game in his first year as head coach of the Stars, was named the 4A boys coach of the year.

An all-Anchorage first-team was named for the 4A boys. Lauwers, Dimond senior Chris Plooy, Dimond senior Ryan Hanley, West Anchorage senior Ton Feeney and Bartlett sophomore Damon Sherman-Newsome each received a first-team nod.

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

Anchorage Daily News/Alaska Media 4A Boys All-State Basketball Team

Player of the Year — Colton Lauwers, Dimond

Coach of the Year — Matthew Johnson, Soldotna

FIRST TEAM

Colton Lauwers, Dimond, 6-4 sr, Chris Plooy, Dimond, 6-5 sr, Tom Feeney Jr., West, 6-2 sr, Ryan Hanley, Dimond, 6-3 sr, Damon Sherman-Newsome, Bartlett, 6-3 so.

SECOND TEAM

John Palmer, Colony, 5-10 jr, Mike Russell Jr., West, 6-2 jr, Matt Grubb, Soldotna, 5-10 sr, Eric Gross, Juneau, 6-4 sr, Adrese LaVern, Wasilla, 6-2 sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Liam Andrus, Soldotna; Justin Kauffman, West; Tevin Timberlake, East; Zayan Aberkane, Soldotna; Travis Thompson, Dimond; Bryce Jacobson, Colony; Mitch Swetzof, Palmer; John Knowles, Wasilla; A.J. Banks, East; Courtney May, Bartlett.

4A Girls All-State Basketball Team

Player of the Year — Jenna Johnson, Wasilla

Coach of the Year — Tracy Adams, Chugiak

FIRST TEAM

Jenna Johnson, Wasilla, 5-9 sr, Allie Grazulis, Colony, 5-11 sr, Lorrie Clifford, Chugiak, 5-8 sr, Laci Effenberger, Ketchikan, 5-7 jr, Alex Coon, Colony, 5-10 sr.

SECOND TEAM

Keiahnna Engel, Dimond, 5-7 so, Tessla Rennie, West, 5-11 jr, Emily Watzke, Chugiak, 5-9 jr, Liz Meddaugh, Chugiak, 5-10 sr; Kelsey Cottle, Wasilla, 6-4 so.

HONORABLE MENTION

Katie Anderson, Dimond; Alexis Sayer, Chugiak; Katie Oates, West Valley; Crystal Blair, Ketchikan; Shelby Barton, West Valley; Mikaela Bolling, Palmer; Kara Larson, Colony; Bobbie Britt, Service; Lindsay Murphy, Chugiak; Adrina LaVern-Tosi, West.

3A Boys All-State Basketball Team

Player of the Year — Leif Karlberg, Grace Christian.

Coach of the Year — Patrick Callahan, Nome.

FIRST TEAM

Leif Karlberg, Grace Christian, 6-1 sr, Jesse Blandford, Nome, 5-11 sr, Robert Perea, Seward, 6-2 sr, Michael Stepovich, Monroe Catholic, 6-6 sr, Kevin Rima, Hutchison, 6-6 jr,

SECOND TEAM

Jeremy Head, Nome, 6-1 jr, Jeremiah Ridgeway, Heritage Christian, 5-10 jr, Yuri Tibbs, ACS, 6-3 sr, Jonathan Mazzella, Petersburg, 5-9 sr., Jordan Birchell, Petersburg, 6-6 sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Cole Daniels, Hutchison; Justin Sanders, Barrow; Keenen Mays, Hutchison; Colten Growden, Eielson; Dylan Beck, Seward; Jonathan Millar, Heritage Christian; Ben Snow, Hutchison; Tyler Adams, Barrow; Christian Osentoski, Bethel.

3A Girls All-State Basketball Team

Player of the Year — Anna Simmers, ACS

Coach of the Year — Daniel Skipworth, ACS

FIRST TEAM

Anna Simmers, ACS, 5-10 sr, Chelsea Dyson, ACS, 5-5 sr, Nicole Smith, Barrow, 5-4 so, Debbiey Simmers, ACS, 5-11 jr, Charlea Kewan, Mt. Edgecumbe, 5-11 sr.

SECOND TEAM

Eliza Chadwick, Nikiski, 5-4 sr, Jubilee Sutherland, Glennallen, 5-5 jr, Lainey Beaver, Mt. Edgecumbe, 5-7 jr, Leisha Trani, Sitka, 5-6 jr, Adrienne Beans, Galena, 5-6 sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Sharee Miller, Eielson; Virgina Bobbit, Dillingham; Kira Polk, Bethel; Lexy Seifert, Barrow; Elena Bartman-Wallman, Dillingham; Heather Gallohorn, Kotzebue; Sydnee Falkner, Glennallen; Tricia Ivanoff, Mt. Edgecumbe; Kathryn Medinger, Sitka; Rachel Romans, Nikiski.