State championships on the line as 16 area basketball teams vie for coveted blue trophies

EASTERN IDAHO — It’s state tournament time and here’s all you need to know about the 16 District 5 and 6 girls basketball teams headed to the Boise area this week.

6A

MADISON BOBCATS
Record: 16-8
State seed: #6, District 4-5-6 runner-up
Coach: Luke Sutton, fourth season
Players to watch: G Mia Walsh, jr.; F Nora Waddoups, sr.; G Maggie Anderson
Notes: Last year the Bobcats made the state tournament for the first time since 2017 with a relatively young lineup and finished 0-2 … Only loss since Jan. 8 has been to conference foe Rigby (three times) … Lost to first-round opponent Eagle 50-45 back on Nov. 22 … Walsh averages 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, Waddoups 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.

RIGBY TROJANS
Record: 16-7
State seed: #7, District 4-5-6 champion
Coach: Todd Barber, fourth season
Players to watch: G Kinzley Larsen, jr.; C Tiade Togiai, sr.
Notes: Dominated the conference, taking down a good Madison team three times, including in the district championship … Trojans are in the state tournament for the seventh straight season … They won the consolation trophy two years ago and finished third in 2021 … The Trojans lost to No. 1 Boise in last year’s third-place game and face Boise in Thursday’s opener. Boise also beat Rigby 46-37 in this season’s opening game.

5A

BLACKFOOT BRONCOS
Record: 18-5
State seed: #4, District 6 champion
Coach: Raimee Odum, fifth season
Players to watch: G Addison Tanner, sr.; C Cambrie Waterhouse, sr.; G Jaci Capson, jr.
Notes: The Broncos missed the state tournament last season, snapping a streak of five straight appearances … The Broncos last won a state title in 2021 … Lost to Skyline on Jan. 14 but have won eight straight since, including two wins over Skyline in the regular-season finale and district title game. Blackfoot opens the state tournament with a fourth matchup against Skyline.

SKYLINE GRIZZLIES
Record: 16-8
State seed: #5, District 6 runner-up
Coach: Ty Keck, 10th season
Players to watch: G Shay Shippen, sr.; G Macy Marlow, soph.; G Madison Merzlock, jr.
Notes: The Grizzlies were fifth in the final state media poll behind Blackfoot … Shippen, who led Skyline to the state title game as a freshman, will finish her career as the state’s all-time leading scorer, although Idaho has no official record … The Grizzlies like to push the pace and were among the classification’s top-scoring teams at 57.13 points … Opening-round opponent Blackfoot beat Skyline in the district championship game … Shippen averages 24.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She also leads the team with 3.3 assists and 3.3 steals … Skyline has never won a state title.

POCATELLO THUNDER
Record: 21-2
State seed: #1, District 5 champion
Coach: Sunny Evans, sixth season
Players to watch: F Abby Lusk, jr.; F Kenna Garza, sr.; G Taylee Rogers, sr.; G Liv Marshall, sr.
Notes: At state for the third year in a row. … Has taken third and won the consolation title in each of its last two appearances there. … Ranked No. 2 in the final state media poll. … Only two losses this season have come to 6A qualifier Eagle and Westlake, which is one of the top teams in Utah. … Lusk has multiple offers from the likes of Texas Tech, UNLV and Pepperdine. She is a reigning first-team All-Idaho selection. Lusk is just three points shy of 1,000 career points. She is averaging 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season. … Garza, a Boise State signee and a second-team All-Idaho selection last season, is averaging 14.5 ppg, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. She has more than 1,000 career points and is just a few rebounds shy of becoming the first player in program history with 1,000 rebounds. … Has the second best offense (58.96 ppg) and defense (36.96 ppg) in the classification behind only Middleton. … The Thunder are still searching for the first state title in program history.

4A

BEAR LAKE BEARS
Record: 20-3
State seed: #2, District 5 champion
Coach: Ken Wells, second season
Players to watch: F Halle Wells, so.; G Saydee Shaul, sr.; F Peyten Crockett, jr.
Notes: Won the 3A state championship last season. It was the program’s first state title in 25 years. … Moved up a classification this season and made program history by winning back-to-back district titles for the first time. … Enters state on a 12-game winning streak. … Bear Lake has only lost to top-seeded Sugar-Salem twice and Malad, which is the No. 1 team in 3A. … Ranked No. 2 in the final state media poll. … Ken Wells inherited a 6-19 team just two years ago and has gone 43-6. … Halle Wells, the coach’s kid, leads the team with 14.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. … Shaul is averaging 8.6 points and 2.5 steals per game. … Crockett is averaging 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. … Have the second-best offense (56.26 ppg) and defense (32.91 ppg) in the classification. … Have won two state championships (2024, 1999) in program history.

SOUTH FREMONT COUGARS
Record: 21-5
State seed: #3, Play-in winner
Coach: Brooke Bailey, third season
Players to watch: Brianne Bailey, sr.; Hayden Larson, sr.
Notes: Since Jan. 8, the Cougars’ only losses have come to Sugar-Salem four times. … The Mountain Rivers Conference was one of the most competitive in the state with all three teams ranked in the state media poll during the season. … Teton, which reached the state championship game last season, did not make the state tournament. … South Fremont had to win a play-in game to advance to the state tournament despite being ranked No. 2 in the final state media poll behind only unbeaten conference foe Sugar-Salem. … Bailey, a Montana State signee, averages 17.2 points and 10.3 rebounds.

SUGAR-SALEM DIGGERS
Record: 23-0
State seed: #1, District 6 champion
Coach: Crystal Dayley, 13th season
Players to watch: Nika Nead, sr.; Andee Petterson, soph.; Ashlyn Harris, sr.
Notes: After missing the state tournament last season, the Diggers are back with a vengeance and enter the tournament unbeaten with a winning margin of nearly 25 points. … They navigated conference play without any issues and feature a senior-heavy roster. … Nead averages 14.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, Harris averages 11.5 points and 6.4 rebounds, while Petterson is at 10.2 points and 7.2 assists.

3A

MALAD DRAGONS
Record: 22-1
State seed: #1, District 4-5 champion
Coach: Trevor Jones, third season
Players to watch: F Brynnlee Jones, jr.; G Izzy Hacyckock, jr.; G Mikell Keetch, jr.
Notes: At state for the first time in six years. … Won first district championship in 14 years. … Enter with the second-best active winning streak in the state at 22 games and counting. … This comes just three years after Malad posted a one-win season. … Was the wire-to-wire No. 1 ranked team in the state media poll. … Only loss this season was to 4A state qualifier Bear Lake, which it avenged. … The Dragons have the second-best offense (55.91 ppg) and defense (33.04 ppg) in the classification. … Jones leads the team with 11.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. … Haycock, the 3A State Player of the Year for volleyball, is averaging 9.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. … Keetch is averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. … Has only one state championship in program history that came all the way back in 1993.

NORTH FREMONT HUSKIES
Record: 13-13
State seed: #8, Play-in winner
Coach: Ben Lenz, 26th season
Players to watch: Peyton Lenz, jr.; Grace Heiner, sr.; Taylor Sessions, jr.
Notes: The Huskies reached the state title game last season as a No. 4 seed. … They enter the tournament having won four of the past five games, the loss coming to Ririe in the district championship game. … Lenz, Heiner and Sessions all average more than 13 points per game, with Lenz hitting 35% of her 3-point shots. … Sessions leads the team with more than three assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. … North Fremont won its only state championship in 2013.

RIRIE BULLDOGS
Record: 15-9
State seed: #5, District 6 champion
Coach: Jake Landon, sixth season
Players to watch: G Brinley Taylor, sr.; Niciah Young, jr.; G Liza Boone, sr.
Notes: Made 10 straight state appearances before missing out last season. … Appeared in four state championship games, winning one state title in 2017. … The Bulldogs played a tough schedule with games against 4A powers Sugar-Salem, Teton and South Fremont, along with two games against state No. 1 Malad. … Lost to North Fremont in overtime back in January, but beat the Huskies in the second regular-season matchup and beat them again in the district final.

SODA SPRINGS CARDINALS
Record: 11-11
State seed: #7, District 4-5 runner-up
Coach: Mat Gronning, first season
Players to watch: G Abby Goodin, sr.; G/F Gracie Mouldenhauer, sr.; G Courtnee Gronning, jr.
Notes: Making their 23rd consecutive state tournament appearance. … Had placed at state nine years in a row before the streak was snapped last season. … Unranked in the final state media poll, but did receive a few votes. … Gronning took over as the interim coach midway through last season. … All of Soda Springs’ losses have come to either state qualifying or out-of-state teams. … The Cardinals have won five of their last seven games heading into state. … Goodin is averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 steals and 3.0 assists per game, Mouldenhauer 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and Courtnee Gronning, the coach’s kid, 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. … The Cardinals are averaging 12 steals and 10 assists per game as a team. … Have won four state championships (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020) in program history.

2A

BUTTE COUNTY PIRATES
Record: 17-7
State seed: #4, Play-in winner
Coach: Mindy Gamett, first season
Players to watch: G Brynn Anderson, jr.; C Cambree Lyon, so.; C Abbie Knight, jr.
Notes: Butte County was back in the final state media poll at No. 5 after having its seven-game win streak snapped by Grace. … The Pirates responded, beating Grace twice in close games. … Butte County defeated Council 63-41 in a play-in game to earn its state berth. … Anderson leads the team at 13.3 points, while Lyon averages 11.8 points and 8.7 rebounds. … Knight can also be a force inside with 6.8 rebounds and a team-high 1.3 blocks per game.

1A

CHALLIS VIKINGS
Record: 16-6
State seed: #6, District 5-6 third place
Coach: Jordan Oerke, third season
Players to watch: Jalie Oerke, sr.; Danika Wolfenbarger, so.; Taylor Redick, sr.
Notes: The Vikings have two players who average double figures with Oerke averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds and Wolfenbarger adding another 10 points, while Redick scores nine points per game. … The Vikings enter the tournament having won 10 of 12 games with the only losses coming against Rocky Mountain Conference foe Mackay 48-45 and a nonconference tilt with Carey. … The Vikings make their first state appearance in eight years after placing second in conference.

MACKAY MINERS
Record: 15-9
State seed: #7, District 5-6 runner-up
Coach: Josh Pehrson, fourth season
Players to watch: Danika Seefried, jr.; Alyssa Pehrson, jr.; Jaida Rodriguez, so.; Mylee Drussel, sr.
Notes: The Miners have three players in double figures with Seefried (11.8), Pehrson (10.1) and Rodriguez (10.8) all stepping up. … Seefried also leads the team with 8.2 rebounds. … The Rocky Mountain Conference was competitive this season with five teams sporting winning records. … Mackay finished strong, winning eight of its final nine games with the lone loss coming to Rockland in the district title game.

ROCKLAND BULLDOGS 
Record: 18-5
State seed: #3, District 5-6 champion
Coach: Jordan Black, second season
Players to watch: F Alexa Permann, sr.; G Calyn Permann, sr.; P Sidney Freeman, sr.
Notes: At state for the seventh straight year. … Is the reigning state consolation champion and has placed at state for the last three years. … Won their third district title in four years. … Finished No. 2 in the final state media poll, where they spent most of the year ranked No. 1. … Have only lost once in the classification. … Enter state having won eight of their last nine games. … Black took over from legendary and two-time state championship coach Vern Nelson, who passed away last February from cancer. … Boasts the classification’s best defense at 26.43 points per game. … Alexa Permann leads the team with 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. … Cousin Calyn Permann is averaging 9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. … Freeman is averaging 7.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. … Rockland has won two state titles (2020, 2022) in program history.

-Brandon Walton contributed to this report.