JDHS seniors honored in sweep over Wasilla

[mouakter13]

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior night soccer match Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park against visiting Wasilla was just nine minutes in before a script made for Hollywood came to fruition.

Crimson Bears senior Kai Ciambor struck a penalty kick past the Warriors keeper and set a new JDHS soccer scoring mark of 61. He added to that total in the 30th minute, topping former player and coach’s son Jackson Lehnhart’s 60.

“Honestly, it is very surreal,” Ciambor said. “There was a lot of buildup to this. Obviously, going into the season I knew I needed 14, which was kind of a joke around some of my best friends because 14 is my jersey number and they were like, ‘Oh, it’s a perfect storm’ type of thing. But in all honesty, this means a lot to me, but a lot of the credit has to go to my teammates. I think the number is attached to my name, but it is really more about all the opportunities that my teammates made, and country wise email marketing list my coaches and everybody has given me to get me to this spot. It just means a lot. It means a lot for the program.”

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys head soccer coach Gary Lehnhart speaks about his senior players as they look on during Saturday’s Crimson Bears senior appreciation game at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys head soccer coach Gary Lehnhart speaks about his senior players as they look on during Saturday’s Crimson Bears senior appreciation game at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

JDHS honored seniors Ciambor, Kellen Chester, Caden Haygood, Reed Maier, Ahmir Parker, Matthew Plang, Ryan Thibodeau, Owen Rumsey, Cole Reel, Nathaniel Brennell, Malcolm Bahn and exchange student David Kresina before Saturday’s game and the emotions poured over into another quality performance on the pitch in a 5-1 win.

Ciambor’s second goal was assisted by junior Fixx Siner. Thibodeau scored in the 39th minute on a penalty kick, freshman Troy Edgar scored in the 43rd minute assisted by Parker and Maier scored in the 45th minute off a corner by Ciambor.

“It felt so good,” Maier said. “I have been struggling with corners since I joined the program. Being aggressive on corners is a hard skill and it felt so good to finish one on senior night. It was my first goal off a corner.”

Maier also earned the team’s Lunch Pail Award.

“I guess I was one of the hardest workers in the game,” Maier said. “Gary said I did the little things, rather than the big flashy moments.”