IDAHO ALL-STAR BASKETBALL GAMES: Symons steals the show late ... Coeur d'Alene High product scores 27, earns MVP honors in 23rd annual game at NIC

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — He grew up in this gym.

Made more than a few shots in the baskets.

Likely learned how to dunk on those rims.

So who else but Coeur d’Alene High’s Caden Symons to put on a show on Saturday?

Symons, the son of North Idaho College men’s basketball coach Corey Symons and former Coeur d’Alene High girls basketball coach Nicole Symons, scored 27 points for the Region (players from District 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6) All-Stars, which rallied to beat the Metro All-Stars (Boise area) 132-125 in the 23rd annual Idaho All-Star boys basketball game at North Idaho College’s Christianson Gymnasium.

“I didn’t want to lose this one,” said Caden Symons, who scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half, including the game's final six points. “I had to go out and put on a show in the second half.”

In the girls game, Oakley’s Taylin Beck scored 14 points to lead the Region past the Metro 102-88.

“It was a little awkward at first,” said Beck of playing with her teammates from around the state. “I knew some of the girls that we’ve played and a few others at the state tournament. It was really fun to play with these girls one last time.”

The show started a little earlier in the day as Symons won the slam dunk contest in between the girls and boys games, beating Ashton Robinson of New Plymouth in a dunk-off, then finishing as the runner-up in the boys 3-point contest to Cooper Patterson from Mountain View of Meridian. 

Lapwai’s Madden Bisbee was the girls 3-point champion.

Patterson then defeated Bisbee in the final, 12-8.

BOYS: Symons played the 6A District 1 loser-out game against Post Falls with a sprained MCL and ACL in his right knee.

“I was getting MRIs and stuff and making sure I didn’t tear anything,” Symons said. “I just taped it up and after that, took a few weeks off.”

Symons was also named MVP of the District 1 All-Star Game on Thursday in Mullan. Saturday’s game was also a chance to share the court with Lake City’s Josh Watson and Post Falls seniors Jaxon Lysne and Connor Carver after four years of battles in the 6A Inland Empire League.

“It was amazing,” said Symons, who signed to play basketball at Evansville in November. “Playing against Josh, Jaxon and Connor all in league, I loved it. Playing with them is awesome.”

Watson, who has committed to NIC, finished with 12 points. Lysne and Carver had nine each for the Region.

“It was pretty amazing,” Lysne said. “To go out and end high school basketball like this was pretty amazing. To get to play with them one last time was great. I’ve been talking with some coaches, but I'm not sure what I’m going to do yet.”

Tyson Charley led Lakeside to the state 2A championship two weeks ago, beating Kendrick at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. 

“I grew up playing with those guys playing in AAU my entire life,” Charley said of Saturday's game. “It wasn’t much different and really felt the same as any other game.”

On Saturday, Charley was teammates on the Region team with Kendrick’s Ralli Roetcisoender.

“We just laughed about it,” Charley said. “We’re cool about it. We’ve been riding pretty high about it the last couple of weeks. The confidence went up for most all of us most definitely.”

When Lakeside’s bus traveled back up U.S. 95 through Lapwai, the community there lined the streets and shot off fireworks to celebrate the Knights’ second title in four years.

“What Lapwai did, that was really cool,” Charley said. “That was really nice.”

Charley is undecided on his future plans, but wants to continue playing at the next level.

“I don’t know what, or where yet,” Charley said. “I’m just trying to live it day by day.”

Sandpoint's Logan Roos scored nine points for the Region, giving the team the lead at 109-108 early in the fourth quarter, the Region's first lead since the first quarter.

Metro        35    29    33    28    —    125

Region        27    26    39    40    —    132

METRO — Kasen Sorenson (Blackfoot) 15, Austin Arave (Blackfoot) 11, Sam Scott (McCall-Donnelly) 2, Korban Nelson (Watersprings) 0, James Smutny (Skyview) 10, Xander Wilson (Vallivue) 11, Madix Miller (Garden Valley) 2, Noah Mitchell (Vallivue) 4, Jordan Allen (Owyhee) 4, Ashton Robinson (New Plymouth) 4, Tye Cornwall (Middleton) 29, Cooper Patterson (Mountain View) 10, Canaan Magness (Owyhee) 22, Caleb Cudaback (Notus) 0.

REGION — Jordan Swainston (Wendell) 5, Ralli Roetcisoender (Kendrick) 2, Royce Fisher (Lewiston) 29, Jonathan Swainston (Wendell) 3, Jaxon Smith (Marsh Valley) 4, JJ Yearout (St. Maries) 0, Jaxon Lysne (Post Falls) 9, Hunter Cordell (Pocatello) 6, Josh Watson (Lake City) 12, Connor Carver (Post Falls) 9, Logan Roos (Sandpoint) 9, Tyson Charley (Lakeside) 0, Kasen Bryce (Preston) 15, Caden Symons (Coeur d’Alene) 27, Parker Yost (Grace) 5.

GIRLS: For now, Lakeside’s Kyleigh Wolfe is all business.

But if that chance to play again comes up, she’ll listen.

Wolfe scored nine points, all in the second half for the Region team.

“It was awesome,” said Wolfe's Lakeside's career scoring leader with 1,567 points. “It was cool to get to play with some different people. It was awesome to play with them one more time. The girls from Lapwai (Madden Bisbee and Skylin Picard) are some of my best friends and it was really cool. Getting to play with (Coeur d’Alene’s) Karisa (Wallis) was cool to play with someone local.”

Wolfe intends to study business in college, but is still receiving interest to continue her playing career.

“I really want to play college basketball,” Wolfe said. “Walla Walla has reached out to me, so we’ll see what happens.”

Wallis has signed to play at NAIA University of Providence in Great Falls, Mont.

“For the most part, I didn’t know most of the girls, or recognize the schools they went to,” Wallis said. “But it was a good experience and I had a good time.”

Wallis closed out her Viking career in the state 6A third-place game against Rigby at Timberline High in Boise on Feb. 21, a game won by Rigby.

“After we’d been out of basketball for a month, it was fun for one last time in a Viking jersey,” Wallis said. “Scoring 100 points as a team was a lot of fun, and we were super hyped. I was sad after the state tournament, because we didn’t play great and I’ll never play Viking basketball again. But this a positive, good experience to have.”

Metro        18    19    11    40    —    88

Region        25    28    30    19    —    102

METRO — Zoey Blackwell (Middleton) 0, Adyson Chadez (Marsing) 5, Tiana Sorenson (Homedale) 2, Addie Lee (Mountain View) 2, Sianna Gable (Payette) 8, Miriam Stafford (Capital) 10, Maren Brushey (Cole Valley Christian) 10, Rylee Walters (Salmon River) 18, Raelynn Nickel (Vision Charter) 0, Izzy Tinney (McCall-Donnelly) 8, Aarey Harris (Parma) 16, Emma Ormsby (McCall-Donnelly) 5.

REGION — Kinzley Larsen (Rigby) 11, Emma Krogh (Kamiah) 4, Caryss Barger (Grangeville) 0, Kyleigh Wolfe (Lakeside) 9, Skylin Picard (Lapwai) 7, Karisa Wallis (Coeur d’Alene) 3, Juli Donez (Mountain Home) 17, Taylin Beck (Oakley) 14, Chloe Grieser (Genesee) 5, Brynn Andersen (Butte County) 4, Madden Bisbee (Lapwai) 10, Nevaeh Davenport (Thunder Ridge) 13, Kylie Schumacher (Prairie) 10.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Region guard Kyleigh Wolfe of Lakeside High attempts to put up a shot as the Metro's Raelynn Nickel of Vision Charter defends during the second half of the Idaho High School All-Star Game at North Idaho College's Christianson Gymnasium on Saturday.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Region forward Tyson Charley of Lakeside High drives past the defense of Metro's Noah Mitchell of Vallivue in the first half of the Idaho All-Star Game at North Idaho College's Christianson Gymnasium on Saturday.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Region guard Jaxon Lysne of Post Falls drives past Metro defender Madix Miller of Garden Valley during the second half of Saturday's Idaho All-Star Game at North Idaho College's Christianson Gymnasium.