NAMPA – TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO to earn a third straight State Basketball Title for the Lapwai Boys Basketball Team. Tip-off today at 11:30 p.m. at the Ford Center in Nampa, Idaho. The odds of a back-to-back State Championship are nearly impossible, but three in a row? That would be as rare as a Sasquatch in your outhouse or a UFO sighting at Winchester Lake. But seriously, to go back-to-back-to-back is extremely rare. That’s the challenge for the Wildcats today as they face off with Lakeside Knights from Coeur d’Alene. Their chances are very good as they have been clicking on all cylinders for the past 62 games. They have won 62 games in a row which is almost impossible to do unless of course you wear powder blue and live in Lapwai. At least 10 of those wins were against class 5A teams, including Lewiston High School. Schools that are at least 5 times bigger than Lapwai. These cagers are the real deal and have been for three consecutive seasons.
Lakeside advanced to play Lapwai after defeating Grace Christian in the 5:00 p.m. pregame last night at Vallivue Highschool in Caldwell, Idaho. Let’s talk a little about the Lapwai opponent Lakeside. They are Good. Very good. Lakeside has some talented basketball players who play with fire in their bellies. In last night’s game before Lapwai played Castleford, the Lakeside team had won over the cheers and foot-stomping of the Lapwai fanbase. Betcha a bag of cinnamon-covered lil’ donuts fresh out of that vat of cooking oil that today in the championship game that does not happen.
Kase Wynott was face-guarded and double, triple-teamed the entire game by a very zealous Wolf defense. Wynott kept his cool the entire game and simply made everybody on his team better by finding the open man and getting them that precious rock. Wynott finished with 16 points and a dump truck full of assists. Teammate Ahlius Yearout, the recipient of many of Wynott’s laser-focused passes, notched in 22 points. Yearout can flat-out play and is so very fun to watch slice and dice. Terrell Ellenwood Jones got 7 but did so many more things that make Lapwai the great team they are. I always look forward to seeing whom Terrel matches up with on D. I kind of feel sorry for them and one time I even said a little prayer for them, “Help him Lord he is about to have a very frustrating night.” Ellenwood Jones can lock down anybody with bulldog tenacity!
Coming off the bench to spark the Wildcats is Joey Payne (a crowd favorite) contributing by hitting some big 3s and doing all the little things like steals, rebounds, taking a charge, and dishing out assists. The entire supporting cast of the Wildcats never disappoints as their battle-ready toughness always shows up and puts up. Watching Jaishaun Sherman play is like seeing live the spirit of Ollokot the Nimpuu Warrior in battle. Sherman is always a powerful force to be reckoned with.
Will the Lapwai Wildcats win three straight CHAMPIONSHIP titles? My money is on those amazing Wildcats to threepeat! TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO!!!