STATE 1A DIVISION I BOYS SEMIFINALS: The 'underdogs' getting their date with Lapwai ... Lakeside advance to second straight title game vs. storied Wildcats
CALDWELL — Earlier this year, as Lakeside High coach James Twoteeth was filling out his schedule, he wanted that storied program from central Idaho.
Why, well, why not play Lapwai?
“We tried, but weren’t able to get them on our schedule,” said Twoteeth, in his seventh season. “We would have loved it, but we couldn’t get them. I guess we’ll see them in the finals.”
Indeed coach, you will.
Senior Liam Hendrickx scored 19 points and senior Blaze Callahan added 18 points for the third-seeded Knights, who beat the second-seeded Potlatch Loggers 69-53 in a state 1A boys basketball semifinal game at Vallivue High to advance to the championship game today at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.
It is the second straight year that Lakeside (17-3) and Lapwai (24-2) have met for the title. Lakeside won last year’s meeting 81-79 in overtime, snapping Lapwai's 62-game win streak.
“I’m good friends with their coach (Zachary Eastman) and we’ve gotten to know each other over the years,” said Twoteeth, who also coached the Knights to the 2020 title, and won as a player in 1997. “I saw him the other day at the (pre-tournament) breakfast and he said ‘We’ll see you on Saturday at the Idaho Center.’”
Lakeside built a 16-4 lead with 3:06 remaining in the first quarter. Potlatch rallied to cut the deficit to 34-33 late in the half before Hendrickx banked a 3-pointer with .6 seconds left to give the Knights a 37-33 halftime lead.
“With Liam, if a 3 goes in, he’s a shooter by nature and he’ll think the next four will go in,” Twoteeth said. “So he played with a little more hustle and got a few rebounds and was really aggressive.”
Callahan was sparked on by his teammates.
“The entire year, we’ve been telling Blaze to be aggressive,” Twoteeth said. “He had a really good game tonight and is a little awkward to guard as a lefty going to the basket. He really started to take it to the rim and he just plays harder when he scores.”
Lakeside beat Potlatch in last year's state opener 66-44.
“I thought they’d handle our pressure a little better,” Twoteeth said. “We just wanted to speed them up since they play so well in the half court.”
Sophomore Tyson Charley had 18 points and three steals for Lakeside, which lost only one senior — Vander Brown — off last year’s title team.
“Our entire team is motivated,” Twoteeth said. “Nobody is talking about us. Our record is about the same. We’re the third seed and it’s working out to be the same thing as last year. Our guys just love to be the underdogs.”
Jaxon Vowels scored 20 points for Potlatch (19-6).
Lakeside 22 15 13 19 — 69
Potlatch 15 18 11 9 — 53
LAKESIDE — Peone 0, SiJohn 6, Callahan 18, Hendrickx 19, Nomee 0, Hall 6, Jones 0, Spotted Horse 0, Kee 2, Charley 18. Totals 28-54 7-7 69.
POTLATCH — Chambers 4, C. Lovell 9, Marshall 0, Clark 4, E. Lovell 12, Vowels 20, Morris 2, Emerson 2. Totals 19-48 10-14 53.