Bulldogs aim to keep buzz going
For two weeks, high school boys basketball has been non-stop talk at grocery stores and gas stations in Sandpoint.
When Sandpoint defeated Post Falls 71-63 in a wild Region I championship game 13 days ago, the Bulldogs wiped away nearly three decades of frustration by earning their first trip to state since 1977-78.
“The buzz and excitement around town is incredible,” said Sandpoint coach Tyler Haynes, who is completing his second season in his return to Sandpoint after coaching one year previously. “Everywhere you go, they’re talking about the streak being over.”
“You can’t go anywhere and not hear people talking about it,” said standout senior post Ben Mitchell. “That’s all I’ve done is talk about it. It’s been fun being at school.”
Now the Bulldogs will try giving their fans something else to talk about when they open play this evening in the State 4A tournament at Albertson College in Caldwell. Sandpoint (14-8) will take on pre-tourney favorite and No. 1-ranked Skyview of Nampa (20-3) at 7 PST.
Inland Empire League champ Post Falls (16-8), which bounced back to capture a state berth in a play-in-game, takes on defending champ Century (15-9) of Pocatello in the first game at 12:15. It’s a rematch of an opener a year ago.
“We set goals that are tangible,” Haynes said about his team’s approach during the layoff. “The first week we worked on things we need to get better at while everybody else was fighting to stay alive and get to state. We think of it as an advantage.”
The truth is, this isn’t the first trip to state for most of Sandpoint’s athletes.
“We have a number of kids with (state) soccer experience and football players in the playoffs every year. We’re taking a very athletically experienced team to state,” Haynes said. “Granted, basketball is different, but these are a bunch of guys who have competed year-round and gone to state in other sports.”
As with any coach taking a team to state for the first time, though, Haynes has some concerns.
“I’m mainly concerned about going down there and weathering some storms,” Haynes said. “The game of basketball is a game of runs. Everyone is good and everyone is going to do what they do well. You just have to weather the storms and dance with the gal that brought you there.”
State may not be dominating the chatter in the River City as it is in Sandpoint, but excitement is high as well for the Post Falls Trojans. They will be out to give a better account than they did in a 62-42 loss to Century last year.
Post Falls received good news late Tuesday when 6-0 senior K.C. Billetz was cleared to play by his doctor. It was feared that Billetz, the team’s second-leading scorer (11.5 points) and top defensive player, was lost for the season when his knee locked up in practice last week. His doctor discovered some loose cartilage, coach Dave Stockwell said. Billetz didn’t suit up in Post Falls’ 67-54 state-qualifying win over Nampa last Saturday.
“It’s a nice shot in the arm,” Stockwell said from his motel Wednesday evening. “He can play as long as there’s no swelling or evidence of other problems.”