AllOutAlaskaDocumentary

Sitka Wolves Documentary  Project Update

First and foremost, thank you.

To everyone who has supported this documentary so far, we are incredibly grateful. Your belief in this story, this team, and this community means more than you know.

This current season looked a little different than we originally planned. With coaching responsibilities, and with Brandon’s business commitments, we simply weren’t able to film consistently the way we needed to. Rather than continue asking for funds without being able to fully deliver, we made the decision to pause additional filming and focus on doing this the right way.

The good news:

We are currently editing Episode One.

We are actively paying for the edit now, and we are excited to share it with you soon. This first episode captures the heart of Sitka basketball, the culture, the rivalry, the hope, and some truly special moments with this team that we cannot wait for you to see.

What’s Next

Our plan moving forward:

• Host a private screening and fundraiser dinner to premiere Episode One and raise funds for the remaining edits.

• Complete between 3–5 total episodes, with editing costs running $800–$1,000 per episode.

• Secure media credentials for the State Tournament.

• If we reach the State Championship game, we will have a film crew there to capture that moment for the final episode.

To film the state final and the team’s return to Sitka, including airport arrival and any celebration festivities, we will need approximately $1,000–$1,200 for filming costs.

Our vision is to finish this documentary the right way, to tell the full story, and if that story ends with a state title, we want to capture every second of it.

How You Can Help

We are continuing fundraising efforts and preparing for our private screening event. If you would like to support the completion of this documentary, donations to our SpotFund are deeply appreciated.

This project is still very much alive.

We have captured meaningful, emotional, once in a lifetime moments with this group, and we are committed to bringing them to life on screen.

Thank you for believing in this story.

We can’t wait to share it with you.

Sitka Wolves Documentary Team

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Thank you all for your patience and support!!

Last year around this time, I had an idea I just couldn’t shake. I knew we were about to witness a historic basketball season here in Sitka, Alaska, and I wanted to document it. With the encouragement of close friends — and Brandon Reese in particular — I decided to start filming what I believed could be a special run for the 2024–2025 Sitka High School boys basketball team. They had talent, a head coach I knew could lead them toward a legitimate state championship push, and a fierce local rivalry with Mt. Edgecumbe, who had just made their own run at a title. All the ingredients were there.

The moment I committed to the project, I realized how difficult it was going to be to film a documentary while also being on the coaching staff. One of the hardest parts was accepting that, despite putting in my own money, I was going to need help to truly capture the team’s journey. So once we started the season 11–0 and I knew this group was special, I came to you all.

The response on this GoFundMe was overwhelming. It was a shot in the arm — encouragement, motivation, and yes, financial support that made the whole thing possible.

Once the wheels were in motion, we started filming. And when I say “we,” I mean Brandon Reese. Without his expertise, his time, and his absolute commitment, none of this footage would exist. All I could do was be there to help, learning how to shoot a documentary on the fly while also coaching the team. It was scary, demanding, stressful, and incredibly rewarding.

From the second we hit “record,” we knew we were documenting something special.

The season unfolded with some of the best high school basketball I’ve ever seen in Southeast Alaska — buzzer beaters, an Edgecumbe rivalry that produced five games decided by a combined seven points, a last-second regional championship winner, and a state semifinal that came down to the final possession. We had special players with powerful stories, and a head coach whose passion and care for his team showed everyone what true leadership looks like. It all felt almost divine — like the story was writing itself.

All year long, Coach Compagno asked the team to forget about the result and focus on the process. “If we take care of the process, the process will take care of us,” he wrote on the board before every game. Those words became the heartbeat of the film — and honestly, the heartbeat of the entire project.

In the end, Sitka couldn’t quite reach the mountaintop. They finished second, falling to Nome — the same program that beat Edgecumbe in the state final the year before and has now won three of the last four titles. But even then, history was made: no Sitka team had reached a state championship game in 71 years.

Which brings us to this season.

Eight returning seniors. A coach determined to get them back to the big stage. A new coach leading the Edgecumbe Braves. A rivalry renewed. And a story that is still very much alive.

So Brandon and I have decided to keep going — to tell the next chapter, to follow this team and this coach through whatever comes next, and to finish the story we started. We both know how special this is, and we want to see it all the way through.

The journey continues. And without all of your support, none of this would be possible.

Thank you — truly — for everything so far. We’ll keep updating you as the season unfolds. Buckle up… because here we go again.

Hello! We are currently working on a 90-second trailer to highlight and promote the journey to the state final game vs. Nome last March. Although the Wolves fell short of their ultimate goal of winning a state title, the documentary captures the theme of their season, which was focusing on the process and not the outcome. We are excited to highlight the Wolves' season as we followed them through the ups and downs. Coach Steve Compagno emphasized this message throughout, and his players bought into the philosophy. Our goal is to have the episodes edited by our team camp in Sitka, which is from August 11-15. Thank you for your support throughout, and please help us spread the word, as we still need to hit our mark to finish the editing process. Be on the lookout for the 90-second trailer!

The historic journey of the Sitka Wolves continues! They have triumphed over their rivals, the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves, in the state semi-final game, earning a spot in the championship against the defending state champions, the Nome Beltz, on Saturday, March 22nd, at 3 PM. This is a monumental achievement, as no Sitka Wolves team has reached the state finals in 71 years!

These remarkable young athletes have already made history, but there is one final game to win. A victory would bring their season record to an impressive 24-3 and allow them to bring the state title back home to Sitka.

Thanks to your generous donations, our film crew was in full force at the semi-final game and will be there for the championship as well. We invite you to tune in on Saturday, March 22nd, at 3 PM to cheer these boys on!

Please help us spread the word about our fundraising mission so we can complete this project and produce a finished product for everyone to enjoy. We are more than halfway to our goal, and with one more game to win, we can make this happen!

GO WOLVES!!