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 ORDER GAME PHOTOS
5A CLASSIFICATION (FORD IDAHO CENTER)
3B Rocky Mountain (21-3, 17-1) vs. 1-2A Post Falls (17-6, 6-0), 1:15 p.m.
-The Grizzlies enter the state tournament looking to become the first 5A school to three-peat since Capital won four in a row from 1975-78. Dane Roy is in his eighth season as the head coach and has led the team to a 157-45 mark during that time frame. Junior guard Briggs Ranstrom is the leading scorer for Rocky Mountain, averaging 13.3 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Cooper Frith (11.4 PPG) is dangerous from beyond the 3-point line, hitting at a 43 percent clip this season. Townsend Tripple (9.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG), Brayden Hamilton (5.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and Jaden Hansen (5.2 PPG) are the other typical starters for the Grizzlies.
-Junior guard Colby Gennett (12.6 PPG) is the lone returner from a 19-win team from a season ago for Post Falls, which starts three sophomores. Gennett had 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in the district championship win over Coeur d’Alene. Mike McLean is in his 12th season as the head coach of the Trojans and the team has now qualified for state in ten of those years. Alex Horning (10.5 PPG), Gavven Desjarlais (8.6 PPG), Caden McLean (7.3 PPG) and Cole Rutherford (6.5 PPG) all start for a team with just two seniors on the entire roster. Three starters are 6-foot-4 or taller. Junior wing Terrell Mitchell (6.9 PPG) is an impact performer off the bench.
3C Eagle (11-10, 9-9) vs. 5-6A Madison (23-3, 6-0), 3 p.m.
-Eagle boasts the leading scorer in the 5A SIC this year in Tanner Hayhurst (17.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.9 APG), an explosive playmaker who can spot up and shoot 3-pointers or take it inside on drives to get easy finishes. On the inside, 6-foot-10-inch senior center Austin Hayhurst (6.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG) provides good size. The Mustangs are coached by Eagle graduate and former Eastern Oregon University standout Jeff Ranstrom, who has led the program to a 21-21 record in two seasons. Swingman Drew LaJoices (9.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG), shooting guard Connor Cooper (6.5 PPG, 2.3 APG, 2.3 RPG) and College of Idaho football commit Bridger Marboe (2.7 PPG, 2.7 APG) round out the starters for Ranstrom.
-The Bobcats claimed the district championship out of eastern Idaho by defeating Rigby twice in a row during the tournament. Since taking over for the legendary Bill Hawkins (29 years, five state titles and ten championship appearances), Travis Schwab has maintained success within the program, leading Madison to a 43-7 record in two years. This is the fourth consecutive trip to state for the school. Starters Jordan Porter, Spencer Hathaway and Jaden Schwab each earned Post Register All-Area or All-Conference accolades last season and have continued that success in their senior seasons. The Bobcats outscore their opponents by 14.5 points per game. Mason McWhorter and Kyle Jackson also start and provide length on the floor. Jackson was the leading scorer in the second win over Rigby last week with 15 points, while McWhorter had 11. Hathaway is the leading scorer for the season, averaging close to 15 per contest.
3E Capital (11-16, 6-12) vs. 3A Borah (21-3, 16-2), 6:15 p.m.
-The Eagles are making their first trip to state since fourth year head coach Scott Moore’s first season in 2016. Moore has led the team to a 49-54 record during his time on the sideline since taking over for current Northwest Nazarene University head coach Paul Rush. Capital secured a trip to state with a 56-48 win in the play-in game over Lewiston. Del Oro (CA) transfer Andre Treadwell (12.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1 SPG) has been a welcome addition to the program this season. Kade Sorenson (12 PPG) and Kobe Niehoff (11.4 PPG) each average double digit scoring outputs as well. Capital is one of the more senior-heavy groups in the state, with ten on the roster. Jonah Blackham, Ryan Hibbs, Aiden Fox and Caden Johnson are all high-effort pieces that stand out in ways not always seen on the stat sheet.
-District 3 champion Borah enters the state tournament for the 15th time in the last 17 years after a 69-61 defeat of Rocky Mountain in the district title game. Third year head coach Jeremy Dennis is 57-18 as the head coach of the Lions. Ellis Magnuson and Austin Bolt each were selected as All-State performers last season for their efforts. Bolt is the leading scorer this year and averages a double-double in points and rebounds. Magnuson went off for 31 points in the district championship and is the leading distributor for his teammates in the conference at over six per game. Biggie Bergersen, Kyler Castro and DeVaughn Williams each start and are scoring threats from the outside. Isaac Dewberry and Peyton Phillips are players to watch for coming off the bench.
3D Mountain View (11-13, 7-11) vs. 5-6B Rigby (19-6, 4-2), 8 p.m.
-Mountain View is another senior-heavy team out of the 5A SIC, with nine listed on the roster. One of those seniors is Michael Ozomah (11.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 36.8% 3-point), a 6-foot-5-inch wing from the Houston area, who relocated to Idaho to live with his aunt and uncle following Hurricane Harvey. In his 14th season as the head coach, Jon Nettleton has a team with multiple shooting threats from deep including Ozomah, Austin Smart (41 percent) and Kyler Terashima (38 percent). Josh Gillespie (7.8 PPG) and Dallen Perrin (6 PPG) are other typical starters for Mountain View, which is making its fourth consecutive trip to state and looking to snap an eight-game losing streak in the tournament dating back to February 28, 2013.
-Rigby is the second representative out of eastern Idaho and is coached by Justin Jones, who has won three state championships and gone 124-96 in his nine seasons. The Trojans started the season hot, winning their first seven games and 15 of their first 17 contests. Every member of the starting five for Rigby is at least 6-foot-3 excluding senior guard Tagg Olaveson. Fellow senior Wyatt Taylor joins Olaveson in the starting five with juniors Keegan Thompson, Britton Berrett and Tanoa Togiai joining them. The Trojans have won 10 state titles in school history. Four of the six losses for the Trojans this year have come against Madison. Other losses came to 4A tournament teams Preston and Idaho Falls.
4A CLASSIFICATION (BORAH HS)
4-5C Century (20-5, 12-2) vs. 3A Columbia (18-6, 11-5), 1:15 p.m.
-The Diamondbacks endured a gauntlet of a schedule this season to come away with 20 wins, finishing with a thrilling 43-42 victory over in-town rival Pocatello to secure their place at state. In that game Deshun Harwell led the scoring with 17 points and a strong team defensive effort held the Indians to just 13/51 shooting. Ryan Frost is in his second season as the head coach at Century and has now led the team to state in each of those years. Max Rogers, Carson Zink and Titan Fleischmann are some other players to watch.
-Thanks to the heroics of Jake Poulton, the Columbia Wildcats won their first district championship in school history 67-64 on a 3-pointer at the buzzer from the senior guard. Columbia went 0-22 during Poulton’s first year at the varsity level, but is now headed to state for the first time. Poulton averaged close to 20 points per game this year and Tripp Pugmire also chips in double digits in points to go along with seven rebounds. Jaylen Alexander is one of the rising stars in the state and is averaging over 11 points per game this season as just a sophomore.
3C Middleton (16-10, 10-6) vs. 4-5A Preston (22-2, 11-2), 3 p.m.
-Middleton has two imposing players on the inside with 6-foot-5-inch University of Washington commit Gaard Memmelaar a bruising body to go along with the inside-out threat of the 6-foot-7-inch Tyler Robinett. Robinett leads the scoring for the Vikings with over 15 points per game, while Memmelaar and Cash Cowdery are both close to double digit averages. With Memmelaar and Robinett inside, Middleton does a good job of crashing the glass. First year head coach and former Idaho State guard Andy Harrington led his team to a play-in game victory over Bonneville to clinch a berth in the tournament. Cowdery and Robinett each had 21 points in that win.
-Preston is the three-time defending state champion in the 4A ranks and is coached by ninth year head coach Tyler Jones. Despite losing 4A Player of the Year Brayden Parker, First Team All-State selection Derek Wadsworth and Second Team All-State choice Britten Atkinson, the Indians have maintained positioning towards the top of the classification all year. Over the last four years, Preston has a record of 94-10. In the district championship win over Twin Falls, Luke Smellie dropped 26 points, while Ty Hyde had nine points and nine rebounds.
3B Vallivue (14-10, 11-5) vs. 1-2A Moscow (19-3, 4-0), 6:15 p.m.
-The Falcons boast one of the premier playmakers in the state of Idaho in Chipola College (FL) commit Amoro Lado, who averages over 20 points per game and more than seven rebounds. Lado scored 26 points and hauled in seven rebounds in the district championship loss to Columbia. Sharpshooter Mike Fitts chipped in 13 of his own and Gabe Gallegos was busy on the boards, with 13 on the night. Vallivue is coached by Ryan Lundgren, who is in his fourth season on the sideline. Jayden Moran is another quality guard to watch for the Falcons, who are quick and have multiple shooting threats.
-Moscow enters state having won three consecutive district titles after knocking off Lakeland 58-37. Gabe Quinnett is a threat to drop 30 points on any given night and had 20 in the win over the Hawks. Brayden Decker had 10 points and Derek Rauch-Edwards and Benny Kitchel each had eight for the game. The Bears are coached by Josh Uhrig, who is in his fourth season. The program has won 11 state titles, which is tied for the most in the history of Idaho. Quinnett was a First Team All-League selection a year ago and appears to be the frontrunner for Player of the Year in the league this time around.
4-5B Twin Falls (20-3, 12-2) vs. 6A Idaho Falls (17-5, 9-1), 8 p.m.
-Twin Falls has hovered towards the top of the 4A rankings throughout the season and enters the tournament as the second representative out of the Great Basin Ten Conference. On the interior, 6-foot-10-inch Mitchell Brizee (15.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG) and 6-foot-9-inch Ryan Ball (9.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG) are matchup nightmares, especially when combined with Faust Ystueta (13.1 PPG), Winston Duggan (9.4 PPG) and a host of other quality outside players. Matt Harr is in his 16th season as the head coach of the Bruins. Twin Falls swept both games of the regular season series against Idaho Falls.
-The Tigers are the champions out of the sixth district and have shown major improvement after a 10-14 record last year thanks in large part to the contributions of a talented seven-man senior class. Kalvin Bowen averages 13.5 points per game and 3.8 assists per contest. Paul Wilson is a strong inside presence to pair with Bowen and hauls in 6.3 boards per game. Senior guard Andrew Gregersen and sophomore forward Jaxon Sorenson are some other plays to watch for Idaho Falls, which is coached by fifth year head coach Howard Hart, who previously was the man in charge at Bonneville.
3A CLASSIFICATION (MERIDIAN HS)
1B Timberlake (9-14, 5-1) vs. 6A Sugar-Salem (15-9, 2-2), 1:15 p.m.
-Timberlake won the regular season Intermountain League title, but lost in heartbreaking fashion to Kellogg in the district championship game. The team then had to fight off a valiant effort from Bonners Ferry in the winner-to-state game to seal a 59-52 victory to secure the second seed out of the north at state. The Tigers have multiple players back from their state tournament team from a year ago including junior guard Jacob James, senior forward Sheldon Kistler and senior guard Chase Gardom. Dylan Kluss led the scoring with 17 in the win over Bonners Ferry, while James and Kistler each had 14 of their own. Mike Menti is in his first season as the coach at Timberlake.
-After trailing by as many as 13 points in the district title game against rival South Fremont, Sugar-Salem stormed all the way back to win 45-42. Gerohm Rihari, a Bonneville transfer, was the leading scorer with 21 points, including 18 in the second half. Pasen Michaelson, Kyler Handy, Curtis Drake and Hadley Miller are some players to watch that were all on the state roster last year as well for the Diggers. This is Shawn Freeman’s sixth season as the head coach in Sugar City. Sugar-Salem has won five state titles in school history.
3B Parma (20-4, 5-3) vs. 4A Kimberly (19-3, 6-0), 3 p.m.
-The Panthers have been ranked first or second in the media poll for the vast majority of the season and have had three of their four losses come against defending state champion and number one ranked Fruitland. Senior guard Braydon Jensen is the leading scorer for Parma and is joined by Jared Nielsen, Payden Rohrbacher, Blaine Rohrbacher and Ryan Nielsen to form a strong guard line. Kyle Powers and Dustin Johnson are some inside pieces who will see plenty of time for third year head coach Scot Garrick, who led the program to a state championship win in 2016 in his first year.
-Kimberly made a memorable run all the way to the state championship game last season before falling 52-29 to Fruitland. Despite graduating all five starters from that team, fifth year head coach Daren Garey has received increased production from players like Dawson Cummins, Tristyn O’Donnell, Braxton Hammond, Andrew Satterfield and Blake Phillips to stay at the top of the 3A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference. Junior sharpshooter Brant Etherington (14 points) left the district title win over Buhl with an injury according to the Times News. Satterfield (11 points) and Cummins (9 points) were the other leading scorers for the Bulldogs. The only three losses for Kimberly this season have come against Snake River and Sugar-Salem, both 3A state tournament teams, by a combined ten points.
5-6B Marsh Valley (17-10, 3-1) vs. 1A Kellogg (9-13, 3-3), 6:15 p.m.
-Longtime Marsh Valley head coach Jason Brower has his team playing some of the best basketball in the state right now, having won seven of their last nine games, including the regional play-in over South Fremont and the state play-in 67-59 over Buhl. Senior center Jacob McNabb was the leading scorer in the win over Buhl with 21 points. Senior center Aaron Marshall is the only player listed on the roster who is taller than 6-foot-1. Marshall is one of the other primary scorers along with McNabb, giving the team a good one-two combination on the inside. Payton Campbell is a tough guard who is a player to watch for Marsh Valley.
-Kellogg graduated the entire roster outside of junior forward Gavin Luna and senior guard Brennan Atkins from last year. Despite that, third year head coach Jeff Nearing’s team took home the district crown after Luna hit a banked-in outside shot to tie the game with 1.1 seconds left. He was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to give the Wildcats a 51-50 win on a 4-point play. Luna finished with 14 points in that victory. Raiden Rickets led the scoring with 15, Graden Nearing contributed 11 and Atkins had eight points. The Wildcats have won six of their last seven games.
5A Snake River (15-8, 3-1) vs. 3A Fruitland (19-4, 8-0), 8 p.m.
-Just like Kellogg, Snake River also graduated a surplus of talent, including multiple time State Player of the Year Clancy Thomas and all five starters. Porter Albertson has had a big season for the Panthers, including 18 points in the 59-45 district championship win over Marsh Valley. Sophomore Mitch Lindsay has been discussed as a future star for Snake River in recent years and has had many big moments throughout the season, including 16 points in the district title game. Benson Isom, Tate Gilbert and Buxton Dawson are some other players to watch. Bob Coombs is coaching in his 26th season and has won five state championships.
-Jacob Richins was the lone senior loss for Fruitland from last year, which is scary news for every other team in the 3A classification. The defending state champions won their district for the second year in a row with a 62-50 win over Parma. After being out to due to injury for the first half of the season, 2017/2018 SRV Player of the Year Jake O’Neil has returned and scored 18 points in the win over the Panthers. Drake Stampfli (14 points) and Hunter Stampfli (8 points) are some players to watch on the inside, with Cole Eiguren (12 points) a quality guard. Joe Henggeler and Josh Henggeler are some other players to watch for the Grizzlies, who are coached collaboratively by the trio of Mark VanWeerdhuizen, Troy O’Dell and Willie Lake. Fruitland is vying for the sixth state title in school history.
2A CLASSIFICATION (CAPITAL HS)
6B North Fremont (17-6, 6-2) vs. 4A Declo (16-7, 2-0), 1:15 p.m.
-North Fremont is making its second consecutive trip to state and just the third for the school since 1927. This is the first time the boys from Ashton have ever secured back-to-back appearances in the state tournament. Garrett Hawkes (17.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG) was a First Team All-Idaho selection last year and appears well on his way to more of those honors again this season. Hawkes is joined by Chris Hansen (7 PPG) to form a formidable duo. Hawkes led the scoring with 17 in a 54-42 district championship loss to Ririe, with Hansen and Blake Oberhansley (9 PPG) both pitching in eight points for the night. Shannon Hill is in his first season as the head coach of the Huskies. Watch out for sophomore guard Luke Hill.
-Declo has won seven of its final eight games despite being without First Team All-State forward Keegan Duncan, forward Tyson Matthews and forward Caden Hamilton, who were impact returners from a year ago but are not listed on the state roster for the Hornets. Declo earned a trip to state with a 67-16 win over Wendell in game two of the district championship series. Junior guard Sam Mallory led the scoring with 17, Ben Puentes had 16 and McKay Breshears finished with 12 points. Jacoby Fox is in his third season as the head coach of the Hornets, who have won two state titles in school history.
5B Bear Lake (20-4, 7-1) vs. 3A Cole Valley Christian (16-6, 8-2), 3 p.m.
-The Bear Lake Bears are the two-time defending 2A state champions and are coached by Brandon Carlsen, who is in his 11th season. Trey Shaul is the player to watch for the Bears, as he has been instrumental in their tournament runs over the last few seasons and was a Second Team All-State honoree last year. Zack Petersen and Ashton Carlsen are quality talents on the guard line as well. Shaul was the leading scorer with 11 in a 35-33 district title loss to West Side. Three of the four losses for the Bears this year have come to West Side, with the other against fellow 2A tournament team North Fremont.
-Cole Valley Christian is a fast-paced team that makes things difficult for opponents with the high-octane nature in which they play the game. Senior guard Ricky Golenor (18 PPG, 9 RPG) and senior forwards Dylan Krogh (12 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3 APG) and Nathan Wetzel (11 PPG, 3 RPG, 2 APG) lead the Chargers, with junior point guard Josh Cucchiari a player to watch. Brennan Koch brings his team to state for the second time in five seasons as the head coach for Cole Valley. This group averages over 14 assists per game. The Chargers are 9-2 this season when scoring 60 or more points. Krogh had 19 points and Golenor 16 in the 59-49 district championship win over Marsing.
5A West Side (15-9, 7-1) vs. 1-2A St. Maries (17-7, 2-2), 6:15 p.m.
-After starting the season 1-5, West Side turned it around to finish the season winning their final four and 14 of their final 18 games. The Pirates beat two-time defending state champion Bear Lake 35-33 on a Stockton Brown triple from the corner pocket in the closing seconds of the district title game. Brown finished with 12 points in the win and averages 16.3 points per game. Dillon Robinson chips in 9.5 per contest and Ryan Beckstead pours in nine each game on average. Long time West Side coach Tyler Brown has taken the Pirates to three state championship games, falling to Firth each time.
-St. Maries is one of the more experienced teams in the tournament with five seniors who have played together over an extended period of time at the varsity level in Jackson Pritchard (12.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG), Dan Howard (10.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG), Kaden Hammond (6.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2 SPG), Tyler Lohman (7 PPG, 5.8 RPG) and Coy Sands (4.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.4 APG). Sophomore guard Eli Gibson (9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.9 SPG) is the third leading scorer for fifth year head coach Bryan Chase. The Lumberjacks beat Grangeville in three games in the district championship series to secure the lone spot out of the north in the 2A state tournament.
3B Marsing (18-7, 6-4) vs. 6A Ririe (22-1, 8-0), 8 p.m.
-One of the more exciting players to watch in the state resides in Marsing, as Enrique Quebrado has filled up the stat sheet with 17.6 points per game, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals. Quebrado teams with 6-foot-7-inch post Jacob Ankeny (8.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 3.4 BPG) to form a strong inside-out duo. Merrick Hall (1.4 SPG) and Dwight Sevy (2.9 SPG) are strong contributors on the defensive side of the floor and combine for over 12 points per game for the Huskies. Roger Valedez is an effective guard who scores over four points per game. Tim Little has coached Marsing for five years.
-Ririe enters the tournament as the favorite for many in the 2A ranks, with Michael Ure (21.7 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 3.4 BPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG) establishing himself as one of the frontrunners for the player of the year in the classification. Larz Sutton is the second leading scorer for the Bulldogs, averaging 13.2 points per game, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 steals. Stockton Johnson (8.2 PPG) and Jonathan Scott (6.7 PPG) are next in line in the scoring column for sixth year Ririe head coach Eric Torgerson, who hopes to lead the Bulldogs to the first state title for the boys basketball program since 1990.
1AD1 CLASSIFICATION (VALLIVUE HS)
3C Riverstone (15-10, 6-4) vs. 4A Valley (18-4, 8-0), 1:15 p.m.
-The Otters are making their third consecutive trip in the state tournament. This will be the third consecutive year that Riverstone plays Valley in the tournament, with the Vikings winning the first two meetings. Josh Hanson-Kaplan was the only player from last year to graduate the program, leaving first year head coach Jarret Ellsworth with a talented roster in place. Leading the talent pool are sophomores Nick Liebich and Charlie DeBoer and seniors Bobby Lindner and Thomas Corddry. Riverstone has won four of its last five games and beat Victory Charter 45-32 in the winner-to-state game on February 22.
-Valley earned a trip to the state championship game last season, falling 68-46 to Lapwai. All-State performer Zane Mussmann is back along with First Team All-Conference guard Jason Hardy. The Vikings defeated Oakley 46-39 in the district championship game to secure their place at state. Mussmann led the scoring with 20 points. This is the seventh season in Hazelton for Valley head coach Brian Hardy. The last state title for the program came in 2001. Forwards Eddy Cano and Nic Anderson are some of the other players to watch for the Vikings.
2B Potlatch (17-6, 9-3) vs. 3A Liberty Charter (18-6, 9-1), 3 p.m.
-Potlatch is making its first appearance in the state tournament in 15 years after knocking off Prairie 38-33 in the semifinals of the 1AD1 District 2 Tournament. Dacota Hadaller led the scoring with 13 points in that game, Connor Akins had 12 and Brayden Hadaller had eight of his own. Ryan Ball is the head coach of the Loggers and is in his third year after spending 16 seasons at Kamiah. Both Hadaller’s have been named First Team All-League this year and Akins was selected Second Team All-League.
-The Patriots defeated Ambrose 50-31 in an impressive district championship win to take the top seed out of the third district at state. Senior forward Cole Hinnenkamp is one of the top players in the classification. Daniel Colbert and Michael Corkish provide big impacts as well surrounding him. Seth Stallcop is the head coach for Liberty Charter, which enters state having won 14 of its last 15 games. Alex Bistriceanu is another player to watch for the Patriots.
2C Prairie (19-7, 10-2) vs. 5-6A Challis (16-6, 4-2), 6:15 p.m.
-This is the sixth straight trip to state for Prairie, which played Challis in the 2014 title game, coming away victorious by a 78-43 final. The Pirates defeated Oakley 54-34 in the play-in game to become the third representative out of the north. Devin Ross had 21 points and nine rebounds and Spencer Schumacher had 18 points in the win over the Hornets. Schumacher was recently named First Team All-League and Devin Ross was a Second Team All-League selection. This is Kevin Chaffee’s third season as the head coach. Prairie assisted on 15 of 18 made baskets in the play-in game. Damian Forsmann and Sam Mager are some other players to watch.
-Challis faced a gauntlet of a schedule this year, taking on 1AD2 tournament teams Carey and Mackay, 1AD1 tournament team Valley and 2A tournament squad North Fremont. In those games the Vikings went 4-2. Sixth year head coach Jerrod Farr also led his team against multiple teams that came a game away from trips to state (Grace and Oakley). This is the first trip to state for the school since 2015 after beating Grace 73-55 in the if-necessary game of the district championship. William Ashley led the scoring with 18 points, Parker May poured in 17 and Mitch Cotant had ten points.
3B Ambrose (16-7, 10-0) vs. 2A Lapwai (18-4, 11-1), 8 p.m.
-First year head coach Ken Sugarman has the Ambrose Archers in familiar territory, as the program is making its sixth consecutive trip to state. Junior forward Paul Yenor anchors the middle and was a First Team All-Conference selection last year. Freshmen Hudson Hughes and Johnny Sugarman are both dangerous outside shooters who can be lethal when they get hot. Josh Nipper, Josh Johnson and Ben Blythe are some other players to watch. All-State performer and leading scorer Ethan Christianson was a big loss for the program from a year ago. The Archers have won 13 of their last 15 games, with the losses coming to Prairie and Liberty Charter.
-1AD1 White Pine League Player of the Year Payton Sobotta leads the way for third year head coach Bob Sobotta’s Lapwai Wildcats. In the 53-50 district championship win over Potlatch, Sobotta was the leading scorer with 15 points. Kendall Leighton had ten and JJ Reuben chipped in five points on the inside. This is the sixth consecutive trip to state for Lapwai, which is the two-time defending state champions. Leighton and Sobotta were each First Team All-League honorees and freshman guard Titus Yearout took home Second Team All-League accolades.
1AD2 CLASSIFICATION (CALDWELL HS)
5-6B Rockland (18-9, 9-5) vs. 2A Logos (15-5, 10-0), 1:15 p.m.
-Second year Rockland head coach Shae Neal has brought the Bulldogs to state in each of his years on the sideline. Rockland is led by Caleb Norwood (9.4 PPG), Pratt Matthews (8.9 PPG) and Braden Permann (8.9 PPG). Matthews is the leading rebounder, hauling in five per game. Permann averages 3.7 assists per game. The Bulldogs defeated Camas County 47-45 in the state play-in game. This is the sixth consecutive trip to state for Rockland.
-After a down year with just three wins, Logos experienced one of the largest turnarounds in Idaho high school basketball, finishing 15-5 this year and claiming the 1AD2 District 2 crown. Isaac Blum had 13 points in the win and Nic Minudri finished with 12 points. From the Lewiston Tribune, “The two-time academic state champion Logos Knights, who’ve been known to quiz each other on trigonometry during bus rides, were ‘smart guys, but terrible at basketball’ a year ago, coach Matt Whitling said.” Whitling is in his 18th season as the head coach. Bennett Schlect is another player to watch for the Knights.
4B Carey (12-13, 5-4) vs. 3A Garden Valley (19-5, 8-4), 3 p.m.
-Carey started the season 2-6 and rebounded strong with a four-game winning streak to end the season, including winning seven of their final eight games. In his 18th season, Dick Simpson has done a fantastic coaching job with the Panthers to get them to state. This is the 14th consecutive trip for the program. Dallin Parke had 17 points and Hunter Smith had 12 for Carey in a 43-40 victory over Camas County to reach the tournament. Carson Simpson is another player to watch from the guard line. The Panthers have just two seniors this year, Roy Peck and Max Dilworth.
-Covy Kelly is a star for Garden Valley, averaging 21.8 points per game, six rebounds, 3.4 steals, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks. The Wolverines enter the state tournament with the most wins for the program since the 2019 season. Corban Fields (8.7 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 SPG), Devin Yearsley (8.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG) and stretch forward Kolten LaFleur (7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.6 BPG) create a dangerous lineup that can hang with any team in the state. This is Joel LaFleur’s first season as the head coach.
3B Salmon River (21-5, 8-4) vs. 1A Genesis Prep (14-8, 7-0), 6:15 p.m.
-Salmon River won the state play-in game 57-38 over Deary. Randy McClure led the scoring with 15 points, Jimmy Tucker had 13 and Isaac Hofflander contributed ten for the game. The Savages outscored Deary 35-12 in the second half of the win. McClure was a First Team All-Conference pick last year. This is Levi Tucker’s second season as the head coach. Canyon Harper and Reece Jones, both seniors, are some other players to watch for. Harper is a College of Idaho football commit.
-Led by All-State guard Jonny Hillman, who was also recently named the North Star League MVP, Genesis Prep is coming off consecutive state championships at the 1AD2 ranks. Hillman and 6-foot-9-inch center Kon Ajang are a matchup problem for opponents. Hillman had 20 points and six rebounds in a 60-42 district championship defeat of Lakeside, playing through an injury in the process. Ajang had nine points, ten rebounds, eight blocks, three steals and five assists as well. Forward Seth Neely, guard Scott Mwinuka and guard Jacob Schultz are some other players to watch for the Jaguars. Marsell Colbert is the head coach in his fifth season.
5-6A Mackay (20-4, 13-1) vs. 4A Lighthouse Christian (23-0, 9-0), 8 p.m.
-Mackay is making its second consecutive trip to the state tournament after winning the first district title for the school since 2015 with a 70-63 win over North Gem. Chase Green went off for a huge game against the Cowboys, draining seven triples and finishing with 30 points. Jacoda Whitworth had 12 points of his own. Dallin Green was the Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season. Whitworth earned First Team All-Conference selections a year ago. The Miners have won six state titles in school history and are coached by third year head coach Kelvin Krosch.
-Lighthouse Christian is headed to the state tournament for the first time in the history of the boys’ basketball program thanks to 75-54 handling of Camas County in the district championship, which also gave the Lions their first district title in school history. Collin Holloway paced the scoring with 18, Casper Block had 17 and Alex Shetler (12) and Tyler Munsee (11) each also had double figure scoring outputs. This is the third season as the head coach for Tony Standlee. Lighthouse Christian was ranked number one in the last media poll of the season and is the only undefeated team remaining in Idaho.
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