PFC, Mullan hope for strong state run

It may not be evident by looking at its record, but the undefeated Post Falls Christian Academy boys basketball team has endured and overcome adversity this season.

“We didn’t have our full team all year,” Eagles coach Tim Mitchell said. “We had somebody injured every game. We had to adjust almost every game. We never expected to go undefeated.”

The Eagles also had their struggles on the court from game to game. They battled through stretches of undisciplined play, but they always found a way to win in the end.

That’s why Mitchell is confident his team will fare well at the State 1A tournament, which begins today at two high schools in Caldwell.

Mullan, too, had to overcome late-season hardship. The Tigers’ top two players, Cory Pehan and Jesse James, both missed games because of injuries, and Mullan was obviously out of sync at the start of the district tournament. But the Tigers rebounded to earn the second berth to state.

PFC (19-0) is one of two undefeated teams in the 16-team field. Top-ranked Cascade (23-0) is in the opposite bracket of the Eagles, who face District IV fourth-place finisher Richfield (18-7) at 5:15 p.m. PST at Vallivue High School. Earlier, Mullan (15-7) takes on 2005 state runner-up and perennial power Mackay (18-3) at 2 at Caldwell High School.

PFC received some good news recently. The school’s lease at its present site expires at the end of the year, meaning it had to find a different facility. Mitchell, who said he’s not at liberty to give specific details yet, said a facility has been located and the school will not close as was originally feared.

So while this is the final tournament for the Eagles’ nine seniors, it’s not the final state trip overall.

“We have a good core of underclassmen that will be back,” Mitchell said.

In Mitchell’s system, most of his bench receives quality minutes. That, combined with a press-and-run style, has the Eagles confident they can go deep into the tournament.

“We’re diverse,” Mitchell said. “We can throw a lot of different looks at you.”

The diversity expanded this season. After the Eagles trip to state last year – in which they won their state opener – Mitchell said it was obvious they needed something other than a perimeter attack to be successful, especially at state.

The presence of senior 6-foot-5 post Jon Hutchins, a transfer from a local Christian school, along with 6-3 junior Danny Anderson has beefed up the Eagles’ inside game.

Mitchell is contemplating starting a big lineup over a speedy lineup in PFC’s opener.

PFC will be greatly disappointed if it doesn’t come home with a trophy.

If the Eagles make it to Saturday, they say their final game might as well be in the Idaho Center in Nampa, where all five state title games will be staged.

“I think we’ll come back with some hardware,” said junior forward Max Munson, who came off the bench in the Eagles’ 45-34 win over Clark Fork in the district title game to score seven of his team-high 13 points.

“Our team thinks a state title is within reach,” Mitchell said. “At the least we should be playing for a trophy somewhere on Saturday. My biggest concern is execution. We need to put teams away when we have the opportunity. We don’t want to have to dig ourselves out of a hole like we did (at state) last year.”

Mullan, which is making its first trip to state in nine years, drew a difficult opener. Most of the players on Mackay’s team played on the Division II 8-man state title football team last fall.

Mackay also presents some matchup problems. Its best player, junior point guard Kelvin Krosch, is also its tallest starter at 6-5.

“They’re very athletic,” Mullan coach Bruce Bailey said.

Mullan must overcome a lack of depth and a propensity to commit turnovers against pressure.

The Tigers were without Pehan for the final four league games because of a knee injury and they played their final conference game without both Pehan and James because the latter tore ligaments in the thumb of his non-shooting hand. They each average 16.2 points per game.

“I’m proud of the way they came through at the end,” Bailey said. “I couldn’t ask for much more.”