...next level.. It's going to be a fun season in Juneau for fans of prep basketball. No doubt. ? Sports Editor Shaun T. Cox can be reached at shaun.cox@juneauempire.com, or 523-2228

...against a hard-hitting team. "We're ready." Bears blank Mariners on Friday Bears blank Mariners on Friday By SHAUN T. COX After nearly 25 minutes of scoreless hockey Friday at Treadwell Arena, the Crimson Bears got two quick goals in less...

...kids can get back out there to have some fun. Isn't that what youth sports is supposed to be about? Sports editor Shaun T. Cox can be reached at 523-2228, or at shaun.cox@juneauempire.com

...trophy. But they do deserve your support, no matter if they wear blue and gray, or crimson and black. Sports editor Shaun T. Cox can be reached at shaun.cox@juneauempire, or at 523-2228.

Things are changing after 21 years of prep football tradition in Juneau - change that has been on the horizon since a new high school opened two years ago. This is no longer a one-team town. A new Southeast rivalry begins Saturday when the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears face the Thunder Mountain Falcons at 8 p.m. for hometown bragging rights in the first-ever Glacier Bowl at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. The game marks an historic event for local high school football, which began in the late 1980s.

Thunder Mountain cross-country is entering its third season of competition, and the Falcons are eager to take the next step toward the top of Region V. TMHS graduated just three seniors from last year's team and has 33 runners out this season, which begins Saturday on Juneau's Treadwell Cross-Country Course at Savviko Park with the girls running at about 1 p.m.

One is known for his blistering sense of humor, the other for his patented pairs of khaki shorts. Both are known for their dedication to the kids and community of Juneau. Juneau-Douglas softball manager Dave Massey and assistant coach Glen Alt were recognized Friday by a large gathering of family and friends of the program where the magic happens each spring: Melvin Park. Massey, 68, is entering his 40th year on the sideline, while Alt, 63, has been coaching for 30-plus years.

Demetrius Campos scored three touchdowns as Juneau-Douglas rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 39-13 win over visiting Notre Dame on Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park.

Two of four Gastineau Channel Little League baseball and softball teams have already begun postseason play and things are about to go full tilt with the start of the Alaska District 2 Little League Baseball Tournament beginning today at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. The field at Miller Park has been recently resurfaced so the high school teams' field at Adair-Kennedy had to be modified for the Little Leaguers.

It's a brand-new season with all-new challenges, expectations and obstacles to overcome, and Juneau-Douglas is once again flying under the radar. Nine months after finishing up in the semifinals with a disappointing 21-18 loss to West Anchorage in a game the Crimson Bears dominated statistically, JDHS is eager for another crack at a state title.