February 5, 2026, by the Seward Folly Staff

This past weekend, Seward hosted the annual Seahawk Classic, a varsity-only tournament featuring the Unalaska Raiders, Kenai Cardinals, and Bethel Warriors. Games began Thursday afternoon and continued through Saturday, with both boys’ and girls’ teams playing each day. Unalaska and Seward compete in Division Two, while Kenai and Bethel are classified as 3A.

Visiting teams stayed in the Seward community for the duration of the tournament. Unalaska, for example, made use of unused classrooms at the school. Given that flights from Unalaska to the mainland can exceed $800, the Raiders maximize their travel by participating in multiple events. Before arriving in Seward, Unalaska played in Dillingham, then traveled to Anchorage, Soldotna, and finally Seward.

The Seward boys opened the tournament against Unalaska in front of a full gym. Junior starter Jamis Hartman was out with an injury, with Chiron Cross filling in. The starting lineup also included Emerson Cross, Luke and Mason Elhard, and Lane Petersen. Seward led most of the way and won 62–55.

Coach Al Plan said, “This was a conference game that we really needed. The boys played hard and found a way to hold on to make the win. They didn’t play the best game but circled back for a tough win.”

Photos by Erik Slater, January 29-31, 2026

At halftime, local youth from the Seward Sports and Recreation Urbach’s Youth Basketball League played short games in front of the crowd. Catalyst Marine beat Harbor 360, 2–0, and Ranting Raven defeated Kenai Fjords Tours, 4–0.

On Friday night, Seward faced rival Kenai. The gym was packed. The Seahawks trailed by 10 or more points at times but narrowed the gap to four by halftime. In the third quarter, Seward took a seven-point lead and held on to win 49–40.

Luke Elhard said, “I think this is the best game we’ve played all season. Last night we made a lot of mistakes, and it was great to win against Kenai.”

Chiron Cross added, “This game was fun. I like the pressure and I kept my mental game steady. I didn’t try anything special. The team defense was much better tonight. We worked together.”

Coach Plan commented, “The team bounced back and kept their composure, answering back to Kenai. They had good shots, made good decisions, and played like what we ask when coaching. That makes for success.”

Photos by Erik Slater, January 29-31, 2026

Saturday’s matchup with Bethel was a different outcome. Bethel, the eventual tournament champions, maintained a strong lead throughout and won 64–39. With just over a minute left, Seward subbed in several second-string players, including senior Otto Nipp, who attempted a three-pointer, as is tradition, but missed.

Photos by Erik Slater, January 29-31, 2026

Next weekend, the Seahawks return home to face Cordova. Friday and Saturday will feature a JV game, varsity girls and boys games, recognition for senior basketball players and cheerleaders, and a halftime performance by the mini cheerleaders.

Seahawk Classic Scores

Boys Games	Score	Girls Games	Score
Kenai vs. Bethel	Bethel 71-62	Kenai vs. Bethel	Kenai 58-40
Seward vs. Unalaska	Seward 62-55	Seward vs. Unalaska	Seward 58-21
Bethel vs. Unalaska	Bethel 62-59	Bethel vs. Unalaska	Unalaska 44-25
Seward vs. Kenai	Seward 49-40	Seward vs. Kenai	Seward 57-15
Unalaska vs. Kenai	Kenai 67-50	Unalaska vs. Kenai	Kenai 63-32
Seward vs. Bethel	Bethel 64-39	Seward vs. Bethel	Seward 64-20

Boys Champions: Bethel; Girls Champions: Seward