STATE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lakeland: 'Why not us?'; Timberlake looks to maintain state title-contending form

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

4A

The Lakeland Hawks weren’t a very deep team to begin with.

Then one player in the rotation suffered a high ankle sprain late in the season against Moscow, and the Hawks were down to playing basically six players.

It was not uncommon down the stretch for seniors Lila Kiefer and Payton Sterling, junior Landree Simon and sophomore Karstyn Kiefer to play the entire 32 minutes.

“Sometimes we get in the timeouts and I look at the kids and say, ‘You can’t be tired,’” second-year Lakeland coach Tyrel Derrick said. “And they don’t complain, and that paid off for the end.”

Lakeland (13-9) is back at state for the first time since 2019, and only the second time since 2009 — the last time the Hawks won a game at state.

Lakeland, the surprising fourth seed, takes on fifth seed Bishop Kelly (18-4) of Boise today at 11 a.m. PST in the first round of the state 4A tournament at Timberline High in Boise.

The Hawks got to state by knocking off the defending state champion Sandpoint Bulldogs in a grueling best-of-3 series for the Region 1 title last week. All three games were at Sandpoint, and Derrick said Hawk fans traveled well up to Sandpoint.

“These girls feel pretty special to have that much support,” Derrick said.

Lakeland is on a roll heading into state, winners of eight of its last nine.

Simon is the Hawks’ top scorer, averaging 19.6 points per game. Lila Kiefer averages 10.7 points and 10 rebounds and Karstyn Kiefer, the point guard, averages four assists.

Senior Kyla Holte is the other starter, with freshman Macy Bretveld spelling her off the bench.

Junior Jersi McMurray was the other player in the rotation prior to her ankle injury.

Shelley (22-0), which lost to Sandpoint in last year’s title game, is the top seed, and looming as a likely semifinal foe for Lakeland. The Russetts are led by BYU signee Brinley Cannon, the reigning 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year. BK was third at state last year.

The Hawks took No. 2 seed Pocatello (17-5) to overtime in a tournament in eastern Idaho in December.

“I think we’re the surprise team. I don’t think there was anybody that expected us to be there,” Derrick said. “We’re excited; I think there a feeling after going on this run, why not us?”

3A

In contrast, the Timberlake Tigers were struggling down the stretch this season.

At districts, Timberlake lost to Bonners Ferry for the first time since 2015, before beating the Badgers twice, including a 39-point rout in the winner-take-all game to state.

“If the team that played tonight shows up, I think we could go down there and really do well,” Timberlake coach Matt Miller said after the deciding game.

The Tigers (16-6), who open state vs. No. 6 Filer (14-10) tonight at 6 PST at Middleton High, were state runners-up last year. And actually, getting back to state and securing the third seed is a testament to the program Miller, in his 19th season in Spirit Lake, has built.

Timberlake’s top player last year, Malia Miller, suffered a torn ACL last summer and “we knew there was a zero percent chance of her playing any minutes this year,” said Matt Miller, her father and coach. “I think for everybody — the team, me as a coach, me as a dad, and then her as a player … sometimes that lingering hope can be a bad thing.”

“It really sucked,” said junior Jozee MacArthur, who slid over to Miller’s point guard spot this season. “She was our top player. We loved to play with Malia. To know that I had to step up to be the point guard was really hard, but to have Malia there to talk me through it and give me tips on what she did, and how to encourage the team … I loved having her here on the bench, and I can’t wait for her to be back next season.”

But nearly everyone else returned from last year’s team, including MacArthur (8.1 ppg, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals), junior Diana Nelson (9.1 ppg, 9.6 rebounds), sophomore Payton Young (7.9 ppg, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals), and junior Marissa Needs (7.2 ppg, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals).

“We have a lot of people filling different roles, and all season, it’s kinda been by committee,” Miller said. 

Also, the Tigers added a key piece in senior post Kurtsten McKellips (11.1 ppg, 4.2 rebounds), who played the last three seasons at 5A Lake City.

Snake River, which beat Timberlake in the title game last year, is the No. 2 seed this year. Teton, which Timberlake beat by 21 points in the semifinals last year, is the top seed.

Rylie Edlefsen of Snake River, last year’s 3A Player of the Year, was thought to be out for the season with a fractured hand. But the Northwest Nazarene signee returned in the district championship game.

5A

Coeur d’Alene and Lake City last met in the state title game in 2007. Another all-North Idaho championship game matchup between the city rivals this year is possible.

Coeur d’Alene (17-5), the No. 4 seed, opens vs. No. 5 Rocky Mountain (17-6) of Meridian today at 11 a.m. at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

Lake City (23-2), the No. 2 seed, opens vs. No. 7 Middleton (20-4) today at 4 PST.

If Coeur d’Alene wins today, the Vikings will likely face top seed Boise (22-1) in Friday’s semifinals. The Brave are led by USC signee Avery Howell, only the second McDonald’s All-American in state history. Coeur d’Alene beat Howell and Boise in double overtime in last year’s semifinals.

Rigby beat Coeur d’Alene in the semifinals of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. The Vikings beat Rocky Mountain and sixth seed Owyhee earlier this season, and lost to Boise.

But Coeur d’Alene is healthy now, after losing UNLV signee Teagan Colvin and her freshman sister, Brookeslee, to injuries for part of the season.

Coeur d’Alene won its 10th state title last year. 

Lake City has two state titles; the T-Wolves won in 1995, their first year. Lake City was third two years ago, and failed to qualify last year.

2A

Kellogg (15-9) is the eighth seed, and takes on Central Idaho League foe and top seed Grangeville (21-2) in the first round today at 1 p.m. PST at Kuna High.

Kellogg is at state for the first time since 2022, its last year in 3A. Before that, the Wildcats’ last trip to state was in 2010.

Senior guard Macy Jerome averages 20 points and three assists per game, and senior forward Emily Coe surpassed the 500 mark in career rebounds earlier this year.

Melba (16-6), the defending champ, is the fifth seed this year.

1A Division I

Defending champ Raft River failed to qualify. This year’s top seed is Grace, which won the consolation title last year. Oakley, last year’s runner-up, is the No. 2 seed.

Lakeside lost in a state play-in game.

1A Division II

Dietrich, which lost to Council in last year’s title game, is the No. 1 seed. Council is the third seed. Kendrick, last year’s consolation champion, is the No. 3 seed.

Clark Fork lost in a state play-in game.

    MARK NELKE/Press Timberlake junior Lucy Simpson (10) goes up for a shot between a pair of Bonners Ferry defenders last week during Game 3 of the 3A District 1 championship series at Spirit Lake.