Watersprings, Rockland among 1A favorites; Challis looking to catch fire for state run

EASTERN IDAHO — Despite boasting the division’s top winning percentage, and having beaten No. 2-seed Rockland twice, Watersprings open the Boys Basketball State Championships as 1A’s three-seed.

Due to the Warriors seeding, they will face six-seed Challis in Thursday’s tourney opener.

Rockland, who was undefeated against all other 1A opponents, will face No. 7 Nezperce in round one.

The state tournament begins Thursday, with games at six different venues scheduled to start at noon, 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Winners will advance into the semifinal round, while losers will continue to play in hopes of claiming a consolation finish.

Here is a complete rundown of the 1A bracket.

CASCADE RAMBLERS
Record: 17-6
State seed: #4; District 3 champion
Coach: Josh Hurley, fourth season
Players to watch: SG Cole Olson, sr.; PG Finn Wilkins, jr.; C Hayden Hull, sr.; SF Will Huckaby, so.
Notes: Qualified for state for the fourth consecutive season. … Took home the third-place trophy a year ago. … Never won a state title, but has reached the finals twice (2020, 1991). … Tied for fourth in the final state media poll. … Three players average double figures: Olson (17.9 ppg), Wilkins (11.7) and Hull (10.2), while Huckaby (7.8) and Davis Taylor (5.5) give the Ramblers additional scoring options. … Hull leads the Ramblers in rebounding at 7.0 per game, while Wilkins is the assist leader with 3.9 per game. … 1-1 against the only state qualifier it faced (Garden Valley), which also happens to be its first-round opponent. … Third-best defense (45.7 ppg) among state qualifiers.

CHALLIS VIKINGS
Record: 14-11
State seed: #6; Play-in winner
Coach: Justin Farr, third season
Players to watch: G Jacen Farr, sr.; G Brayden Ollar, sr.
Notes: First state appearance since 2019. … Led by Jacen Farr in points (17.4), rebounds (7.4) and assists (2.1). … Went 0-2 against first-round opponent, Watersprings, losing by a combined 53 points. … Beat Leadore, 61-30, in the district tournament and Grace Lutheran, 47-36, in the state play-in game. … Unranked in the final state media poll. … … Never won a state title. … Last state tournament victory and only trip to the finals came in 2014.

COEUR du CHRIST SAINTS
Record: 14-8
State seed: #8; District 1 champ, play-in winner
Coach: Chris Kiefer, first season
Players to watch: G Ben Connelly, sr.; G Grant Clemens, fr.
Notes: First season as a full member of the IHSAA after spending the past two years as an associate member. … Most of the Saints’ scoring comes from Connelly (31.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists) and Clemens (15.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.1 steals). Junior guard Jerome Cools averages 7.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. … The Coeur du Christ football coach and athletic director is Kellen Clemens, the former Oregon and NFL quarterback. … Unranked in the final state media poll.

DIETRICH BLUE DEVILS
Record: 19-3
State seed: #1; District 4 champs
Coach: Slade Dill, second season
Players to watch: G Connor Perkins, sr.; F Brody Torgerson, sr.; G Chase Norman, sr.
Notes: First state tournament since 2021 when it finished runner-up. … Beat Carey in the Sawtooth Conference championship. … A Sawtooth Conference team has reached the state final in each of the past four seasons. … Won two state titles (2016, 1966). … Ranked third in the final state media poll. … 2-1 against tournament field. … Opened the season with a 92-50 loss at Valley before winning 11 straight. … Rockland snapped Dietrich’s 11-game win streak on Jan. 17 when Rockland won 63-43. … Enters the tournament with five straight wins. … Experienced group with seven seniors, including first-team All-Idaho quarterback Perkins, who will play football for NJCAA North Dakota State College of Science. … Perkins leads the team with 20.1 points, 2.8 assists and 4.1 steals per game… Torgerson leads with 11.3 rebounds per game and also averages 10.8 points per game. … Norman averages 13.2 points per game. … Top 1A offense with 69.5 points per game. … Dill took over as head coach in 2023-24 after former head coach and his father, Slade Dill, died in summer 2023.

GARDEN VALLEY WOLVERINES
Record: 19-8
State seed: #5; Play-in winner
Coach: Heather Kelly, fourth season
Players to watch: G Maxon Yearsley, jr.; G Madix Miller, jr.; G Cody Perrin, so.; P Conor Ross, sr.
Notes: Back at state for the second year in a row. … Lost in the third-place game at state to Cascade last season. … Owns one state title, winning it all in 2021. … Unranked in final state media poll. … 1-4 against state qualifiers, splitting with conference foe Cascade and losing to Watersprings and Dietrich. … Third-highest scoring offense (61.6 ppg) among state qualifiers. … Yearsley (14.7 ppg) and Miller (12.6 ppg) each contribute double-digit scoring, while Ross is the Wolverines’ top rebounder (9.1), Miller leads in assists (5.6), Yearsley in steals (1.6) and Ross in blocks (1.3). … Perrin (9.8 ppg), Ross (7.4 ppg) and senior guard Trevor Corn (7.2 ppg) give Garden Valley an array of scoring options.

NEZPERCE NIGHTHAWKS
Record: 13-5
State seed: #7; District 2 champ
Coach: Conner McLeod, fifth year
Players to watch: Aidan McLeod, sr.; Brennen McLeod, so.; Slater Kuther, fr.
Notes: Making their first state tournament appearance since 2013. … Upset top-seeded Clearwater Valley of Kooskia in double overtime in the district final. … Started the season 8-5, but have now won five straight. … Won four state titles, the most recent in 2012.

ROCKLAND BULLDOGS
Record: 20-3
State seed: #2; District 5-6 runner-up
Coach: Shae Neal, eighth season
Players to watch: G Aidan Radford, sr.; G Woodrow Lowder, jr.; G Xaiver Parrish, so.
Notes: Fifth straight state tournament appearance and seventh in the past eight years. … Won the consolation championship last season for the fourth state trophy in a row. … Ended the year second in the state media poll. Spent some time as the No. 1 team in the state, as well. … Two of its losses this season came to conference rival Watersprings, which won the district championship. … Has the classification’s best defense (35.5 ppg) and fifth-best offense (58.7 ppg). … Lone state championship came in 2022.

WATERSPRINGS WARRIORS
Record: 20-3
State seed: #3; District 5-6 champ
Coach: Evan Bindenagel, third season
Players to watch: C Titus Driver, sr.; G Korban Nelson, jr.
Notes: Third consecutive state appearance and third in program history. … Went 2-0 against No. 2 seed Rockland, including a 69-47 victory on Jan. 21 … Led on both sides of the court by the 6-foot-10 Driver, who averages 13.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game … Top-ranked 1A team in the final state media poll. … Second-best defense in 1A (39.2 ppg). … Searching for the program’s first state tournament trophy.

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