ALL-IDAHO BASKETBALL: Timberlake’s Soumas, Lakeside’s Spotted Horse named high school basketball players of the year
BOISE — The state’s top boys and girls high school basketball players were honored this past week, and two of them come from North Idaho.
Timberlake junior point guard Taryn Soumas was named 3A girls Player of the Year, and Lakeside junior point guard Kenyon Spotted Horse was tabbed 1A Division II boys Player of the Year.
The All-Idaho teams were announced by The Idaho Statesman newspaper of Boise, following a poll of coaches statewide.
Soumas averaged 16.8 points per game, hit a school-record 61 3-pointers and averaged 3.9 assists for the Tigers, who won the state title in February.
“She is a great all-around basketball player — a great shooter, great ballhandler, great defender and a great leader on the floor,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller told the Statesman.
“She never took a play off, plays with a chip on her shoulder and embarrasses a lot of her defenders,” Priest River coach Gary Stewart said.
Spotted Horse averaged 15.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.5 assists as the Knights won their first state title in 23 years.
“He does everything for us — scores, rebounds, assists, steals, and is just what makes our team go,” Lakeside coach James Twoteeth told the Statesman.
“Lakeside was a really good team without Kenyon on the floor. With him on the floor, they were truly a great high school basketball team,” Mullan coach Paul Elston said.
Matt Miller, who coached Timberlake to its third state title in five years, was named 3A girls Coach of the Year.
Twoteeth, who also played on Lakeside’s 1997 state champions, was named 1A Division II boys Coach of the Year.
Other area players honored on the All-Idaho team include:
5A BOYS — Post Falls senior guard Colby Gennett was named to the first team. The 6-foot-4 Gennett, who committed to Central Washington last week, averaged 15.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals for the Trojans, who finished second at state. Post Falls junior guard Caden McLean was named to the second team. The 6-foot McLean averaged 13.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals.
4A BOYS — Benny Kitchell, a 6-4 junior wing from Moscow, was named to the second team.
3A BOYS — Kellogg senior guard Graden Nearing was named to the first team. The 6-2 Nearing, who missed three games after breaking his right (shooting) hand in January, averaged 16.7 points, 2.6 steals and 2.2 assists for the Wildcats, who played for the consolation title at state.
2A BOYS — St. Maries junior guards Eli Gibson and Brett Stancil were named to the second team. The 6-1 Gibson averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals for the Lumberjacks, who finished third at state. The 6-2 Stancil averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals.
1A DIVISION I BOYS — Wallace junior point guard Carter Bailey was named to the second team. The 5-10 Bailey averaged 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the Miners.
1A DIVISION II BOYS — Lakeside senior guard Talon Twoteeth was named to the first team. The 6-foot Twoteeth averaged 14.6 points and 1.8 steals for the Knights. Lakeside junior center Darren “Day Day” Higgins was named to the second team. The 6-8 Higgins averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots.
5A GIRLS — Lake City junior center Brooklyn Rewers was named to the second team. The 6-4 Rewers averaged 18.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.7 rebounds for the Timberwolves.
3A GIRLS — Timberlake junior forward Brooke Jessen was named to the first team. The 5-11 Jessen averaged 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals for the Tigers, and was named to the first team for the second straight year. Timberlake junior center Blayre Jeffs was named to the second team. The 6-4 Jeffs averaged 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Information: idahostatesman.com
