MULLAN — The annual District 1 All-Star Game will be held this Friday at the historic Mullan Pavilion and will feature 10 area athletes.

For the boys, Sandpoint's Emerik Jones and Rece Wolff will compete on the West All-Stars. Priest River's Nate Stifel, Brock Kreager, Sawyer Staudt and Palmer Coleman will compete on the East All-Stars.

On the girls side, Priest River's Paityn Yount, Desi Humphrey and Lizzie McCracken will represent the West All-Stars alongside Bonners Ferry's Sydney Hinthorn. Hannah Thompson of Clark Fork will represent the East All-Stars.

The annual senior showcase is one of the signature events for District 1’s hardwood standouts, but it’s also a major event for the Mullan Jr./Sr. High School’s athletic department.  

Each year, the game brings hundreds of spectators from as far away as Bonners Ferry, Clark Fork, and Plummer to Mullan to cheer on their favorite All-Stars, making it one of the biggest fundraisers for Mullan sports.  

First-year Mullan High Athletic Director Dakota Dykes may be getting his first crack at organizing the event, but as a Mullan graduate, he’s intimately familiar with the game and understands why it’s so important. 

“As a student who graduated from Mullan and played in the All-Star game a decade ago, I feel that this game is an important tradition for Mullan and all of District 1 because it is a unique experience for the athletes, coaches and spectators who participate,” Dykes said. “For the athletes and the communities around them, this contest serves as a wonderful opportunity to come together and have a blast in a fun competitive environment.” 

Players from the 1A classification, all the way up to 6A get to take the court together in fast-paced, high-scoring contests that usually feature top-notch shooting and even the occasional in-game dunk. 

Former Lake City standout and Genesis Prep girls head coach Nate Frisbie will be pulling double duty, coaching the boys and girls “West” teams, while Post Falls’ Mike McLean will run it back one more time as the boys’ “East” coach before stepping into retirement. Clark Fork High head girls basketball coach Chris Cavanaugh will coach the “East” girls.  

The game offers opportunities for rivalries to be put aside or, sometimes, renewed for a night, which provides another unique chance for the athletes playing.  

“You get the chance to team up and work with both rival schools and some schools you might not play against often or at all,” Dykes said. “It is an incredibly fun contest where scores usually run high, and athletes tend to try flashier and riskier techniques that they wouldn't normally rely on in a regular season contest.”  

Along with the games, All-Star night will feature the annual 3-point shooting contest and slam dunk competition. After both games, an MVP will be chosen and will receive a scholarship for their efforts. 

“Athletes tend to go above and beyond in this contest to stand out amongst their peers and try to clinch that MVP spot for their respective games,” Dykes said. “All-in-all, spectators should expect a night of stellar basketball with intermittent bouts of high-flying dunks and lights-out 3-point shooting from the best senior athletes found in District 1.”  

The girls game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. with the boys game to follow. 

GIRLS

WEST ALL STARS

Desi Humphrey, Priest River; Paityn Yount, Priest River; Lizzie McCracken, Priest River; Landree Simon, Lakeland; Kinzie Lawler, Genesis Prep; Ella Martin, Genesis Prep; Summer Nelke, Genesis Prep; Sadie Zimmerman, Lake City; Sydney Hinthorn, Bonners Ferry.

EAST ALL STARS

Hannah Thompson, Clark Fork; Bethany Phillips, Wallace; Myckenzee Mitley, Post Falls, Ellie McGowan, Post Falls; Diana Nelson, Timberlake; Jozee MacArthur, Timberlake; Alyssa Bosson, Mullan; Sienna Streeter, Mullan; Aubree Groth, Kellogg.

BOYS

WEST ALL STARS

Gabe Meyer, Genesis Prep; Dylan Tosh, Genesis Prep; Spencer Farrell, Genesis Prep; Emmaus Nichols, Genesis Prep; Preston SpottedHorse, Lakeside; Chris Moore, Kootenai; Mason Hensley, Lakeland; Gabe Harris, Lakeland; Emerik Jones, Sandpoint; Rece Wolff, Sandpoint.

EAST ALL STARS  

Mike Morgan, Mullan; Trenton McLean, Post Falls; Tyras Blake, Post Falls; Cobe Cameron, Post Falls; Isaac McKeown, Post Falls; Brodie Robinson, Kellogg; Julian Davis, Wallace; Nate Stifel, Priest River; Palmer Coleman, Priest River; Brock Kreager, Priest River; Sawyer Staudt, Priest River.

    Sandpoint High senior Rece Wolff rises up for a shot during an away game against Priest River earlier this season.