Lapwai, the defending champion, has accumulated four championships in that span.

“I think for any Lapwai student-athlete that plays basketball, the expectations are a little higher,” second-year Wildcats coach Ada Marks said. “They know they have a lot of eyes on them and that a lot of people look up to them.

“It’s a bit tougher when you’re the defending state champs. We just need to make sure we make it to the championship. It doesn’t matter who we play.”

The Pirates of Cottonwood took the top prize in 2014, but have since finished runner-up five times, including last year.

“No one would shy from that accomplishment, but it’s bittersweet not walking off the court with a gold,” said Prairie coach Lori Mader, who has guided the Pirates to State in each of her 11 years at the helm. “A lot of coaches are happy to get to State. That’s fine to say, but we’re really competitive. We say, ‘Finish what you started.’

“The kids know the expectations are high. They’ll give everything they’ve got.”

The Wildcats (20-1), the top-ranked team in the final state media poll in the class, are looking to extend their record number of championships to 11. The No. 2 Pirates (20-3) hope to avenge three losses to Lapwai this season, and deadlock the title count for the two Whitepine League powerhouses from rich hoops communities at 10 apiece.

The chances of a rematch are good, according to history.

 

Lapwai opens its defense at 6 p.m. Pacific today at Columbia High School in Nampa against Murtaugh (19-4). The Pirates get Rimrock of Bruneau (19-2) at 1 p.m. Pacific today.

 

The Wildcats haven’t missed the tournament in an Idaho record 21 years. They have racked up trophies in 14 consecutive seasons, and by all indications, they’re primed for another.

They won 13 games by 20-plus points, and surpassed the century mark once too. They bounced right back from a loss to Genesee at home in the regular-season finale Feb. 4 to sweep through the district tournament, toppling Prairie in the final despite trailing by nine in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats own impressive wins against Class 2A state qualifier Grangeville and 4A Moscow.

“Tougher teams we’ve played have helped us,” Marks said. “There were some games we had to dig deep and show our talent and athletic abilities fully to get ahead.”

Lapwai excels with hounding, turnover-forcing traps and high-speed offense — typical of the Wildcats’ program.

“They play really tight defense, and that makes the offense come alive,” Marks said.

But this group enjoys an added layer of balance that’s not always the norm.

Seven players have produced double-digit scoring outputs at one point or another. Five Wildcats average more than two steals per game. All-Idaho senior Glory Sobotta (10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game), and her all-state junior sister Grace (9.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.9 assists) are the statistical leaders. Other contributors include sophomore Lauren Gould (11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds), freshman Jordyn McCormack-Marks (9.7 points, 3.6 steals) and senior Omari Mitchell (8.2 points).

“KC (Lussoro) did a lot for us last year. Now, everybody is kind of finding their roles and they’re all becoming leaders,” Marks said. “(Leading) is a shared responsibility. A lot of these girls have stepped up at one time.”

 

Prairie has often suffocated opposing offenses into sub-30-point outputs, and the Pirates also boast options in abundance.

 

Savvy senior captain and point guard Madison Shears paces the team with 13 points, four steals and three assists per game. She’s the reigning 1ADI state player of the year.

“She’s a natural leader and someone the kids look up to,” Mader said. “She’s really the dream kid to coach. Always in it to win it.”

Sophomore Kristin Wemhoff adds 10, and fellow starters Delanie Lockett, Tara Schlader and Ellea Uhlenkott are good for about eight points each time out.

“It’s not their first state tournament. All these kids are returning varsity players, and our strength is that we don’t rely on just one,” Mader said. “Plenty of kids can step up when they need to. It makes it harder to zone in on us.”

Mader highlights team speed and athleticism as Prairie’s top traits. The Pirates can “run and jump with the best of them,” and, like Lapwai, pride their defense on an effective full-court press.

“That’s been my mantra for my 11 years,” Mader said. “If you can rock them back on their heels, it makes our game a little easier. We can push the tempo of the game, and obviously that’s worked for us this season.”

Although Lapwai bested Prairie this season by a per-game average of 10 points, the Pirates had the advantage in each contest until the later stages. Fourth-quarter Wildcat eruptions made the difference in what were otherwise thrilling, well-matched games.

“We had to earn our spot this year,” Marks said. “They know they’re a top contender, so we’ve got to make sure we come out one game at a time and prove ourselves.”

Added Mader: “You’ve still got to be able to finish. If you want to be a champion, you’ve got to finish.”

 

Will history repeat itself?

 

FAN ATTENDANCE — Per COVID-19 protocols at the host sites, each competing team will be permitted 150 spectators. Filling that allotment won’t be a problem for either team.

“Prairie and Lapwai thrive on their crowds,” Mader said. “(Playing without a crowd early on) was a bit of adversity. But we’re thankful we had a season and never really had any disruptions. I feel blessed. The WIAA is just getting geared up to start, and here we are, going to State.”

Clark may be reached at cclark@lmtribune.com, on Twitter @ClarkTrib or by phone at (208) 848-2260.