Slow the freewheeling Post Falls Trojans down, and you have a good chance to beat them.

That was the book, anyway.

But the Trojans read the book as well, and wrote their own chapter on how to win that way.

"Our kids aren't immune ... they hear what people say, if it's the media or just other coaches," Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. "The knock on us is we don't play defense, that we don't execute on the offensive end. I thought (in last Friday's winner-to-state game vs. Coeur d'Alene), with everything on the line, for our seniors and this team, I thought we did both of those under the pressure."

Post Falls (19-4), making its second straight trip to the state 5A tournament, opens vs. Vallivue (18-5) of Caldwell on Thursday at 2 p.m. PST at the Idaho Center in Nampa.

McLean said of the 23 games Post Falls has played, roughly 15 times the opposition tried to slow it down, so they're getting used to it by now.

"I'm very proud of our guys ... to take the criticism, to listen to them, and actually do something about it," McLean said.

Four Trojans are returning starters from last year's team which finished fifth at state - senior guards Shawn Reid (16 points, 10 rebounds per game) and Malcolm Colbert (11.3 ppg), sophomore point guard Marcus Colbert (14.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3 assists per game) and senior post Jeremy Cragin. Junior Connor Hill (14.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg), the fifth starter, was a key reserve last year.

see TROJANS, B2

Last season, Post Falls led Madison of Rexburg by seven points in the second half of the state semifinal, only to lose to the Bobcats in overtime. The Trojans then lost the next morning to Twin Falls in the third-place game, and came home without a trophy after coming so close to playing for a state title - against a team (Lewiston) they had just beaten a week earlier on its home floor for the Region 1 title. Lewiston then beat Madison for its first state title in 61 years.

"We used it (coming so close) as motivation, because we don't want to have that same feeling that we did when we lost to Madison last year," Marcus Colbert said.

This year, with the four starters back, Post Falls was expected to do well in the 5A Inland Empire League. The Trojans stumbled at home to Lake City in the regional title game, but bounced back to beat Coeur d'Alene for a return ticket to state.

"I'm so proud of my guys," McLean said. "All year, from media up here, coaches up here, people down south in the Boise area, we're supposed to be the team that's going to do everything. That's a lot of pressure to put on a bunch of kids, especially when you have a point guard that turned 16 a couple of weeks ago."

McLean said even the loss to Lake City should help Post Falls at state.

"It really helped Lewiston last year," he said. "We've seen teams from our area do it in the past (win state as the No. 2 seed from the North), and that's our goal."

n Notes: Vallivue senior forward/post Zach Kelsh (17.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2 blocked shots per game) was a starter two years ago when the Falcons defeated Coeur d'Alene in the state title game. ... Borah (14-11), which opens vs. Lake City (13-9) on Thursday at 7 p.m. PST, boasts senior swingman Craig Spjute (22.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 steals per game), who led the 5A Southern Idaho Conference in scoring this season. His father, also named Craig, made the game-winning basket in Boise High's state championship victory in 1980. ... Eagle (22-1), ranked No. 1 in the state much of the season, was fourth at state last year. The Mustangs' lone loss this season came to Vallivue. Many of the Mustangs were part of Eagle's state title-winning football team last fall, including quarterback Taylor Kelly, who verbally committed to Nevada but wound up signing with Arizona State. ... All state tournament games in the six divisions will be webcast at www.IdahoSports.com. All the 5A, 4A and 3A games will be video webcast; the 2A, 1A Division I and 1A Division II games will be audio only. All six state title games on Saturday from the Idaho Center will be video webcast.