STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Trips toughen T-Wolves

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

The Lake City Timberwolves thought they had a pretty good nonleague boys basketball schedule set up for this season, to challenge a young team on the rise.

Lake City had its annual holiday tournament, where the T-Wolves often play teams from the Greater Spokane League and elsewhere in Washington.

They also were headed for a tournament hosted by Curtis High in Tacoma.

But COVID-19 had other ideas.

Playing Washington schools became out of the question for Lake City. But the Timberwolves were able to book a tournament hosted in December by Middleton High, then play three games in three days in eastern Idaho over the holidays.

Lake City won just two of the six games over those two events, but just going paid dividends.

"I honestly think it changed our season," Timberwolf senior wing Jack Kiesbuy said. "Once we went down there and played our games, we became a whole different team when we came back. Those two tournaments helped us a lot ... handling the toughness with the refs; they don’t call much down there, and we had to get used to that. And once we got used to that, we clicked."

Lake City (16-6), which has lost just two games since, makes its second straight appearance at the state 5A tournament this week, opening vs. Rocky Mountain (15-3) of Meridian on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. PST at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

The T-Wolves lost to 5A qualifier Madison and 4A qualifier Middleton at the Middleton tourney in December, and beat 4A qualifier Hillcrest as part of the eastern Idaho road trip. They fell to Thunder Ridge of Idaho Falls by three points and to Canyon Ridge of Utah by two. Their other win in that span was over Century of Pocatello in the Middleton tourney opener.

"I think that’s the best thing that happened to us," Lake City coach Jim Winger said of the two road trips. "I’ve always felt, and I think (ESPN analyst) Fran Fraschilla said it the other day, teams that head into the money rounds got a bloody knee, or got punched in the face a little bit, are the ones who perform best at the end — if they learn from it."

Lake City actually played four games in four days on its first trip, playing a nonleague game at Moscow before continuing on to Middleton the next day.

"Madison, that was our fourth game in four days, and Madison was our only clunker of the year," Winger said. "Green Canyon, we just got beat right at the end, but we played well … it was a good game for us. Thunder Ridge, if I had to put my finger on something, would be the one, because we had them beat, and we missed a bunch of free throws … but ever since then, they made it a mission to finish better.

"I just think those two trips, we grew up."

Lake City has won 11 of its last 13 games since the calendar turned to 2021, the only losses being at Post Falls where the T-Wolves fell way behind but battled back and had a chance to tie, and at Lewiston, where the fired-up Bengals shot extremely well in their first home game before a large crowd.

"We played some of the best teams in Idaho, 4A and 5A, and to get kinda bloodied up and beat, I think helped us a lot," Lake City sophomore wing Zach Johnson said. "It was like, hey, this is what we have to do to be able to compete down south, and I think that really helped us coming back up here for league and districts."

Lake City returned four starters from last year's team that went two-and-out at state — Kiesbuy, and then-freshmen Johnson, point guard Kolton Mitchell and wing Varick Meredith.

Then, during the summer, Winger received a call saying Blake Buchanan, who helped Moscow to a runner-up finish at the state 4A tourney last year, was transferring to Lake City.

"As a matter of fact, it felt like he’d been there all along," Winger said of the 6-foot-9 Buchanan, who had never played with any of the T-Wolves prior to this season. "One thing about this team is, they really get along. That’s not just coach-speak, they are tight-knit, they root for each other, they encourage each other. No, he’s fit right in. This is as good of chemistry and 'team-manship,' if that’s a word, that we’ve had in quite some time."

"He’s been great for us … great kid," Kiesbuy said. "And once we all got to know him pretty well, we just clicked. It’s been great since."

For one, it allowed Johnson, who is strong enough to mix it up inside, to also play on the perimeter, where he is a 3-point weapon.

"It helps us a lot, just with size," Mitchell said of the addition of Buchanan. "Last year we were missing a ‘5’, and this year, it’s exactly the puzzle piece that we needed, so it’s nice. He helps our offense, he's a protector at the rim. He does a lot for us."

The T-Wolves are sophomore-heavy, but seniors Jack Kiesbuy, Chris Irvin and Ben Janke have been key as well. Irvin and Janke come off the bench, though Irvin started in the latter part of the season when sophomore wing Varick Meredith was sidelined with a wrist injury. Winger said Meredith should be ready for state.

Lake City, which opened in fall 1994, is still looking for its first state title. The T-Wolves played in the title game in 2002.

Last year, in their first appearance since 2014, the Timberwolves ran into Austin Bolt and eventual champion Borah of Boise in the first round, and eventually went two-and-out.

But, like those road trips this season, just getting to state last year had its benefits.

"We drew Borah, and Bolt, and that’s pretty tough for four freshmen," said Winger, in his 13th season of his second stint as Lake City coach, and 22nd season overall as coach of the T-Wolves. "We were a little nervous, and rightfully so. But I really felt the Rigby game was a great game for us. We did some really good things. We missed some bunnies; the score was totally misleading.

"We came out of that second game pretty pleased with ourselves, as far as an effort, and growing up a little bit. You've got to keep healthy and keep your head on straight, and just go down and compete and do what you’ve been doing. These kids have shown a lot after Christmas."

"Since we’re used to it, I think we’ll do a lot better this year," Kiesbuy said.

Johnson says his goal is to be the best rebounder in each game.

"It’s a different game down south, way more physical, and this season that’s what I tried to focus on, because I knew that we had a shot to go," Johnson said. "I said hey, it’s going to be physical down at state, I’m going to try to model my game after that, and in practice, so we can be ready for that, and win a state championship."

During the pandemic last spring, Johnson spent a lot of time in the school weight room.

"Lifting and getting ready for football was the goal, but it turned out it helped in basketball, too," said Johnson, a standout receiver for the football team.

"We were very young last year; only one senior, and three freshman starters," Mitchell said. "We’ve learned a lot and grown a lot as players. I think this year will be different. It’s a lot more physical, and anyone can win; just like March Madness."