Pfennigs named Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year

Post Falls High senior Jake Pfennigs was named 2017-18 Gatorade Idaho Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Pfennigs is the first Gatorade Idaho Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Post Falls High.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

Pfennigs, a 6-foot-7 senior, averaged 16.7 points and 11.1 rebounds this season, shot 48.2 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent from 3-point range, and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line.

He is a two-time 5A Inland Empire League MVP, Pfennigs is also a two-time class 5A first-team all-Idaho selection and was named to the Platinum Division All-Tournament Team at the 2018 Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas.

A youth basketball camp instructor during the summer, Pfennigs has also volunteered locally as an elementary school tutor in addition to donating his time to the Heroes and Holidays Event organized by the Post Falls Police Department to help at-risk children.

“Jake’s an awesome candidate for Gatorade Player of the Year,” said Jim Winger, head basketball coach at Lake City High. “He’s been consistent from the get go. He’s a tremendous shooter with a great presence inside. And he plays the game correctly, with great body language and a great attitude on the court.”

Pfennigs has maintained a 3.81 GPA in the classroom. An elite baseball prospect and projected early round pick in June’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Pfennigs has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Oregon State this fall.

As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Pfennigs will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants — one for each sport — will be announced throughout the year.