Written by: Jack Davis

Photo credit: Steve Davis

NAMPA — The No. 3-seeded Lapwai Wildcats made a thrilling comeback to defeat the No. 4-seeded Prairie Pirates 40-29 in the 2A State Championship Game on Saturday.

The Wildcats’ relentless defense forced 16 turnovers on their way to an epic comeback victory.

This momentum-heavy affair saw both teams control different stretches of the game. With the win, Lapwai captured its 12th state title in school history, setting a new Idaho record for most championships.  The Wildcats had previously been tied with Coeur d'Alene High School with 11 championships.

Prairie dominated the early moments from the opening tip, storming out to a 10-0 run that held through the end of the first quarter. Lapwai responded in the second quarter, tightening the score to 19-14 by halftime. A decisive 17-3 run in the third quarter gave the Wildcats their first lead and a 28-25 advantage heading into the final period. Lapwai then outscored the Pirates 12-4 in the fourth quarter, never looking back as they secured the 40-29 victory.

Lapwai head coach Lori Mader, the former Prairie head coach for 15 years, reflected on the significance of winning a state title in her first season with the Wildcats against her former team and the process of transitioning to a new program.

“I think it was an ultra shock,” Mader said. “After 15 years of heartfelt dedication to something you love, to have people say we’re going in a new direction without really giving a reason — it’s hard not to feel burned inside. Anytime you win a title, it feels great no matter who you beat. But having people say we’re going in a new direction didn’t make much sense to me. You’re human about what you do, and there was no humanity to any of it.”

Madden Bisbee, the IdahoSports.com Player of the Game, led the charge for Lapwai with 15 points and four rebounds while also surpassing the 1,000-point mark in her career. Skylin Picard added 12 points and six rebounds for the Wildcats.

“I feel like we worked really hard all season to play the best that we could,” Bisbee said. “I feel like we left it all on the court, and we all really wanted it this year, so we just went out with a bang.”

Prairie was led by Kylie Schumacher, who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort.

“I just want to say that my team played the best that they could, and we all played together,” Schumacher said. “It’s just the unfortunate outcome that we got.”


PRAIRIE (22-6) - Kylie Schumacher 14, Beka Schumacher 9, Sydney Shears 3, Hailey Hanson 3, Erica Schlader 0, Sage Elven 0

LAPWAI (25-1) - Madden Bisbee 15, Skylin Picard 12, Lois Oatman 8, Taya Yearout 5, Cavell Samuels 0, Abreann Yearout 0, Paisley McCormack 0