Sandpoint Future 4th Grade Girls

SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint Future fourth grade girls basketball team won the Sandpoint Future Invitational held at various local elementary schools in and around Sandpoint  Jan. 26-28. The girls went 4-0 to win the tournament. Previously, the girls also qualified for the Washington State Middle School Basketball Championships which will be held March 8-10 in Spokane Valley after their performance at the Santa Slammer Tournament held back in December at the HUB Sports Center in Spokane. Overall, the team is 17-5-2 on the season. 

Sandpoint Future 4th Grade Boys

SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint Future fourth grade boys also went 4-0 to win the Sandpoint Future Invitational held this past weekend. In the championship match, the boys defeated the CDA Cougars after a large second half comeback.

The boys trailed by as much as 12 points early on, and by nine at halftime, but never gave up.

“We had a hard time finding our rhythm offensively, going against a full court zone press that would transition into a zone defense in the half court,” head coach Ashleigh Mire said. “Our team typically shoots lights out, but we just couldn’t hit. To make matters worse, the Cougars couldn’t miss. I knew if we had it within 10 at halftime, we had a chance to make a game out of it.”

Sandpoint Future certainly made a game out of it, coming from behind to ultimately win 31-22.

“We decided to shake things up; we started attacking their zone on offense, hitting little floaters in the soft spots of their zones,” Mire said. “We turned the tables and pressed them full court, and it transitioned into quick points. Momentum is everything; the boys took it and never looked back.”

Mire said she was especially impressed with her guards in the championship game, noting that Emerson Marshall and Harper Fields handled pressure on both sides of the court. 

“Emerson and Harper stepped up in big ways, their maturity was impressive,” Mire said.

Mire also noted that Rowin Macdonald and Mac Driggs had a tremendous hustle play on the defensive end and Sam Webb knocked down a buzzer-beating basket. Throughout the entire tournament, Mire said Garrison Markwardt, Will Hawn and Greyson Reid all had some big games for Sandpoint Future.

“Like I’ve said before, we have a deep bench and we continue to get better,” Mire said. “These boys don’t quit, and that says a lot about their character.  As their coach and one of their biggest fans, I could not be prouder.”

The Sandpoint Future fourth grade boys will play Feb. 24-25 in Spokane at the Hoop Town Classic.

    The Sandpoint Future fourth grade boys pose with their first place medals from the Sandpoint Future Invitational. From left, assistant coach Joe Mire, head coach Ashleigh Mire, Will Hawn, Emerson Marshall, Mac Driggs, Harper Fields, Garrison Markwardt, Greyson Reid, Rowin Macdonald, Sam Webb, and assistant coach Mat Macdonald