STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL: Past success, tragedy drives Lakeside

If anyone in the Plummer-Worley community needs proof that the Lakeside High Knights can indeed win a state championship in boys basketball, all James Twoteeth has to do is reach into his pocket.

Last Thursday, when his team played for the 1A Division II District 1 championship and a berth to state, the Lakeside coach packed his state medal, and a piece of the net from when he was a senior on the 1997 Knights squad that won the state A-4 title.

It’s the first — and only — state boys basketball championship in school history.

“I’ve been telling them, I’ve been where you are. It was 23 years ago, but I’ve been there,” Twoteeth said after Lakeside won the district title last week at North Idaho College to advance to state for the first time since 2015.

The Knights players said their coach’s success as a player has had an impact on them.

“It’s motivating,” said Talon Twoteeth, a senior guard and James’ son. “At every district championship he pulls out his net, and his medal ... pretty motivating.”

“Especially in our community,” junior guard JJ Hall said. “We respect our elders.”

Lakeside (21-0) faces Garden Valley (16-3) in its state opener Thursday at 5:15 p.m. PST at Caldwell High.

LAKESIDE ALSO played for the district championship and the district’s lone berth to state each of the past two seasons, but lost to Genesis Prep.

Many of the players on this year’s Lakeside team played on the last two Knight squads — two years ago, three freshmen started for Lakeside in the district title game.

Two years ago, after beating Lakeside, Genesis Prep went on to win its second straight state title. Last year, the Jaguars made it to the semifinals before finishing third at state.

“I just think we’re older,” said James Twoteeth, in his third season as Lakeside coach. “We were right there last year; we just couldn’t get over the hump. Genesis Prep was an older group; we could never beat them. We could never beat Wallace. So we took our bumps and bruises ... and now it has just clicked. Now we’re the older group.”

Twoteeth, who became Lakeside’s seventh head coach in as many seasons when he took over in 2017, said he kept telling his team, “believe in our system, and eventually you’ll win out.”

They did, and they are.

The Knights like to run and gun, but they’re also unselfish, and share the ball. Several of their baskets in the district title game last week were assisted, many set up by cuts away from the ball.

The players speak of trust, as well as improved defense that has helped them get to this point.

“They’re very unselfish,” James Twoteeth said. “Any of them can go for 20, and they really don’t care who’s the leading scorer. That’s what I like about ’em; if somebody’s hot, they’re going to get ’em the ball.”

Six Lakeside players average 8 or more points per game, including five in double figures, led by junior Kenyon Spotted Horse (14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 steals, 3.8 assists per game). Talon Twoteeth averages 14.2 points per game.

Junior Darren “Day Day” Higgins averages 13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 2.0 steals per game. And when the 6-foot-8 Higgins, named MVP of the North Star League, got into early foul trouble in the district title game last week, his teammates, including Twoteeth, Hall (11.0 points, 2.3 steals, 2.5 assists) and senior Emmitt White (a team-high 30 3-pointers this season), were able to pick up the slack.

For all its varsity experience, Lakeside is still young, with just two seniors on this year’s squad.

James Twoteeth said when he was in school, his Lakeside team followed the same trajectory as the current squad. The Knights finished second at state in 1996, before winning it all his senior year.

“First two years, we weren’t very good, and the third year we just clicked,” Twoteeth recalled. “I told them, ‘You guys remind me a lot of my group back in 1997.’ ... it’s kinda deja vu for me. We took the title in ’97, so it’s kinda surreal that it’s happening the same way.”

PRIOR TO this basketball season, tragedy rocked the Lakeside community when Tyler Ambro, who would have been a sophomore on this year’s team, took his life. It happened shortly before preseason practice was to begin.

“And I didn’t know what to think when we first started, because it was so eerie,” James Twoteeth said. “I didn’t know if they wanted to play or not ... because all of them were really close to him. And then we started practice, and they just came together, and said ‘We’re going to do it for him.’ I think it bonded us together.”

Lakeside has honored its fallen teammate all season. Tyler’s No. 2 jersey hangs on an empty seat on the bench during games. And then the Knights posed for photos with their district championship trophy last week, one of the players held Tyler’s jersey for all to see.

“It was just a sad thing, but we’re doing it for him,” Hall said.

“We just had to come together as a group, be there for each other,” Talon Twoteeth added. “It was a pretty tragic time for everybody, so we just had to come together as a group.”