The Eek Cougars boys basketball team made school history when they beat out the Napaskiak Hawks to punch their ticket to state for the first time ever on March 3 in the 38th Annual Coastal Conference 1A Tournament in Bethel.
The Cougars will be joined at the upcoming 1A championships in Anchorage by the Kasigluk-Akiuk Lady Grizzlies, who won over the Tuntutuliak Lady Blue Jays to head to state for the second year in a row.
Fans packed the Warrior Dome throughout the three-day tournament that brought 16 teams to Bethel Regional High School, heralding the beginning of March Madness in Alaska.
The 2025 Coastal Conference champions, the Kipnuk Falcons, who also won in 2024, did not appear in the tournament. Despite being displaced in Anchorage following destruction in their community from the remnants of Typhoon Halong, the boys and girls teams have both competed as their village teams this season.
The Kipnuk boys recently had the opportunity to return to their region for a shot at qualifying for regionals when Eek hosted the MidCoast Basketball League Tournament in February. The Kwigillingok Lady Eagles, also displaced from their community by last October’s storm, took second to head to regionals.
In Bethel, the Lady Eagles tied for seventh on the second day of the tournament.
The Eek Cougars and Kasigluk-Akiuk Lady Grizzlies will next travel to the 1A/2A state championships at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage from March 11 to March 14. There, they’ll join the Scammon Bay Eagles boys and girls teams, Akiak Lady Thunderbolts, and the Aniak Halfbreeds, who have come out on top for their region despite the closure of their school and gym due to structural concerns.
Boys Results
- Champion - Eek Cougars
- Runner-up - Napaskiak Hawks
- 3rd place - Tuntutuliak Blue Jays
- 4th place - Kwethluk Carayiit
- 5th place - Toksook Bay Islanders
- 6th place - Chefornak Shamans
- Tied for 7th place - Nunapitchuk Wolves
- Tied for 7th place - Mertarvik Jaegers
Girls Results
- Champion - Kasigluk-Akiuk Grizzlies
- Runner-up - Tuntutuliak Blue Jays
- 3rd place - Chefornak Shamans
- 4th place - Napaskiak Hawks
- 5th place - Toksook Bay Islanders
- 6th place - Quinhagak Seahawks
- Tied for 7th place - Kwethluk Carayiit
- Tied for 7th place - Kwigillingok Eagles
