When the Seward High School girls basketball team won the 2A championship last year, it marked their first state title in nearly three decades. Now, the Seahawks have repeated the feat, claiming back-to-back titles for the first time in program history.
Going up against the same opponent on the same stage with the same stakes on the line, Seward dispatched Glennallen 42-26 on Saturday night at the Alaska Airlines Center. The triumph capped off an undefeated 29-0 season.
“We played them last year, and they were such a good team, and then we heard they were losing some seniors but they’re still such a super strong team,” senior Mikinley Williams said. “It was such a fun game and I’m so happy with how we won the state championship.”
At the beginning of the season, an opposing coach asked Seward head coach Curtis Berry whether they were going to win back-to-back titles.
“I wasn’t thinking that at all,” he said. “We were thinking that’d be a great cherry on top, but we got to build the cake before we put the cherry on top of it.”
The Seahawks didn’t skip any steps along the way, overlook any opponent or take any win for granted. In the end, their hard work paid off as they hoisted the trophy again.
“I think they were gearing up for this, and Glennallen is a great team and they worked hard today,” Berry said.
Seward was in control of the game from start to finish, leading by nearly double figures at the end of each of the first two quarters.
Once Glennallen had its star player and lone All Tournament selection, senior Alianna Stone, foul out about midway through the third, the Seahawks were in cruise control the rest of the way.
“Our defense is really good, and that’s how we win,” senior Ava Jagielski said. “We play hard defense and go after every loose ball.”
She received player of the game honors after leading the team with 12 points. She also marked a personal milestone in the first quarter, reaching 1,000 career points on her second field goal of the game.
“I’ve been trying to get that all season, so to get that here was really cool,” Jagielski said.
Her family was sitting in the front row behind the bench and unveiled a sign to commemorate the achievement.
“It means a lot,” Jagielski said. “We’re all really excited to be here and it was really fun.”
Her family and friends weren’t the only ones from their town showing their support at the state tournament.
“I think half of Seward must’ve been here, maybe more, and they’ve been there throughout the process and they’ve been cheering us on, and that gives the girls a bunch of hype,” Berry said.
It can be a difficult task to keep a group of teenagers who haven’t lost since December 2024 to stay focused on one game at a time. However, the Seahawks did a good job of self-governing and holding each other accountable.
“They realized what’s at stake, and this has been really something good about this group,” Berry said. “They’re really special in the idea that whatever happens, we’re staying together. They like each other, they do stuff off the court together and are just a great group on the court.”
In his nearly two decades on the job as coach, he said he can’t recall a group of players who were more connected than this group, which has won 56 straight games over two years. Berry said they are a “dream to coach.”
“Honestly, I can’t even believe it,” Williams said. “I feel like we’ve lost so many more games because of how intense the games are. It’s really cool the more I think about it.”
The Seahawks are hoping their success over the last two seasons will inspire more girls to pick up the sport and come out for the team.
“I hope this makes our program bigger so that girls will want to play basketball,” Williams said. “We’re losing four seniors this year, so there’s going to be a deficit again.”
Seward girls cruise to second straight 2A state basketball championship
