Chants of ‘wood yard’ and ‘moose meat’ drive Minto boys in 1A state basketball tournament

Coming together and working hard for the betterment of one another is a concept that the Minto boys basketball team works to apply both on and off the court.

When the Lakers’ double-digit, first-half lead over the Cook Inlet Academy Eagles in the quarterfinals of the 1A state tournament turned into a six-point deficit early in the third quarter, they didn’t fold. Rather, the Minto players overcame it and rallied to a 64-52 victory.

“We got down in this one, (the team) stuck with it, and it was pure heart at the end of that one,” Minto head coach Peter Anderson said.

The Lakers have two chants that they repeatedly shout and preach on the bench that express the team’s willingness to work hard and work together. They employ the chants whether they’re up or down on the scoreboard, but especially when they’re trailing.

“They say ‘wood yard’ and they say ‘moose meat,’” Anderson said. “Wood yard is when they go out and get wood, they sell wood, they cut it as a team, they haul it and it’s a lot of hard work.

The “moose meat” chant is invigorating, “what our culture is all about,” Anderson said.

“They believe that is where their strength comes from, and once they start chanting that, they thrive off it and everybody gets pumped up.”

The community northwest of Fairbanks had its gym undergoing renovations this winter, which led to the team’s players using temporary rims and often practicing on only half a court.

“We did middle school basketball in the Community Hall with makeshift rims,” Anderson said.

Minto used a 13-0 run that began late in the third quarter with a clutch 3-pointer from Justin Charlie and a layup from Marsten Capelle to regain the lead. They carried that momentum over to the fourth by scoring the first eight points of the final eight minutes.

“We’ve come a long way with these boys,” Anderson said. “They never gave up, and if I can say one thing about them, it’s that they have huge hearts and a work ethic that you cannot teach.”

After scoring just four points through the first two quarters, Capelle dropped 13 in the final half to earn Player of the Game honors.

The Lakers had three other players reach double figures in scoring and believe that they’re deeper than most teams they go up against.

“We play a solid eight-man rotation, so I feel like we’re fresh all game long, and when other teams start to feel that fatigue kick in, we’re still going, we’re still fresh, and we’re still rolling,” Anderson said.

[Hooper Bay snaps winless streak at 2A state tournament with blowout win over Unalaska]

The Lakers will need everything they have and then some in the semifinal round on Friday, when they face off against defending state champion Kake. The Thunderbirds, who haven’t lost a game since January 2022, are riding the longest active win streak in the state at 59 through the first two rounds of this year’s tournament.

“It’s going to be a tall order but if anybody can do it, our boys can do it,” Anderson said.

ASAA 1A State Championship Tournament

At Alaska Airlines Center

Girls

Wednesday

Klawock 36, Brevig Mission 28

Newhalen 69, St. Mary’s 28

Napaaqtugmiut 35, Lumen Christi 26

Bristol Bay 54, Skagway 46

Shaktoolik 78, Akiak 28

Nunamiut 39, Birchwood Christian 25

Buckland 58, Scammon Bay 49

Fort Yukon 78, Napaskiak 38

Thursday

Consolations

Scammon Bay 48, Brevig Mission 43

St. Mary’s 32, Birchwood Christian 27

Napaskiak 49, Lumen Christi 44

Skagway 56, Akiak 9

Quarterfinals

Klawock 48, Buckland Bay 45

Newhalen 83, Nunamiut 46

Fort Yukon 49, Napaaqtugmiut 44

Shaktoolik 61, Bristol Bay 42

Friday

Consolations

Scammon Bay v. St. Mary’s 32 at 11 a.m. (Aux Gym)

Buckland v. Nunamiut at 11 a.m. (Court 2)

Napaaqtugmiut v. Bristol Bay at 12:30 p.m. (Court 2)

Napaskiak v. Skagway at 12:30 p.m. (Aux Gym)

Semifinals

Klawock v. Newhalen at 3:15 p.m. (Court 2)

Fort Yukon v. Shaktoolik at 4:45 p.m. (Court 2)

Saturday

Third place, 9:30 a.m. (Main Court)

Championship, 2 p.m. (Main Court)

Boys

Wednesday

Kake 65, Emmonak 44

Shaktoolik 59, Napaaqtugmiut 50

Cook Inlet Academy 64, Aqqaluk 43

Minto 59, Klawock 31

King Cove 80, 14 Aniak 40

Shishmaref 61, Kipnuk 29

Lumen Christi 63, Nunamiut 56

Scammon Bay 81, Koliganek 58

Thursday

Consolations

Napaaqtugmiut 65, Emmonak 59

Klawock 68, Aqqaluk 56

Aniak 61 Nunamiut 50

Kipnuk 51, Koliganek 50

Quarterfinals

Kake 70, Shaktoolik 59

Minto 64, Cook Inlet Academy 52

King Cove 53, Lumen Christi 29

Scammon Bay 75, Shishmaref 63

Friday

Consolations

Shaktoolik v. Cook Inlet Academy at 8 a.m. (Court 2)

Lumen Christi v. Shishmaref at 9:30 a.m. (Court 2)

Napaaqtugmiut v. Klawock at 8 a.m. (Aux Gym)

Aniak v. Kipnuk at 9:30 p.m. (Aux Gym)

Semifinals

Kake v. Minto at 6:15 p.m. (Court 2)

King Cove v. Scammon Bay at 7:45 p.m. (Court 2)

Saturday

Third place, 8 a.m. (Main Court)

Championship, 4 p.m. (Main Court)