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SHELLEY GIRLS BASKETBALL

1st Round

Defeated Lapwai Boys Basketball (52% to 48%)

Head Coach

Jessica Carlson, 5th Season

Key Athletes

Brinley Cannon, 12, Forward

Kaci Lang, 12, Guard

Kaylee Packer, 11, Center

Graci Stevens, 12, Guard

Mia Williams, 11, Guard

The sweet-shooting Russets were Idaho’s only undefeated girls basketball team in the 2023-24 season, scorching the nets on their way to a 25-0 record.  Shelley shot 60 percent from the field, 37 percent from three, and 73 percent from the free-throw line on their way to a 68.7 point per game average.

Brinley Cannon, a BYU commit, led the way with 21.8 points per game.  Mia Williams, a junior, was second with 13.3 points per contest, and is primed for an uptick in production next season.  Kaci Lang, Graci Stevens and Sarah Kidman all averaged between 7.2 and 8.6 points per game as well, showcasing their depth.

Perhaps most impressive about Shelley’s run is that they did despite being significantly undersized.  Cannon (6-foot-1) was the only player over six feet all on this year’s team, and a team effort on the boards (along with a pressure defense that caused nightmares) allowed Shelley to hang with taller teams.

OROFINO BASEBALL

1st Round

Defeated Parma Girls Tennis (64% to 36%)

Head Coach

Scott Tondevold, 2nd Season

Key Athletes

Dash Barlow, 12, 1st Baseman

Gavin Christopherson, 12, Pitcher/Catcher

Silas Naranjo, 12, Pitcher/Catcher

Aiden Olive, 11, Pitcher/Center Fielder

Jaeger Tondevold, 10, Shortstop

A wild and unpredictable 2A State Tournament came down to two district rivals in the championship game.  Orofino defeated Grangeville 8-4 at Pocatello’s Halliwell Park to cap an emotionally draining run to the title.  The Maniacs had to hold by their fingernails in a 7-6 win over Firth in the opening round, and a back-and-forth 17-13 win over Wendell in the semifinals.

In a tournament with such variability and volatility, you need some help on your side.  Luck, faith, whatever you want to call it, there’s no denying that the Maniacs were helped out from their fallen teammate Drew Hanna from the skies above.

Hanna tragically passed away in a car accident in August, just ahead of his senior year at Orofino High School.  The three-sport standout loved baseball the most, and was Orofino’s top pitcher and emotional leader.  His passing left a void that was filled by nearly everyone else on the team, and as the team received their first place plaques, an empty hanger with Drew’s #2 jersey was on the field with the team as a poem written about Drew by an Orofino community member was read on air during IdahoSports.com’s broadcast of the game.  It’s a moment that the tight-knit community of Orofino won’t soon forget.