STATE 2A BOYS SEMIFINALS: Lakeside shoots into title game for third time in four years

CALDWELL — Three title game appearances in four years. 

Far from Lame. 

Not this group of Knights. 

Senior Tyson Charley had 19 points and 10 rebounds and senior Hallah Peone added 15 points for the second-seeded Knights, who beat the third-seeded Prairie Pirates 57-52 in a state 2A boys basketball semifinal game at Vallivue High on Friday. 

Lakeside (21-2) will face Kendrick (22-3) in the championship game today at 10:30 a.m. PST at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. It is Lakeside’s third appearance in the title game in the last four years, winning in 2023 and finishing second in 2024.

“All year, both Tyson and Hallah have made it a point where they don’t want to lose,” Lakeside coach James Twoteeth said. “They want to win another one.” 

Trailing 50-49 with 2:17 remaining, Charley scored four straight points to give the Knights a 53-49 lead. Phil Schwartz of Prairie hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 53-52 before Peone hit a jumper with 25 seconds left to stretch the lead to 55-52. Freshman Teagan Brown capped the scoring on a layup in the final moments. 

“We knew someone was going to step up,” Twoteeth said. “Someone was going to have to make a play. Our guys are always going to defer to Tyson. Everyone is always looking at him. In the huddle, I’ll say my spiel and ask him, and he’s got to give his approval. We understand that we’re only going as far as he’ll take us.” 

Twoteeth, in his ninth season, won the 1A Division II title in 2020. 

“i’ve always wanted to change the culture at Lakeside,” Twoteeth said. “Before I took the job, they used to called us Lameside. Now, they look at Lakeside as a good basketball school. I expected this and that’s what we’ve worked on this season.” 

Patrick Schlader had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Prairie (19-7), which faces North Star Charter for third-place today. 

“Prairie played really well,” said Twoteeth, whose team beat Prairie twice in the regular season. “It’s hard to beat a team three times. We knew they just weren’t going to lay down for us.” 

Prairie        15    15    17    5    —    52 

Lakeside    12    20    14    11    —    57 

PRAIRIE — Gehring 6, Shears 10, Vonbargen 3, Schwartz 6, Schlader 20, Forsmann 7. Totals 18-50 8-11 52. 

LAKESIDE — Peone 15, Sines 0, Louie 3, Brown 13, Charley 19, Ramirez 2, GreenSky 0, Pluff 5. Totals 21-45 11-17 57.