Ambrose wins title before moving up; Lakeside completes perfect season for fallen teammate
The Ambrose School of Meridian rode the toughest defense in 1A Division I all the way to the state championship game, and then used that defense to shut down Grace and win the title 49-27. It was the Archers’ first title since 2016 and the second in school history.
Ambrose senior Paul “Lumpy” Yenor dominated the paint all game. He continually rolled hard to the basket, crashed the boards and set picks that mixed up Grace’s defense. He grabbed multiple rebounds over an undersized Grace team, to the point that Grace stopped going for offensive rebounds. Yenor finished the game with 17 points and 17 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive side. After the game, Yenor was the first player to rush onto the court and get a hold of the state championship trophy.
“I was definitely really excited to go grab that (trophy),” Yenor said. “I’ve seen my brother grab it and I’ve seen other people grabbing it and it made me a little mad. … I think that fueled me.”
In the semifinal game against Potlatch, it was Yenor who sunk two free throws to take the game to overtime, and it was Yenor who scored the only two points for either team in overtime to take his team to the state final.
“I definitely think that all the guys, after winning that game, had a boost of confidence,” Yenor said.
While the championship game wasn’t particularly close — Grace never held a lead — Ambrose put the nail in the coffin in the second half. Ambrose’s defense only allowed 36.5 points per game this season and flexed its muscles in the fourth quarter. Grace scored on a 3-pointer by Jordan Mansfield to cut the lead to 10 points with almost 2 minutes left in the third quarter, and then didn’t score a single point after that. Ambrose outscored Grace 10-0 in the final frame.
“We all just play as one,” junior guard Ben Blythe said. “I think that’s what has made us special.”
Blythe finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Grace was led by Gage Stoddard with 13 points but, as a team, shot 20% from the floor and made only three shots in the second half.
“I think the camaraderie that comes with all the players,” Yenor said when asked about what is unique about Ambrose. “The fans are loyal and they’re always cheering loud. And just having the entire school lifting you up. … That’s a super special thing about our program. I think that’s what sets us apart.”
Next year, Ambrose will return four out of five starters. Yenor is one of only two seniors on the team. But the Archers will step up a level to compete in the 2A classification.
“It will definitely be more of a challenge,” Blythe said. “I think that’s going to push us to compete overall. We’re excited for it.”
1A Division II: Lakeside remembers teammate with perfect season
Lakeside took home the 1A Division II state title, beating Cascade 74-57 to win the school’s first title since 1997.
Early on, it looked like Cascade might hold its own, but Lakeside turned on the pressure and finished the season a perfect 24-0.
“To go 24-0 is just surreal and I can’t explain it,” coach James Twoteeth said. “I still think I’m dreaming. I really do.”
Cascade held an early 5-4 lead in the first quarter, but Lakeside switched to a full-court trap defense and the entire tone of the game changed. Suddenly, Cascade couldn’t get the ball past half court and Lakeside was scoring on wide-open fastbreak opportunities. A 10-0 run in the second quarter gave Lakeside a 32-16 lead with 1:26 left in the half.
Whether it was early-game grogginess or the nerves of playing in the championship game, Lakeside shook it off and looked just as comfortable as it had been all season. It was ready to make Cascade its 21st double-digit conquest of the season.
Cascade opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to close the gap to 16 points, but a 3-pointer by Jasper Abuan silenced Cascade’s roaring fan section and gave Lakeside the push it needed to finish.
After the game, coach James Twoteeth spoke to the crowd and dedicated this season to Tyler Ambro, a Lakeside player who passed away before it started. Lakeside put his jersey over a chair before every game and wanted to honor him.
“I didn’t know what to think,” James Twoteeth said. “I didn’t think the team would show up after that. They showed up the first day and said we’re going to do it for him.”
After the victory, the team held up a poster that said “In our hearts forever” with a picture of Ambro in his jersey. A few of the players pointed to the sky when James Twoteeth mentioned Ambro during his postgame speech.
“(Tyler) kept pushing us to do our best,” the coach said. “He’s still in our hearts.”
Kenyon Spotted Horse was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points for Lakeside. Day Day Higgins, Jayson Hall and Talon Twoteeth, son of coach James Twoteeth, all had 12 points for the Knights. On Cascade’s side, Cody Moosman had 19 points and five rebounds, while Blake Thurston followed with 16 points.
“It was an emotional season. It was really long and I was waiting for it to end,” James Twoteeth said. “It was kind of deja vu for me.”
James Twoteeth was a member of the last Lakeside team to win a state championship in 1997.
“To do it with my son, that’s awesome,” he said. “Every parent wants that for your son.”
2A: North Fremont repeats as state champion
North Fremont defeated West Side, the state’s No. 1 team, 42-37 to repeat as the 2A champion. West Side’s Bryler Shurtliff missed three 3-pointers in the final minutes, each of which could have tied the game. Jordan Hess hit two free throws with under a minute left to push the lead to three and give North Fremont the cushion it needed to pull away.
Jordan Lenz led North Fremont with 20 points and three steals, while Hess had 14 points and two steals. The Huskies shot 44% from 3-point range and outscored West Side 16-11 in the fourth quarter. Shurtliff finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for West Side, while teammate Isaac Franklin had 12 points.
Consolation games
▪ Rocky Mountain 72, Eagle 52: The Grizzlies shook off the disappointment of their stunning loss in the semifinals to dominate the Mustangs in the 5A third-place game. Townsend Tripple scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Cooper Frith added 14 points. Jordan Kemp and Tanner Hayhurst scored 12 points each for Eagle.
▪ Rigby 69, Meridian 53: The Trojans earned the 5A consolation trophy with a dominant fourth quarter. Donovan Sanor scored 19 points for Meridian, while Brycen Uffens scored 24 for Rigby.
▪ Middleton 61, Kuna 54: The Vikings erased a seven-point halftime deficit to beat the Kavemen again in a rematch of the District Three title game. This time, Middleton got the 4A third-place trophy. Tyler Robinett (15 points), Sy Eaton (14) and Cash Cowdery (13) provided a balanced attack for the Vikings. Sean Austin scored 15 for Kuna.
▪ Fruitland 88, Filer 65: The Grizzlies opened with a 32-12 first quarter to roll to the 3A third-place trophy. They were 17-of-29 from the field in the first half. Dapri Weatherall scored 18 points, Hyrum Lindsey added 17 and Josh Henggeler contributed 16.
▪ St. Maries 47, Cole Valley Christian 29: The Lumberjacks rolled to the 2A third-place trophy. Tristan Gentry led the way with 13 points and nine rebounds. Garrett Smith topped Cole Valley with eight points.
▪ Malad 46, New Plymouth 40: The Dragons stormed out of the locker room for a 16-6 third quarter to take the 2A consolation title. Derek Hampton scored 15 points for the Pilgrims; Trever Howe scored 15 for the Dragons.
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 12:32 PM.