HOOPFEST NOTEBOOK: Many happy returns ... Area athletes compete in 37th annual 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

SPOKANE — Last June, longtime St. Maries High boys basketball coach Bryan Chase began a fight nobody ever dreams of taking on.

On Saturday, Chase took advantage of an opportunity to step into a different battle that is a little more familiar.

Chase, playing for FC Buckets along with his daughter Madi Forrest and her husband Tanner Forrest and Tanner’s sister Rylee Forrest, competed in the 37th annual Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament on the streets of downtown Spokane.

Last June, Chase was diagnosed with pancreatic liver cancer.

“I didn’t have chemo this week, which was kind of nice,” Chase said. “It worked out to play and it has always been one of my favorite events to play in. And I did the first one in 1990 and tried to play in each of them, but I’ve missed a few here and there over the last 10 years.”

Feeling a little better, it wasn’t something he wanted to miss this year.

“I don’t know if it was a goal, but it was something I talked with Madi about a few months ago,” Chase said. “She kind of put it together. She played last year, and she asked if I wanted to play, and I told her sure. It was really special for the both of us, both playing with her and her husband.”

Chase, who in March coached the Lumberjacks to the state 3A title in his 12th season, has led the program to eight trophies at state, including 10 straight appearances before losing in a state play-in game last year.

“One of my favorite things is coming here and watching all the kids I’ve coached too,” Chase said. “So there’s a lot of St. Maries teams in this. A lot of former and current players and some of my freshmen players came up and wanted a picture, so that was rewarding to me.”

Chase hasn’t closed the door on returning as coach next year, but is waiting on some things to fall into place medically first.

“Not officially,” Chase said. “I’m working on getting a liver transplant, but that’s six or seven months out. I’m still hoping for one more year. Everyone keeps asking me if I want to go out on top, but I’ve got some good kids coming back still. And I enjoy it and feel like the chemo is working and going on 12 months now. I’m fortunate to be on two weeks on and two weeks off with it now, but this is awesome.”

FC Buckets went 2-0 on Saturday and will play again today 9:30 a.m., needing two more wins to advance to the championship round.

IF YOU play at Hoopfest long enough, you’re bound to run into someone you know, whether it comes from a previous matchup, or even someone that played at the same school.

In an opening-round game, the Temu Lakers — with former Lake City High guard Kendall Pickford and former Coeur d’Alene High forward Skylar Burke — faced off with Wolverines — which included former Coeur d’Alene High standout and current Lewis-Clark State women’s basketball coach Caelyn Orlandi.

“I had no idea until we showed up today,” Burke said. “But it’s always fun to get to see and play against some familiar faces.”

“It was fun,” Orlandi said. “Coeur d’Alene people, it’s always fun to play against Coeur d’Alene people. Great basketball comes out of Coeur d’Alene, and it was fun to play against them.”
Orlandi, who has coached at Lewis-Clark State for the last 10 years, including the last four as head coach, attempted to recruit Burke out of high school.

“I did talk to her for a bit,” said Burke, who eventually signed with UC Santa Barbara. 

Likewise, Pickford had early discussions with Lewis-Clark State, but had other plans in mind.

“I think I talked to her a bit in high school, but knew that I wanted to go and play somewhere warm,” Pickford said. 

Orlandi estimates she plays at Hoopfest every other year, and teamed with Cali Moore, an assistant coach at Lewis-Clark State, and former LCSC players Payton Hymas and Callie Sander.

“I’ve done it forever and one of our players had never done it, so I was happy to do that with her and have her be able to see her family,” Orlandi said. “I grew up with it, and having them up here to experience it, it’s the best basketball weekend of the year.”

“Skylar and I have been playing together since we were little kids,” Pickford said. “We decided we had to run it back again.”

Pickford began her collegiate career at Arizona Christian, then played one season at North Idaho College and one at Cal Poly Humboldt. She will compete next year for NAIA Ottawa University in Surprise, Ariz. Burke, however, graduated from UCSB this spring. Earlier this week, the NCAA adopted a new eligibility model for Division I athletes, allowing five seasons of competition over a five-year period beginning on their college enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever is first.

“I missed the rule cutoff, so I’m done now,” said Burke, who hopes to play overseas in the fall. 

“I figured I had time to come back and play Hoopfest one last time,” she said.

“We came back to win a championship,” Pickford said. “We’re running it back next year with (former Coeur d’Alene High and current Wyoming forward) Madi (Symons) in the Elite Division for sure.”

Temu Lakers went 2-1 on Saturday, and return to the court at 9 a.m. today in a loser-out game. Likewise, Wolverines went 2-1 and will play a loser-out game at 9:30 a.m. today.

Should both win those games, they will meet again at 11 a.m. in another loser-out game.

AS IT turned out, running it back for Friends, a group of recent graduates from Post Falls High, meant running into another pack of former Trojans in the second round.

Friends — made up of Isaiah Naylor, Jace Ostlund, Connor Carver and Jaxon Lysne — went 2-0 on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s championship round.

“We’ve been on the same AAU team since third grade and since sixth grade, we’ve just continued to run it back (at Hoopfest),” Carver said. “We’ll probably continue to play every year, I’m not going to lie, and just keep it going.”

“It’s great,” Lysne said. “We’ve been together forever, so why not make the best of it and do the best we can.”

In the second round, Friends defeated Cookies and Cream, composed of former Trojans Tyras Blake, Cobe Cameron and Trenton McLean, to advance.

“We’ve been playing against them since the third grade,” Lysne said. “It’s another good rivalry and we’ve played a lot against each other. But it’s nothing but love.”

Lysne recently signed to play basketball at NAIA College of Idaho in Caldwell.

“I do AAU through Idaho Select down there,” Lysne said. “The coaches at College of Idaho helped with that because they know me really well, so I was able to get hooked up into that. It’s really the best fit for me.”

Carver had offers to play football at the next level, but opted not to pursue those chances.

“I didn’t really see myself playing at the next level,” Carver said. “I really don’t think I loved it enough to continue playing at the next level. So I just chose not to.”

He did not receive an offer to play basketball.

“It was a little tough,” Carver said. “I’ve been playing my entire life, so it was kind of hard to just put it down like that. But I’m confident in my decision.”

Carver intends to study computer science at Lewis-Clark State College next fall.

“I just liked the campus and the school when I went down there on tours,” Carver said. “These guys are my best friends, and it’s always fun being on the court with them. It’s definitely something I’m going to miss.”

BRICKLAYERZ UNION, a group of former and current North Idaho Christian School girls basketball players, went 2-0 to open play on Saturday.

“Symone (Pilgrim) and I, we basically play in it every year,” Danica Kelly said. “We were looking for people and reached out to Belle (Sanwald) and Chelsey (Cate) reached out to us. We got together and made a team and showed up and played. We’ve played together and we seem to have good chemistry.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Kelly said. “Growing up with brothers, and being so competitive, I was all in to do it. For all of us, it just feels natural and doesn’t feel forced when we’re playing together. We’re just having fun on the court.”

After graduation, Kelly attended Wenatchee Valley College, playing basketball during the 2024-25 season, but did not return to the program this past season, opting to focus on her studies.

“(North Idaho Christian coach) Jerry (Bittner) was so impactful with that,” Kelly said. “Growing up and being on his team for so long. He always told me that if I wanted to play college ball, he’d reach out to coaches for me and he was so great with that. He got me talking to coaches and helping with that.”

Cate graduated from North Idaho Christian earlier this month.

“It was a great experience,” Cate said. “They’re all great people and great basketball players. It brings me so much joy to get to do these things with them after high school and we’ve graduated.”

As for running it back with the same group next year, Cate is all in.

“I’d like to continue playing with them as much as possible,” Cate said. “I just love basketball. Any time I get the chance to play, I’m going to take it if I can.”

Cate had offers to continue playing in college, but instead is focusing on becoming an ophthalmologist, a doctor who specializes in comprehensive medical and surgical eye care.

“I’d really just be going to college to play basketball,” Cate said. “None of the schools that offered me really had what I was looking for. I’m going into the optometry field. I almost went to Spokane (Colleges) because the coach is super nice and I really wanted to play for them.”

WIN OR lose, all the Swoosh Sisters were concerned with on Saturday was just having fun.

“We’ve played together on the North Idaho ICE (AAU) for the last few years, and now we’re a team,” Aida Stanley said. “Three of us (Stanley, Phoebe Leggat and Isla Wearne) go to Canfield and the other Kambry Brouse goes to Woodland.”

It is the third straight year the foursome has played together at Hoopfest.

“We’re great teammates,” said Stanley, daughter of former NIC volleyball coach Kelsey Stanley. “Whenever we make a mistake, we’re there to cheer each other on and it’s just a great environment.”

Stanley added that the physical nature of the game is something she enjoys.
“I love 3-on-3,” Stanley said. “I really love the contact of the sport and how three individuals have to work together to score and stuff.”

“They’re a really fun group,” said Phoebe Leggat, daughter of former Coeur d'Alene High standout Jenna (Griffitts) Leggat. “They’re really positive. I just like that group of girls.”

Swoosh Sisters went 0-2 and will compete in the consolation bracket today.

“We did a lot better in our first game today,” Leggat said. “I don’t know what happened in this (second) game. Hopefully we come back tomorrow and win that bracket.”

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Bricklayerz Union's Danica Kelly drives to the basket during the team's first round game against OG Hoop Squad in the 37th annual Hoopfest 3-on-3 tournament in Spokane on Saturday.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Chelsey Cate of Bricklayerz Union, a group of former and current North Idaho Christian girls basketball players, drives to the basket during the team's first game against OG Hoop Squad on Saturday in Spokane.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Isaiah Naylor of Friends, a group of recent Post Falls High boys basketball players, looks to pass during the team's opening game against Slavic Slums at the 37th annual Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Spokane.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Jaxon Lysne of Friends drives to the basket during the team's opening game against Slavic Slums on Saturday in Spokane.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Khepri Wood of Wild Kittens splits the What Up Cuz defense to get to the basket during the team's second round game in the 37th annual Spokane Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Saturday.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Aida Stanley of Swoosh Sisters splits the Omak Highlights defense during a consolation game in the 37th annual Spokane Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Spokane.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Phoebe Leggat of Swoosh Sisters battles for a jump ball against an Omak Highlights defender during the Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Saturday in Spokane.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Skylar Burke of Temu Lakers drives to the basket on the Wolverines defense during an opening round game at Hoopefest on Saturday in Spokane.