STATE 5A GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP: Phenomenal finish ... Coeur d'Alene blows out Rocky Mountain, wins 10th title in program history

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

NAMPA – With experience, Coeur d’Alene was the best all season long.

Saturday night, they just let the rest of the state know it.

Junior Teagan Colvin scored 20 points, senior Madi Symons 15 points for the top-seeded Vikings, who ambushed the seventh-seeded Rocky Mountain Grizzlies of Meridian 65-27 in the state 5A championship game at the Ford Idaho Center on Saturday night.

“It means everything,” Coeur d’Alene junior guard Teagan Colvin said. “It’s what we’ve been going for all season and knew coming in we had a stellar shot and stellar team. We were just ready to take it and get what we wanted.”

It is the 10th title overall for Coeur d’Alene, and first for the Vikings since 2014, when the Vikings also beat Rocky Mountain.

Coeur d’Alene beat Eagle 63-50 in the opening round, then outlasted Boise 51-50 in double overtime on Friday to advance.

“For me, coming into the game, I was really, really confident after our first two games,” Colvin said. “We usually come out stronger and today was the day to show them what’s what from the start from the very beginning.”

Coeur d’Alene advanced to state for the first time since the ‘14 title in 2020, going 0-2. The Vikings lost in the third-place game at state in 2021, then failed to qualify last year.

“Starting off, it was a little rough,” Madi Symons said. “We had to build it from the ground up. I wouldn’t want anyone else and any other team by my side doing this. Each year, it’s been great. This moment is just crazy right now.”

“I think the win against Boise (on Friday), they thought, 'OK, we deserve to be here,”' fourth-year Coeur d'Alene coach Nicole Symons said. “We deserved to win that game. And then, they wanted to play all day and were just relentless on the defensive end all day, and I mean relentless. Then offense became easy. I told them they’re going to be nervous and use that on the defensive end, because you can’t do anything wrong that way.”

Coeur d’Alene won the Inland Empire League title last year, but was upset in the Region 1 second-place game by Post Falls at home.

“It feels good,” Nicole Symons said. “We had some great kids that worked to get this program changed. I wish all of them over the last four years could experience this. But they’re part of the growth part. We went two and out my first year (2020) and got to Saturday in my second (2021), and last year, not making it at all, it’s a hard thing. Losing is not always bad. They learned they needed to put in the time and kept their sights on that goal. It doesn’t always work out that way, but it did this year. And it was pretty exciting.”

Senior Libby Awbery, who transferred from Central Valley High in Spokane as a junior, finished with eight points for Coeur d’Alene.

“There were a lot of practices where we knew it was going to be worth it,” Awbery said. “It’s nice to finally get that ending. We just felt after the last two days, this is it and let’s go out and play hard with our best friends.”

Nicole Symons won three state titles in high school as a player, twice with Coeur d’Alene (1992, 1994) and again with Lake City (1995).

“They’re different, because when you’re a coach and parent, you want your kid to experience this great event you’ll never forget,” Nicole Symons said. “We still talk about with my teammates and that feeling. Sometimes, it’s just the best basketball experience you’ll have, even when you go off to college. These girls deserve it. They’re amazing and they worked to get it for sure.”

Nicole Symons knew the team was on to something this season during the first game at Moscow on Nov. 17. Coeur d’Alene also beat Rocky Mountain 72-44 in Meridian on Dec. 3.

“I remember at Moscow, I thought, ‘this is pretty cool,’” Nicole Symons said. “All our five starters were the first kids in the book. They all five have a history together and came to Coeur d’Alene for various reasons. For them to have a positive experience with basketball and friends on the court, I’m happy for them. I’m sad to lose those seniors. They mean a lot to this program. And our underclassmen have some big shoes to fill for sure.”

Rocky Mountain senior Brielle Magnuson, who played as a freshman at Post Falls High, finished with seven points.

“Coeur d’Alene is a phenomenal team and has a lot of weapons,” said Rocky Mountain coach BJ Humphreys, in his fourth season. “Huge congratulations to them. They kicked our butt tonight. It was our first championship Saturday, and I think it showed. But they’re a great team with a ton of weapons.”

Rocky Mountain 8 8 7 4 – 27

Coeur d’Alene 19 15 19 12 – 65

ROCKY MOUNTAIN – Magnuson 7, Roach 0, Archibald 4, Waldram 0, Dyche 0, Osterhout 2, Sailors 1, Giberson 0, Dabell 3, Legaspi 10. Totals 9-34 7-14 27.

COEUR d’ALENE – Colvin 20, Mitchell 11, Awbery 8, Omlin 5, Symons 15, Paulson 0, Lopez 2, Holecek 0, Legg 0, Larson 0, Gray 0, Carroll 4, Wallis 0. Totals 23-47 8-15 65.