A 'team of a lifetime' makes it happen ... Lake City boys win state 5A boys basketball title

With 1 minute, 27 seconds left in the game — at 9:29 p.m. Mountain Time on March 4 — Blake Buchanan and Kolton Mitchell stood next to each other at midcourt and finally allowed themselves to smile.

Moments later, they and the rest of their Lake City teammates were celebrating the Timberwolves’ first state championship in program history.

“We just kinda looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, it’s really happening. We did it,’” Mitchell said after Lake City defeated Meridian 75-61 in the championship game of the state 5A boys basketball tournament Saturday night before a near-capacity crowd of some 10,000 at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. “It feels so surreal; it doesn’t feel like it’s happened yet.”

One year after being upset at state as the No. 1 seed and not bringing home a trophy, and two years after losing to Meridian in the state title game, Lake City closed out the careers of seven seniors — including four-year starters Mitchell and Zach Johnson, and a three-year starter in Buchanan — by finally bringing home that state championship.

“This feels great,” Buchanan said. “Especially after what happened last year, my sophomore year, my freshman year (when his Moscow High team lost in the state 4A finals). This meant a lot, to do it in a Lake City uniform, with these guys. It was special, super emotional. I love this team; we did it as a team, and we got it done.”

Even longtime Lake City coach Jim Winger managed a smile afterward.

“I’m smiling, trust me,” said Winger, who started the Lake City program in 1994-95, and is in his 24th season as head coach. “I’m as happy as I can be. And sometimes I don’t show it on the outside, but inside, it’s a wonderful night.”

Lake City (26-0) became only the third 5A team in Idaho in the last three decades to complete an undefeated season, joining Centennial (1995) and Capital (2014).

Despite being asked for the umpteeth time whether Lake City should be called the greatest team in Idaho history, Winger said he would leave that up to the media.

“I’m not going there,” he said with a laugh. “It’s the best team at Lake City, for sure.”

The 6-foot-11 Buchanan, now playing at Virginia, dominated after Meridian jumped out to an early lead. He finished with 26 points (on 11-of-18 shooting) and 11 rebounds, as well as three assists and two steals.

“When we were struggling early, as coaches we said, ‘They (the Warriors) need a steady diet of him,” Winger said. “And that’s what we did. We ran everything through Blake almost for three quarters. And he was tired at the end; I just couldn’t take him out. He’s an ACC player going to Virginia, and he showed why tonight.”

Senior Nathan Hocking, now playing at NAIA Ottawa University in Surprise, Ariz., scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half, and took a pass from senior Zach Johnson, now playing football at Idaho, and drilled a dagger 3 from the right baseline with 2:06 left that pretty much triggered the start of the celebration.

What went through his mind as he launched that shot?

“Please go in,” Hocking said with a laugh. “Let’s end this thing; let’s get the state title.”

And senior Deacon Kiesbuy hit three 3-pointers and added 13 points. And two of those 3s, coming on dishes from Mitchell, were HUGE — coming at the end of the first half, and near the end of the third quarter.

“He’s been great for us,” Mitchell said of the left-handed Kiesbuy. “To come up super clutch the last three-fourths of our season. He’s really stepped up and did a great job. This state tournament, he showed what he could do; especially this last game, he did great.”

So one year after the lowest point of this group — their only hiccup since they started playing basketball years ago, Winger said — the Timberwolves celebrated on that Saturday night on the Idaho Center floor, then rushed over to celebrate with their students — a party that was years in the making.

“They wanted to show people what they were about,” Winger said. “They were on a mission from Day 1; the coaching staff and players were all on a mission. You don’t get groups like this very often. This is a once-in-a-lifetime group.”

Coeur d'Alene girls capture 10th state title in program history

With experience, Coeur d’Alene was the best all season long.

On this Saturday night in mid-February, they just let the rest of the state know it.

Junior Teagan Colvin scored 20 points, senior Madi Symons 15 points for the top-seeded Vikings, who ambushed the seventh-seeded Rocky Mountain Grizzlies of Meridian 65-27 in the state 5A championship game at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

“It means everything,” said Colvin, who recently signed with UNLV. “It’s what we’ve been going for all season and knew coming in we had a stellar shot and stellar team. We were just ready to take it and get what we wanted.”

It is the 10th title overall for Coeur d’Alene, and first for the Vikings since 2014, when the Vikings also beat Rocky Mountain.

Coeur d’Alene beat Eagle 63-50 in the opening round, then outlasted Boise 51-50 in double overtime on Friday to advance.

“For me, coming into the game, I was really, really confident after our first two games,” Colvin said. “We usually come out stronger and today was the day to show them what’s what from the start from the very beginning.”

Coeur d’Alene advanced to state for the first time since the ‘14 title in 2020, going 0-2. The Vikings lost in the third-place game at state in 2021, then failed to qualify last year.

“Starting off, it was a little rough,” said Symons, now playing at Wyoming. “We had to build it from the ground up. I wouldn’t want anyone else and any other team by my side doing this. Each year, it’s been great. This moment is just crazy right now.”

“I think the win against Boise (on Friday), they thought, 'OK, we deserve to be here,”' said Nicole Symons, Madi's mom and Coeur d'Alene's fourth-year coach. “We deserved to win that game. And then, they wanted to play all day and were just relentless on the defensive end all day, and I mean relentless. Then offense became easy. I told them they’re going to be nervous and use that on the defensive end, because you can’t do anything wrong that way.”

Coeur d’Alene won the Inland Empire League title last year, but was upset in the Region 1 second-place game by Post Falls at home.

“It feels good,” Nicole Symons said. “We had some great kids that worked to get this program changed. I wish all of them over the last four years could experience this. But they’re part of the growth part. We went two and out my first year (2020) and got to Saturday in my second (2021), and last year, not making it at all, it’s a hard thing. Losing is not always bad. They learned they needed to put in the time and kept their sights on that goal. It doesn’t always work out that way, but it did this year. And it was pretty exciting.”

Nicole Symons won three state titles in high school as a player, twice with Coeur d’Alene (1992, 1994) and again with Lake City (1995).

“They’re different, because when you’re a coach and parent, you want your kid to experience this great event you’ll never forget,” Nicole Symons said. “We still talk about with my teammates and that feeling. Sometimes, it’s just the best basketball experience you’ll have, even when you go off to college. These girls deserve it. They’re amazing and they worked to get it for sure.”

Coeur d'Alene boys run through cold for state 5A cross country title

The Coeur d'Alene boys, ranked as high as 10th nationally by DyeStat (self-described as the internet home of high school track and field), won their first state 5A title on Oct. 28 at the Portneuf Wellness Complex in Pocatello, and junior Max Cervi-Skinner (sixth), senior Jacob King (eighth), sophomore Mitchell Rietze (10th), senior Lachlan May (11th) and junior Zack Cervi-Skinner (16th) earned state medalist honors for finishing in the top 20.

Temperatures were estimated to be at 28 degrees at race time, a far cry from the previoius week’s regional meet when it was 78 degrees at Farragut State Park.

“It was a group effort from the coaches, runners and parents,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Cathy Compton, who now has six team titles, four with the girls (2004, 2012, 2013 and 2014) and two with the boys. “It was brutal. But we did everything smart from the warmup and wearing the proper stuff during the race. But these guys are tough North Idaho boys. They’re used to running in this. They’re just tough kids.”

Coeur d'Alene finished with 45 points. Rocky Mountain of Meridian was second with 60.

Grove, a Coeur d'Alene High product and NIC golf coach, competes in PGA Championship

North Idaho College men’s and women’s golf coach Russell Grove gave it his best shot in May in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y. He heard the cheers, took his lumps, watched the best players in the world, saw areas where he was just as good as they were, saw other areas where he needed to improve.

In the end, the scorecard read 79-79—158 and a missed cut in a major championship, but that doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.

“It’s been an awesome week,” Grove said just before heading home from New York. “I’ve had so much fun. It’s just been an awesome experience.”

Grove noticed he could hit it as far, if not farther than most of the players — he was sixth in driving distance in the first round with an average of 335.3 yards off the tee. Some guy named DeChambeau led the way at 347.

The difference?

“What impressed me the most was everybody’s short game; just the up-and-downs that they make, to save par,” said Grove, who played at Coeur d'Alene High and the University of Idaho. “Playing with Patrick Rodgers (of the U.S., who finished T29), his speed control on the greens, he never had to work on his second putt, ever. It was just nestled up … perfect speed.”

Coaching losses: Legendary NIC wrestling head man Owen, and Tefft, who led St. Maries to state 2A football title in 2016, pass away

John Owen, who helped put North Idaho College wrestling on the map nationally in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, died Jan. 19, due to complications from a stroke. He was 75.

Owen came to NIC in 1975 as an assistant coach, took over as head coach in 1978 and coached the Cardinals until 1997.

At NIC, Owen guided the Cardinals to eight national junior college championships, four second-place finishes and five third-place finishes.

His dual record at NIC was 304-23-2.

He coached 35 individual national champions and 102 NJCAA All-Americans.

“John made it simple as a coach,” said Pat Whitcomb, who wrestled for Owen, then succeeded him as coach. “You win. Second’s not good enough. Make no doubt about it, you don’t want to be the guy after the guy. But being the guy after John was easy. They just wanted me to keep it going in the right direction.”

Owen was named junior college coach of the year four times, was inducted into the National Junior College Hall of Fame in 1989, and was inducted in the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

* Former St. Maries High football coach Craig Tefft, who guided the Lumberjacks to the 2016 state 2A title, passed away Sept. 19 at Schneidmiller Hospice House in Hayden after a 10-month battle with colon cancer.

“Craig, he was a friend of everybody,” said longtime St. Maries athletic director and friend Todd Gilkey, who retired last spring. “I don’t think there’s a person that he did not like. Craig had a way of getting kids to play football and baseball that nobody else would get out. Because those kids knew that he’d do everything he could, was a genuine person and they were his friends.”

Tefft, 47, was diagnosed with cancer following the team’s first-round game in the state playoffs in 2022. After last season, he stepped down after 13 seasons as head coach.

Tefft was 59-57 at St. Maries, with nine appearances in the state playoffs.

He also coached baseball at St. Maries for 15 seasons.

North Idaho College returning to Scenic West Athletic Conference

In June, North Idaho College announced that it had mutually agreed with the Northwest Athletic Conference to leave the NWAC and return to the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Effective July 1, NIC’s men’s basketball and women’s basketball programs would compete as NJCAA independent programs in the 2023-24 season, and be eligible for the NJCAA tournament next spring, NIC athletic director Shawn Noel said.

NIC’s fall and spring sports – men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, volleyball and softball — will transition to the NJCAA starting with the 2024-25 season.

NIC played in the Scenic West Athletic Conference for 47 years (1969-2016) before moving to the less-expensive NWAC starting with the 2016-17 season due to financial difficulties.

Since NIC’s departure in 2016, the Scenic West has added Truckee Meadows Community College of Reno in men’s and women’s soccer and Community Christian College of Redlands, Calif., in baseball, basketball and soccer.

NIC’s men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, volleyball and softball programs will compete in the NWAC during the 2023-24 season and will be eligible to compete in the NWAC tournament. For the 2024-25 season, NIC will transition all of its programs to the NJCAA.

The Cardinal wrestling program has remained in NJCAA as NWAC programs compete nationally in wrestling.

Coeur d'Alene falls in thriller of state 5A football title game

The long, steep walk up the ramp from the playing field to the locker room at Holt Arena in Pocatello seemed longer and steeper for the Coeur d’Alene Vikings on this Saturday afternoon in mid-November.

But hey, at least Coeur d’Alene was in position to make that long, steep walk — especially after last year’s un-Viking-like season. 

On Saturday, old friends Coeur d’Alene and Highland of Pocatello met once again, this time to decide the state 5A football championship. Momentum swung back and forth throughout the instant classic, with Highland making the last big play to beat the Vikings 35-28.

“I think both teams were expecting more of a defensive struggle, and it turned out pretty high scoring,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said. “Highland made enough plays to win it. Super proud of our kids, and coaches; they did all we asked them to do.”

“Hurts … really bad,” said Coeur d’Alene linebacker Shea Robertson, who recently signed with Eastern Washington. “It sucks, especially since we’ve come so far from not being good last year to making it all the way to the state finals and losing by a touchdown … it really hurts.”

What was expected to be a battle between two of the state’s top defenses turned into a shootout, chock full of big plays and nearly 1,000 yards of combined total offense.

It started with Coeur d’Alene wide receiver Joe Hagel throwing an 84-yard touchdown pass on the Vikings’ first play, and ended with Highland quarterback Drew Hymas zipping left and down the sideline for a 47-yard touchdown with 4:28 remaining to break a 28-all tie.

In its 21st title game appearance since 1984, Highland (11-1) captured its 12th championship, most in the state. It was the Rams’ first state title since 2017, when it beat Coeur d’Alene at Holt Arena.

Coeur d’Alene (9-3), second in state titles in 5A, was bidding for its sixth championship, and first since 2013. The Vikings were in their first title game since 2019. Amos, in his 27th season, was coaching in his seventh title game in the past 14 seasons, and eighth overall. It would have been his fourth title.

Coeur d’Alene totaled 505 yards of offense, led by sophomore quarterback Caden Symons, who threw for 346 yards. Kai Wheeler had five catches, including the TD grab from Hagel, for 139 yards. Hagel had four receptions for 133 yards.

Owen Harris ran for three touchdowns, and carved out 66 rushing yards.

Highland totaled 491 yards. Hymas, doing his best Taysom Hill impersonation, threw for 302 yards and two scores, and rushed for 113 yards and two TDs, on a combination of designed keepers, plus a few scrambles.

State track and field champions

Post Falls senior Annastasia Peters won the state 5A girls 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes, 42.92 seconds in May at Mountain View High in Meridian after finishing runner-up in the event last year.

“I kind of went into it not being too focused on a time outcome and just wanted to have fun and do my best,” said Peters, who won the state 5A cross country girls race in October at Lewiston Orchards. “Being a state champion is just the cherry on top. I just wanted to put my best effort out there, and I think I did that today.”

Peters, now running at Utah, won the race by almost 11 seconds. 

Lakeland sophomore Ziya Munyer claimed the state 4A girls triple jump title at 37 feet, 3 ¾ inches, beating Canyon Ridge freshman Hailey Elliott, who was second at 37-1.

“Coming into the meet, I knew the girl that was second was only a couple of inches off my mark,” said Munyer, who was the top seed in the event. “In the finals, I went after her and knew I had to go big.”

Lake City’s Trevor Cogley won the 5A 400 in 48.36 seconds at Mountain View High after finishing third at state last year.

Cogley just started competing in the race as a junior.

“It’s really cool to see how far I’ve come,” said Cogley, now running at Boise State. “From being third to winning it this year, it’s pretty amazing.”

Cogley was also third in the 200 and fourth as part of the Timberwolves' 4x100 relay team.

Post Falls trio claim state 5A wrestling titles; Randles wins again in 5A girls

Post Falls senior Jose Laguna defeated Oregon State-bound Hudson Rogers of Meridian in February to win a state 5A title at 182 pounds, closing the season with 32 consecutive victories.

“I feel like when everything is on the line, I’m better under pressure,” Laguna said. “It’s the same for everyone else on the team. We work for what we get. I’ve been training and putting in the time all season for this. It feels good and I feel accomplished. It’s nice to end the season with a win and finally earn the title.”

Fellow Trojan senior Trevor Miller, who would walk on to the football team at Idaho, concluded his high school career with a pin of Cash Weeks of Middleton in 2 minutes, 54 seconds in the 220-pound final. Miller won all four matches by pin for his first state title.

“I knew I could dominate each kid in the bracket,” said Miller, who placed third at state last year, and fifth as a sophomore. “I just knew I had to leave it all out there on the mat.”

Post Falls sophomore Rider Seguine notched his second straight title, winning by pin over Vincent Contreras of Nampa in 2:38.

“I just tried to stay on my feet and one thing kind of led to another,” said Seguine, who won at 98 pounds as a freshman. “It was really a rush of emotions afterward and I was really happy that it worked out in my favor.”

Meridian, with five individual champions, won the 5A team title with 280.5 points. Post Falls, seeking its first title since 2020 and sixth overall, finished second with 261.5.

In the girls tournament, once Coeur d’Alene senior Alyssa Randles pinned Mountain View’s Sophie Sarver in 4:33 at 126 pounds for her fourth state title.

Randles joined Gunner Giulio as the only four-time state champions in Coeur d’Alene school history. Randles won her first two titles at a girls-only invitational before a one-classification girls tournament was sanctioned by the Idaho High School Activities Association in 2022.

“There was a lot of emotion that came out with it being my final high school match,” Alyssa Randles said. “I didn’t feel sad it was my last match, but was thankful to have my dad (Mike, Coeur d'Alene High's principal and former Sandpoint wrestling coach) in my corner.”

Lake City girls win third-straight 5A swim title; Lakeland brother and sister double in 4A

As Lake City freshman Malyn “Tillie” Sobek described, it was a carnival ride.

And that was just the finish of the state 5A swim meet in Boise in early November.

“It was probably the biggest rollercoaster you’ve ever been on,” said Sobek, who claimed state 5A titles in the 200-yard freestyle, 500 freestyle and on a winning leg of the 200 freestyle relay. “You feel the world crashing down and start thinking you’d lost.”

Until, Lake City didn’t.

When it was discovered Timberline of Boise, which had apparently won, had used two swimmers in too many events, the team scores were recalculated, giving the state 5A team title to the Timberwolves for a third straight year.

“We really didn’t know what was going to happen,” Tillie Sobek said. “Half of us were excited, some of us were crying. Whatever it was, we were in it as a team.”

Lake City's boys were second. Coeur d'Alene's boys and girls were third.

At the 4A meet, Lakeland junior Makena Mamola won the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, as did her brother, freshman Michael Mamola — who led the Hawk boys to a runner-up finish.

Makena set classification records in both the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle in the preliminary round the day before, then broke those records in the finals.

She won the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes, 7.60 seconds, and the 200 free in 1:56.17.

“She just stepped up when it came time to shine in those really big moments,” Lakeland assistant coach Adam Mayer said.

“My sister really helped me a lot,” Michael Mamola said.

Former Lake City High and WSU star Manzardo traded to Cleveland

Kyle Manzardo was on path to make it to the major leagues as a Tampa Bay Ray, before the former Lake City High and Washington State standout was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in July.

Manzardo, out with a shoulder strain at the time, was dealt to Cleveland for starting pitcher Aaron Civale.

“I’m still a little shellshocked a little bit right now,” Manzardo said right after the trade. “But I’m excited to go join a new organization. It’s in a good spot as well. I’ve got plenty of family in Ohio and a ton in Michigan that stay within four to six hours of Cleveland.”

Manzardo had 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in 73 games with the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of Tampa Bay, when the trade was made.

After rehabbing in Arizona, Manzardo played 21 games with the Columbus Clippers, Cleveland's Triple-A team, batting .256 with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs.

While the move with Civale created a major pitching void for Cleveland, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said getting a player of Manzardo's stature was more important.

“Tough trade to make,” Antonetti said. “But we did feel it was a unique opportunity to acquire someone like Kyle. We knew it would come at a steep cost.”

The shoulder injury kept Manzardo, a second-round draft pick in 2021, out of the MLB Futures Game in Seattle in July during All-Star Weekend.

Following his minor league season, Manzardo helped Peoria reach the Arizona Fall League championship game.

Manzardo was named Tampa's top minor leaguer in 2022 after hitting .327 with 22 homers and 81 RBIs in 93 games between Single-A and Double-A. 

In spring training 2023, he got 27 at-bats with Tampa Bay, finishing with 2 homers and 9 RBIs.

Coeur d'Alene Little League returns to San Bernardino

Coeur d'Alene Little League is no stranger to the Northwest Regional in San Bernardino, Calif.

In August, after sweeping North Boise in Boise in a best-of-3 series for the state title, Coeur d'Alene returned for the first time since 2019, eventually falling in the semifinal game. Coeur d'Alene was bidding to qualify for the Little League World Series for the second time in Coeur d'Alene Little League history, and first since 2018.

"This was bigger than baseball," Coeur d'Alene manager Dave Everson said. "It's a journey, and when you think back on it, the kids will never forget that. We practiced six days a week and as many travel games as we could to prepare for this. We gave them every chance to get better, succeed and meld as a team."

Coeur d’Alene qualified for the Northwest Regional for the sixth time, after also making it to San Bernardino in 2001, 2002, 2013, 2018 and 2019.

“It’s been a really fun experience,” outfielder and catcher Clay Larwin said. “I’m just really excited to keep playing baseball. It’s my life and I’d rather do that than anything else. I really just enjoy playing this game with my friends, waking up, driving a little bit and going to play a game.”

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Coeur d'Alene senior Madi Symons celebrates after the Vikings won the state 5A girls basketball championship in resounding fashion in February at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

Courtesy photo Members of the Coeur d'Alene High boys cross country team celebrate the teams first state 5A title since 2011 after winning Saturday's race in Pocatello. In the bottom row, from left are Gabe Heule, Mitchell Rietze, Lachlan May and Kyle Rohlinger. On top are assistant coach Emry Carr, Jacob King, Max Cervi-Skinner, Wyatt Carr, Zack Cervi-Skinner, coach Cathy Compton and coach Justin Taylor.