TEAM CAPSULES | 2021 BOYS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS

Idaho Sports website

TEAM CAPSULES | 2021 BOYS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS
Media members from around the state break down this year's state tournament field
Published: 3/1/2021 9:03:07 PM

CLASS 1A DIVISION I

GRACE GRIZZLIES
Record: 10-12
State seed: District 5-6 champ
Coach: Rory Lloyd, 14th season
Players to watch: G Gage Stoddard, sr; G Trey Draper, sr.; G Payson Andersen, jr.
Notes: Defending state runner-up after losing last year's title game 49-27 to Ambrose. ...
Second straight state tournament appearance. ... Three state titles in program history, with the
last coming in 2003. ... Bounced back from an unexpected district tournament loss to Butte
County, beating the Pirates twice at their place to clinch a state tournament spot. ... Stoddard is
returning from a second-team All-Idaho season as a junior. ... Draper transferred in before the
year from Riverton, Wyoming, where he was a football and basketball star. ... Along with
Mountain View (5A) and Melba (2A), the Grizzlies are one of three teams with a chance to
sweep the girls and boys basketball state titles for their schools. … Unranked in the final state
media poll.

LAKESIDE KNIGHTS
Record: 14-4
State seed: District 1 champ
Coach: James Twoteeth, fourth season
Players to watch: G Kenyon Spotted Horse, sr.; W JJ Hall, sr.; G Vander Brown, so.
Notes: Moved up to 1A Division I after winning the 1A Division II state title last year. It was the
Knights’ first state title since 1997, when Twoteeth was a player at Lakeside. … Darren “Day
Day” Higgins, the MVP of the North Star League in 2019, suffered a torn meniscus days before
the district title game, and is lost for the season. … Spotted Horse was the 1A Division II All-
Idaho Player of the Year last year, and the MVP of the new Scenic Idaho Conference this
season. … Two of their four losses were to 2A qualifier St. Maries.

LAPWAI WILDCATS
Record: 17-4
State seed: District 2 champ
Coach: Zachary Eastman, second season
Players to watch: PG Titus Yearout, jr.; G Kross Taylor, jr.; F Kase Wynott, fr.; F AJ Ellenwood,
jr.
Notes: Program won 10 state championships, going back-to-back in 2017-18. The Whitepine
League powerhouse hasn’t won a title since, finishing third the past two years. … Leads the
state across all classifications in team scoring average (76.9 ppg). … Yearout (23.8 ppg, 7.6
rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.2 steals) is a third-year starter and reigning first-team All-Idaho pick. …
Maintained the top ranking all season in the state’s 1A Division I media poll. … Split two games
with St. Maries, Class 2A’s second-ranked team. Only other losses came to 4A state-qualifier
Lakeland, 1A Division II heavyweight Garden Valley and Genesee — Lapwai squandered 20-
plus-point leads in the two latter games. … Taylor and Wynott combine for 26.9 ppg. Taylor shot
11-for-12 from 3-point range against Potlatch on Feb. 11. … Ellenwood averages 10.2 rebounds
and 3.5 blocks.

LIBERTY CHARTER PATRIOTS
Record: 12-11
State seed: Play-in game winner
Coach: Ryan Albright, first season
Players to watch: P Dallin Criddle, jr.; W Connor Gardner, sr.; W Tyler Baker, jr.
Notes: At state for the fourth straight year and ninth time in 10 years. … Only first-round win
was in 2013. … Has never won a state tournament trophy. … Criddle leads the team in scoring
(15.3 ppg) and rebounds (5.7). Gardner (5.9 ppg) is the second-leading scorer. … Played a
nonconference schedule with several 2A opponents, starting 2-9 before winning 10 of its last 12.
… Gardner was the 1A state cross country champ in the fall.

OAKLEY HORNETS
Record: 19-3
State seed: District 4 champ
Coach: Jeffrey Bedke, third season
Players to watch: G Austin Cranney, sr.; F Corbin Bedke, sr.; G Payton Beck, jr.; G Jace
Robinson, sr.;
Notes: Ranked No. 2 in the final state media poll. … Defending state consolation champ. …
Won seven of its last eight games. … At state for the second time in three years. … Won four
state titles, the last in 1977. … Last reached the finals in 1984.

PRAIRIE PIRATES
Record: 17-5
State seed: District 2 runner-up
Coach: Shawn Wolter, second season
Players to watch: G Cole Schlader, sr.; G Zach Rambo, jr.; G Lane Schumacher, jr.
Notes: Won the state title in 2019, but missed the tournament last season with a young roster.
… Has won four 1A Division I crowns since 2010. … Lost three times to top-ranked Lapwai,
once to 2A Grangeville and was upset Feb. 11 by Logos. … Is at the tournament for the 10th
time in the past 13 seasons. … Remained in the state media poll for all but the final week, and
enters the tournament just outside the rankings. … Schlader, Rambo and Schumacher each
have scored 20 or more points in different games this season. … Ranks fifth in 1A Division I in
scoring average (59.95).

RIVERSTONE OTTERS
Record: 13-0
State seed: District 3 champ
Coach: Steve Bowen, first season
Players to watch: F Charlie DeBoer, sr.; C Nick Liebich sr.; G Ethan Hurt, sr.
Notes: Fifth straight trip to state, which accounts for all state tournament appearances in
program history. … Won its first district championship. … 1-8 in its previous four appearances at
state, with its only win coming in the 2017 consolation semifinals. … School originally planned to
skip the season due to COVID-19, but it reversed course and played its first game Jan. 7. …
Liebich (14.8 ppg, 10.9 rebounds) was the 5A SIC boys soccer player of the year, playing for
state champ Boise since Riverstone doesn’t offer soccer. … DeBoer (22.3 ppg) is the Otters’
leading scorer. He has committed to play at the University of Puget Sound. … No. 2 offense
(68.6 ppg) and defense in 1A Division I (37.5 ppg). … Tied for fourth in the final state media poll.

VICTORY CHARTER VIPERS
Record: 19-4
State seed: District 3 runner-up
Coach: Josh Hubbard, fourth season
Players to watch: W Jasper Luce, jr.; G Noah Palomares, fr.; G Carson Cole, kr.
Notes: First appearance at the state tournament. … A young team with one senior, five juniors,
three sophomores and a freshman. … Luce is the leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and rebounder
(7.4). … Palomares is averaging 14.8 ppg. … Won 11 in a row before falling 61-46 to
Riverstone in the district championship. … Tied for fourth in the final state media poll.