Hoops

The Lapwai fan section cheers after guard Terrell Ellenwood-Jones made a shot in Thursday's championship game of the Avista Holiday Tournament at the P1FCU Activity Center at Lewis-Clark State College.

August Frank

As we flip the calendar to the new year, the high school sports schedule now starts to ramp up in full gear as we steer our way to the winter sports tournaments.

In fact, we're about at the halfway point of the season overall. We still have about half of the winter to finish, then all of the spring, then we'll take a little break for the summer.

But in the meantime, there's plenty to chew on this week as there are a total of 82 events tentatively scheduled between the four sports.

This is when the cream starts rising to the top. With that, let's delve headfirst into this week's events:

Boys basketball

Of the 36 games tentatively scheduled (virus, weather, bus drivers and officials pending), the heaviest nights of the week take place Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

 

The biggest game of the season thus far probably takes place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lapwai, where the top-ranked Wildcats will put their perfect record on the line against No. 2 Kamiah in a gigantic Whitepine League Division I contest. The game has had to be rescheduled twice because of numerous issues.

 

When the next state media poll is released earlier in the day, the Kubs more than likely will fall from that spot after going 1-2 in the New Plymouth tournament during the holidays. However, those blemishes don't necessary put a black mark on what Kamiah has done so far this season in maybe surprising a lot of people.

The Kubs (6-2, 3-0) are led by David Kludt, who has been almost averaging a double-double in eight games this year. But he's got a stellar supporting cast around him.

By now, everyone knows the story of the defending Class 1A Division I state champion. Coach Zachary Eastman has prepped this team for March in Boise. They've played the defending Class 2A state champion in St. Maries, taken down a perennial solid Class 5A team in Coeur d'Alene, then went across the border and pummeled North Central, all with the focus on finally winning the Avista Holiday Tournament.

The Wildcats (9-0, 3-0) checked that box off with a three-game romp in the event at the P1FCU Activity Center at Lewis-Clark State College. Winning games by an average of 22 points, Lapwai beat Class 3A Kellogg, Washington Class 2A Clarkston, then Class 5A Lewiston in Thursday's final.

Now, it's all about getting back to the Ford Idaho Center.

Thursday's five-game schedule will see the defending Class 1A Division II district champions Timberline take on surprise team St. John Bosco in a battle for first place in WPL Division II play in Cottonwood.

The Spartans (4-4, 3-1) have had their ups and downs so far this season, and they're hoping to put the kiabosh on a surging Patriots (4-2, 2-1) that has had pretty balanced play to date.

 

An eight-game docket awaits Friday, with the Spartans gettting right back after it against Deary (2-5, 2-2), the team Timberline knocked off in two games in the 2020-21 district tournament to get to the state tournament. The Mustangs certainly have had their struggles this season.

 

The top two teams in the Southeast 1B League's Wheat Division take to the court as Pomeroy (5-2, 3-0) visits Oakesdale (4-5, 2-1).

Lewiston (8-1, 2-0) also looks to get right. After playing at Hermiston, Ore., on Tuesday, the Bengals return home for a key Inland Empire League game against a struggling Post Falls (3-7, 0-0) team.

Saturday has a host of WPL games on the 10-game schedule. It will be interesting to see how well the Kubs bounce back from their big game at Lapwai, because they will have to visit Logos (2-1, 2-1), which hasn't played many games so far but is in fourth place in the league, only by virtue of the win column.