New kids on the block

NAMPA — It took just two years for the Genesis Prep Jaguars to reach the mountaintop in their division of high school boys basketball in Idaho.

The rest of the 1A Division II classification might as well get used to it.

Jonny Hillman scored 29 points and Stephane Manzi added 16 points and 14 rebounds as Genesis Prep toppled defending champion Dietrich 68-62 in the state title game Saturday morning at the Ford Idaho Center.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Hillman, a sophomore and a two-year starter. “We kept our heads focused; it was a three-step plan. We didn’t get ahead of ourselves; we focused on the game that was in front of us.”

Genesis Prep, a private Christian school in Post Falls which opened in 2006, played in the Mountain Christian League for years until joining the North Star League in 2015. The Jaguar boys are in their second season as an Idaho High School Activities Association-sanctioned program.

Genesis Prep became the first North Star League team in 20 years to win a state title; Lakeside last did it in 1997.

“When everybody’s on the same page and you have love for one another, this is the result,” Genesis Prep coach Marsell Colbert said.

But first, Genesis Prep (21-4) had to overcome a slow start, as Dietrich (24-2), which likes to push the pace, scored the first five points and raced out to a 9-2 lead.

Colbert called timeout.

“We had to calm our nerves, and we needed to get stops,” Colbert said. “And we needed to play smarter. We got a little off-script. That timeout allowed us to settle down, and focus on being who we are.”

Moments later, Genesis Prep stepped up the pressure from its guards and answered with a 10-0 run for a 19-13 lead, as Hillman started to take over. He scored 12 of his 18 first-half points in the second quarter, and almost single-handedly quelled every Dietrich uprising — with a steal and a feed to his cousin, Jacob Schroeder, for a layin after the Blue Devils closed to within four points after a pair of 3s, and a 3-point play moments later to hike the Jaguars’ lead back up to 10.

Hillman finished 10 of 16 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

“Jonny was huge this morning,” Colbert said. “He’s been waiting for this his whole life. His three older brothers (Zach, Matt and Michael, who all played at Post Falls) played in this arena, and he’s been here all three times, watching them play, and he wanted his opportunity. I’m not surprised he played the way he played today.”

When Hillman wasn’t affecting the game, the 6-foot-9 Manzi, from Rwanda, was. He was credited with two blocked shots but may have had a couple of more. Plus, there’s no line on the stat sheet for shots affected (SA). That total was at least a dozen as Dietrich shot 18 for 55 from the field, many of them improvised shots as Manzi was ready to reject them.

You’ve heard of the Discount Double Check. This was the Dietrich Double Clutch.

“I have to show my presence, especially protect the rim,” said Manzi, the team’s lone senior. “That’s what my teammates expect from me, to protect the rim and get rebounds.”

“He’s come a long way,” Colbert said of Manzi. “I was happy that he was able to come in and have the game that he had. He was our anchor this year. He was the one that controlled the boards for us, and today was no different.”

“You don’t have to go all the way to the goal when you get down there — you can stop a dribble short and shoot the short jumper before they get set inside,” Dietrich coach Wayne Dill said. “When you don’t play that kind of a person all the time, there’s a little wakeup call to start with.”

Genesis Prep began to impose its will on Dietrich, and began to pull away. The Blue Devils picked up the pace on defense, and closed to within six points with just under 3 minutes left.

But Hillman — who else? — responded with another 3-point play, and the Jaguars were soon celebrating.

“All the hours we’ve put in have really paid off,” junior point guard Junior Williams said. “We’ve grown as a family, we all bought in, and everyone trusted the process.”

Jake Smith hit 6 of 10 3-pointers and led Dietrich with 22 points. He hit a classification-record seven 3s in Thursday’s win over Kendrick, and finished with 15 3s for the tourney, another record. Kade Shaw added 14 points and Slade Dill had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who shot worse from 2-point range (8 of 33) than from 3-point range (10 of 22).

Max Reidt added nine points, Williams seven for Genesis Prep, and they, combined with Hillman, Jake Shelton and Jacob Schroeder, were responsible for the defensive pressure on the perimeter that bothered Dietrich.

Pretty good debut on the big stage for a team with just the one senior, and who starts three juniors, a sophomore and a senior.

“Looks like they’ll be there for a while,” Dill said of Genesis Prep. “Jonny Hillman is a tremendous ballplayer. We had a good guy on him, and he gets his points. They shoot the 3 probably better than anybody we’ve played.”

Genesis Prep 12 20 16 20 — 68

Dietrich 13 16 12 26 — 62

GENESIS PREP — Shelton 4, Reidt 9, Williams 7, Schroeder 3, Hillman 29, Manzi 16, Gonzales 0. Totals 25-52 13-18 68.

DIETRICH — Astle 10, Tew 4, Smith 22, Robertson 0, Shaw 14, Dill 12, Page 0. Totals 18-55 16-20 62.